What went wrong, and why did Young Vic let it happen?

(Received anonymously by email).

I decided to write a blog post after a tweet by Lyn Gardner. I’ve been reading the blog since it started and broadly support what has been said. One of the problems is that the issues covered are widespread and varied and the blog has opened up a number of nasty wounds. The recent loss of jobs and redundancies have caused outrage but the root causes run much deeper and reflect a need for systemic change within the company.

Lyn Gardner said it perfectly and succinctly with only 140 characters at her disposal when she wrote “Situation with @YoungVicUshers seems to be less about what's been done as how it's been done which often reflects culture of a building”. I will aim for similar brevity in this post, although I feel I am doomed to failure.

First of all I’d like to say that each day there are members of staff heading into the Young Vic who are doing an amazing job. I think it’s fair to highlight the Taking Part team who engage new audiences, work with hard to reach groups and do everything in their power to uphold the heart of what we think the Young Vic to be.  I don’t want the fact that upper management have treated their lowest paid workers badly to take away from that, even though I am all too aware of the contradictions it brings.

As Lyn Gardner said the issues are not what has been done but how. Members of staff lost their jobs with no consultation and with no option of union support until the damage was done. The statement from the Young Vic offered little in the way of understanding the real issues and was more a limp explanation of what happened. Understandably they said they cannot comment on individual cases posted anonymously on a blog – I think we can all see why that is the case. However, saying that misses the point. They do not need to comment on anonymous grievances, rather they need to acknowledge that they are steering a ship with lots of unhappy passengers.  They need to come out publicly and say, we are sorry for the way in which we handled the job losses, we really screwed up, we screwed up big time.

After that they need to take a long hard look at what has gone so badly wrong, and they need to take responsibility for it. Why is it, that a couple of years ago their lowest ranking workers loved the building, loved the theatre, loved the ethos. And why is it that now they feel undervalued, not respected, and most importantly of all not listened to. The Young Vic doesn’t need to respond to individual grievances to do that, they just need to be open to the fact, that that is the reality for many of their staff and then address it.

I worked at the Young Vic for a long time, however I left a couple of months ago before the job losses took place. I was aware of what an unhappy place it was. When I was there, I was vocal and cried out for change whenever I could. Sometimes I think management relished my passion, other times I think they just wanted me to shut up and go away, but crucially whatever problems I highlighted were never acted upon. This not only made day to day working harder because things that were broken never got fixed, it also made me feel less and less valued. I was powerless. It was much easier to ignore staff and let them suffer, than to listen and make changes.

There have been a few comments bandied about that suggest David Lan has been protected by senior management as to what is happening in the organisation. I am not convinced this is true. I think David is aware but through no fault of his own, his perspective is skewed. The problems arise in the chain of command. The information he receives is refracted through the prism of the managers he speaks to. So when a problem occurs at the bottom, it is not the people at the bottom reporting to David, it is the managers of the people at the bottom. Those managers will not say “I’m just letting you know my staff think I am managing them badly”. The consequence of this is that the issue gets warped. I think it is this that gets in the way of what is really going on.

 In an article printed in the stage he is quoted as saying “If the people who are running our box office are part of our in-house teams and consequently come to our meetings and are better informed about our shows and what we are trying to achieve, they will be fully integrated into the life of the theatre.” This partly illustrates my point. It would appear he has been given the impression that change is needed as the front of house are not integrated enough. This would be better solved by asking the staff to come to meetings and involving them in conversations about the life of the theatre, not excluding or refusing to hear them.  On numerous occasions staff asked for meetings, and asked for involvement, but were told it’s too difficult to get everyone together. It seems that staff have lost their jobs because they aren’t integrated enough, which is a missed opportunity because integration is just what they have been asking for.

Since the treatment of staff has been made public I have received numerous emails and text messages from past staff members. Not front of house staff members, but staff working in many departments at all levels of seniority. They have all told me HR horror stories of the way redundancies and maternity cover have been handled. Obviously I can’t and won’t comment on others experience except to say, that these people aren’t bitter at losing their jobs (although they were obviously upset and angry at the time) every single one of them was just saddened, by the way they were treated. I mention this to reinforce the depth of the problem.

I hope with all my heart that the Young Vic can turn it around. Admittedly there is little they can do for the people who have lost their jobs. Even if they did a huge u-turn and changed their mind on everything it is too late, people are too winded, angry and upset. They have seen what value the Young Vic puts on their heads. But maybe, just maybe the Young Vic can put something in place to show those that work for them that they do care, that they are important, that they will be heard. They can of course only do this, if they mean it.

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As always we are incredibly grateful for people coming forward with stories, opinions, and issues like this one.

From a former Young Vic staff member

"I was lucky enough to have spent many happy years at the Young Vic, though never admitting   just how many.  I  worked with enthusiastic dedicated BO staff,  but one thing that always worried me was the term "Casual" there were 3 of us who were lucky enough to be contracted staff left over from a bygone era, one of us still at YV, but new staff were employed on this "Casual" basis even though they went on to work for years and not just months or weeks, they were always happy to do any shifts that were on offer, train up new staff and work unsociable hours, without the benefits of holiday or sick payments. The Ushers were always a happy group of people, I remember Louisa & Kirstin employing staff all ages, students, actors a great team of people, some of which I believe are still there and there was always time for training, it seems a shame if this is not now the case. It is sad that BECTU seems to have let these staff down, for even if there were just a couple of members there should have been some negotiation. I can only wish you all well."

Hush money

It has recently been reported to us that an usher who was dismissed via email with no discussion or warnings has been offered compensation with a clause that they do not talk about Young Vic in a negative light on social media.
We have heard this directly from the individual concerned but do not know more, or indeed concrete details of the case.

About BECTU

BECTU

BECTU have been cited on twitter and in statements from the Young Vic, suggesting their involvement in the recent troubles means that the situation is being dealt with professionally and fairly. This is not necessarily the case.

The Young Vic had been planning the changes (unbeknown to the staff) for some time and contacted BECTU to ask how they could implement the changes.  BECTU agreed to work with the Young Vic and held meetings in private, without the Young Vic’s BECTU representative being present. Why they acted in this way we do not know.  BECTU have offered no explanation. For the avoidance of doubt the Young Vic’s BECTU representative should be present at any meeting between the theatre and the union.

Consequently the only voice being heard was that of the Young Vic Management, whose agenda was pretty clear. If the Young Vic wanted to proceed with their plans BECTU gave them two options: 1) A 60 day consultation period in which to work out, alongside the affected staff, the best way to proceed and make changes 2) Pay the staff a paltry sum and get rid of them asap. Obviously the Young Vic opted for the latter. Obviously the staff would have opted for the former. The choice the Young Vic made was sanctioned by BECTU. They agreed to it. They wilfully excluded all affected staff AND the BECTU representative from negotiations. Consequently I do not believe the claim that BECTU’s involvement has made the situation any better.

Secondly in his email, the Chairman of the Young Vic board stated that BECTU were issuing a statement saying why it was a “good thing”. This claim needs to be challenged on BECTU’s own terms.  After the announcement was made staff were given the opportunity to meet with BECTU. In this meeting the man from BECTU said, and I quote “this has not been my finest hour” and agreed that it had been handled badly. He could not however answer the question why a consultation wasn’t offered, nor why he had allowed private meetings to take place. So there would appear to be big disconnect between what BECTU is telling its members in meetings and what it wants to say to the outside world.

He also said he was “appalled” at the Young Vic’s decision to advertise the new jobs less than 24 hours after staff had been informed their jobs would cease to exist.  On this point I should mention that staff who had only just lost their jobs were having to take telephone enquiries and answer questions from applicants for the new positions.

There has also been an assumption, that because there are jobs to apply for there is no problem to solve. This is wrong on a number of counts, but primarily 11 members of staff have been affected and only four jobs are on offer. Secondly the new roles exclude the majority of current staff who cannot work full time and every weekend, as they have freelance careers, child care issues, or are combining this job with other work. As with front of house jobs in the majority of theatres, part of the attraction is the flexibility involved. Furthermore, part of the reason the Young Vic front of house team is so strong is because of the variety of experience and personality the current staff bring.

So when the Young Vic says “Their concerns are being addressed and we have agreed a proposal for affected staff with BECTU.” please take it with a pinch of salt. And to be very, very, very clear their concerns are NOT being addressed, and they haven’t been for a very long time. That is why this blog exists, that is why there is a social media furore and that is why the Young Vic are having to make a statement at all.

Egalitarianism at Young Vic

From another supporter:

I would like to contest that the Young Vic is as egalitarian as it thinks it is or likes to pretend it is.

Egalitarianism has always been a Young Vic ideal, it once applied to its audiences, two boroughs/ taking part schemes, its staff, it was practised in some ways through its unreserved house (which apparently some high up members of the YV still wish was in place) and through its offering of free/ discounted ticket schemes to homeless groups, mental health charities etc. It was practised through its often welcome invitations to FOH to attend program meetings and staff meetings- which I can say- ushers used to go to willingly, excitedly and through their own volition- often unpaid. At that time we could not wait to hear what the Young Vic was planning. Now there is complete change, and demands are being made on ushers that are unreasonable and aggressive, Two Boroughs seems like it is changing and the way audiences are being treated has, of late, been mean and oppressive.

Although I am no longer an employee at the YV and miss the creative energy which inspired my own work, thought processes and idealisms and helped me amass my own kind of world view, I do not, at all in any way, miss the state of affairs I feel FOH has become and seems like it still is. I was appalled in my last few months of employment there, at how staff members treated not just each other but the audience too. I dreaded attending my shifts, I was embarrassed many times when I was there and often wanted to apologise to audience members who had not been treated well, and not just by the FOH staff  but also by other higher up members of the whole YV team. For me this is symptomatic of what the YV has become- treatment of people filters down through departments from the very top and whilst everyone is responsible for their own behaviour first, to a certain extent most people end up reflecting how they themselves are being treated by those who manage them.

I now work at another Off-West-End theatre. Whilst it will never replace what the YV was for me in my heart, whilst it caters for a certain kind of audience and is a bolt hole for ex-Young Vicians, the FOH is excellent, nicely run, there is truly an egalitarian approach (and it does not have to shout about it, it is just practised), a professional attitude and friendliness - audiences are I am afraid, treated much better than they are at the YV. Other theatres do it better now, although perhaps this was not the case a few years ago.

It is my belief - and my experience- that the YV says it is egalitarian but actually struggles to fullfil this promise and perhaps always has. Without going into details I was made to leave the Young Vic because, in very simple terms, I was just an usher who had upset someone the YV decided was more important than myself, someone not even an employee at the theatre. However the person had 'connections' and their connections were greater than mine. Without any warning I was called into a meeting and told the YV did not want me to work for them anymore, despite years of loyal and supportive work. I was barely given a chance or opportunity to stand up for myself, I was lied to and against and I was convicted without trial. To my mind this is neither fair nor egalitarian. There are other instances of other employees across the board being treated in this manner and not just 'all of a sudden' but systematically over the years. I also observe that last week, when a lot of people were sacked or made redundant, that those who had done the dirty work- i.e your theatre managers, duty managers and general managers, were hanging out in the bar drinking and laughing late into the night- whilst nearby those who had lost their jobs were still working out their time and trying to earn a wage to support their families. For me this says it all about the YV now and the state of its heart.  

The Young Vic's biggest crime, surely, is in destroying the very ideals it so openly states it follows. 

In spite of this there is a part of me that wishes I was still there and fighting the good fight with you all. If I was still there, if I cared, I would be demanding an open meeting with David and Lucy- they have to see how they are destroying the support of their front lines. However, over the years, I feel that the YV has worked steadily to erase and bite off support from its own staff members, it has rid itself, from FOH and across the board, of people that really cared about it... and if anyone was to ask me who is running the Young Vic now or what is its ethos, I would be hard put to give a reply. This is not to say that there is no one person in charge with a fixed set of ideals, only that the waters have and are, becoming increasingly muddy.

Right now the Young Vic's directors need to show leadership and commitment and understanding towards its demoralised and lower ranking staff. If they don't they are as blind as bats or they don't care.

About democracy, community and communication

Just over a week ago, select staff at the Young Vic gathered and sat in a cosy circle to discuss how, as a company, they might be the most democratic company they could possibly be. Hours after this meeting an usher was fired via email after having worked for that company for three years.

The climate inside the building is intense. Subtle tells betray frustrations the staff would otherwise bury within themselves. Then they snap. Outbursts are common and it is no secret that every person in that office tiptoes around our Artistic Director in fear of being noticed - in fear of having to justify their position within the company and it is because of this fear that the usher was fired in the manner she was. One of the staff from the office articulated this in a very clear way: “I should never have to apologise to the artistic director or executive director, for something you have done, again” she said. This was a part of her message to the entire front of house team following what must have been a very difficult interrogation, (suddenly forced into the spotlight and having to explain something that was out of her personal control). She looked and sounded like a dog that had startled itself from barking for the first time.  It was clear that the ferocity and the sheer weight of the anger that had been passed onto her threatened to crush her completely. That then was passed down onto the next person – down the food chain – until the message finally reached us. What I imagine happened is that after receiving a clear order (perhaps: “Just fire her!”), in fear, they responded by facing the problem directly -‘what an embarrassment’- it needed to be resolved as quickly as possible. Without asking the usher for her side of the story, even giving a warning or asking her to come in to speak face to face – they fired her.

What most people there forget is that the usher they fired had been victim to one of these same outbursts. Months ago she had been alone and shouted at despite just doing the best she could in the situation she found herself. No one apologised to her for this. She left the building that night in tears and expressed her disappointment, saying “Do you think they see me as being useless?” Presently, with all of that behind us (with the exception of one person, who still felt the shame she felt that night; a shadow that covered the entire building) we received these messages from the top of Olympus with no sponge between us. Is it not a part of leading a team to know what to relay and what not to? Should you not articulate one person’s frustrations as a means for the team to build upon what they have been doing right? Unfortunately this does not happen.

It is also the case that not a single person in that building can take responsibility for their failures and, (in the case of the fired usher) apologise.

As I write this, an opposite force wills me to stop. I have worked at the Young Vic for years and it has been so many things to me. It has been the home to a second family. The Young Vic has inspired me, lead by someone who I look up to despite his flaws. It has acted as a sanctuary during the most difficult times I have had to live through. I will always love the Young Vic and I shall never forget the sense of family I feel when I am there and around these interesting, quirky and diverse people I have come to know.

It is with regret that I have to witness the Young Vic lose what made it so special. Days after the usher was fired, the entire box office team and all of the duty managers were made redundant (with no warning and with a tiny sum of money offered to them as a gesture of good will). It saddens me that middle management still have no idea how hard we all work, how passionately we all feel (a passion most of the staff in the office do not share). Following these redundancies four new positions will be made available. The role will require these four people to work as box office staff, duty managers and do stage door duties simultaneously. It is a blatant example of someone trying to squeeze every penny and failing to understand that despite us all having the lowest pay grades, we are as integral to the building and to the experience we give the audience as the actors, as the stage managers and the producers, even the artistic director (who recently gave a sermon about how he wants us to be an extension of himself, to welcome our audience in his place – in the way he would wish it was done).

It terrifies me that on the subject of the Young Vic and its staff, managers there compare us to the likes of the Royal Opera House and the National. We are the Young Vic. The FOH team is the most diverse team in the entire building. The ushers are passionate about learning and cultivating their ambitions (whether it is a creative one or not). We often talk about the culture of the building - the culture of the Young Vic and that is expressed only through us. The threat of this diminishing is drawing ever nearer and it does not bode well for any of us (but sends a very clear message. Messages. Messages. Messages) that they are advertising for new ushers to start in July.  

Another anecdote from another wonderful and committed team member

Hello anonymous hero,

I have been working at Young Vic for 3 years. I started as an audience member in 2009 when I saw Annie Get Your Gun and Joe Turners Come and Gone, got a job as an usher in 2010 and was involved artistically after that. I've seen so many sides to this theatre and seen so many ushers and managers come and go. Through all this, my enjoyment and enthusiasm for this theatre has seeped away over time, over the management changes and over the show changes.

I have noticed a change in staff attitudes, management attitudes and my own attitude. I remember the times when I used to look forward to work, I remember when I used to beg to sit inside so I could see the show again. I remember coming to work with a smile on my face. The special thing about working at Young Vic was that not only was I working with 'colleagues' but I was working with my friends.
I think it is such a shame to be hearing rumours about us loosing our jobs. Its outrageous that people are being fired left, right and centre with no warning or reason. Its not right the way some members of staff speak to other members of staff with such disrespect.

I hate that we are no longer able to send emails for cover if something like an audition comes up; after all Young Vic isn't my LIFE! Its my secondary source of income. 
I hate that there's never enough [locker] fobs for everyone. I hate that I am made to feel inferior to the production team, like I'm not supposed to be there.

I hate that I don't want to commit myself to be a seasonal usher but in turn means my job has less worth and makes me vulnerable. It creates an unnecessary hierarchy where one half of the team are treated to 'perks'. I was told they'd be offered more and frequent shifts not fobs and young vic merchandise like fleeces and bags.

I hate that I don't even know how to use an evac chair [an important part of training and health and safety for audience members] after 3 years in a job.

I wish the ushers had a room of our own for lockers and resting between shifts. I wish management communicated better with the ushers (or more friendly in general). I wish I felt more integrated into the building. I wish we were told about audition opportunities within shows. I wish hard work was recognised.
Anyway that's my rant over, just wanted to make sure I had my say!

An anecdote from a team member

I first felt that things were starting to change at the Young Vic when asked by my manager to make myself available - with a few days' notice - on a given date to attend a dress rehearsal for a forthcoming show. My future shifts were apparently dependent on seeing this show before I worked on it, in a newly introduced rule that had not been communicated to the whole of the zero-hours-contracted team. I explained that I was not available that weekend, due to a longstanding arrangement, and offered my apologies. Not good enough: I was asked to drop my shift the following Tuesday (that I had been rotaed to work for some weeks) in order to watch the performance, as all of a sudden it was absolutely an obligation that staff should sit in and watch a show before working it. I was 'reminded' that ushers (as all staff) are offered a pair of tickets for previews for this purpose - this was news to me after my three years at the theatre! I politely declined, reasoning that as those who were available to watch the dress rehearsal on the weekend would be paid, I did not see the reason for my dropping a shift and losing the wages in order to conform to a newly and arbitrarily introduced rule. At this stage, I involved our union rep. I was informed that in fact, I was not alone in being asked to do this (I should say that I was offered the opportunity to pick up an extra shift later in the rota - but being paid weekly and knowing how many shifts a week I want to work, this unfortunately was not much of an offer). I was advised by the union to do as asked by my line-manager, and turned up to watch the show, as a meeting would be taking place between the union and the theatre in order to determine whether or not ushers should be paid for their time.

The outcome, thankfully, was the right one for the ushers, and I was paid a minimum call time for what was now an obligation on my time, something that is not reciprocated by the theatre in this kind of contract. This was only down to the persistence of the ushers who queried this demand, and the union involvement. This was an unreasonable and underhand request made of loyal and long-serving ushers, and the Front of House management team hoped that it would pass by unnoticed. I fear this is the shape of things to come at the Young Vic.

Spirit of '45 at Young Vic?

Can we be inspired by our colleagues at other cultural venues across London?

From a team member

Thoughts

I note:

That casual work opportunities allow those who work in the creative industries to pursue their artistic dreams whilst still ensuring financial security.

That access to the Young Vic’s excellent creative output in turn furthers and benefits the artistic work and creativity of performance artists, writers, photographers, actors, dancers, singers and designers (either practising or studying) who currently are at the Young Vic on a casual basis.

That the Young Vic has currently (before new measure are introduced) a positive multiplier effect on the local economy and employs residents from the Young Vic’s two surrounding boroughs.

That other Off-West End theatres that employ a similar style of ‘Welcome’ format to that which is to be introduced at the Young Vic struggle to replicate the Young Vic’s excellence in audience satisfaction due to chronic understaffing and staff fatigue.

That the Young Vic often proudly puts on productions with messages of solidarity and respect for all, and relies on Front of House staff to assist with the smooth implementation of these productions.

That many Front of House staff feel undervalued or poorly treated.

I believe:

That a system in which some Front of House / ‘Welcome’ staff are on fixed-term contracts and others are not will create a two-tiered structure in which some members of staff are seen as better than others, reneging  on the Young Vic’s egalitarian ethos.

That all Front of House staff should be paid the London Living Wage and that the Young Vic has a moral responsibility to pay this. More information can be found here.

That all Front of House staff have a duty upon themselves to be a member of BECTU, and in turn BECTU should acknowledge the benefits of a casual contract and be in constant consultation with its members.

That the Young Vic has a duty of care to all members of staff, regardless of contract or position.

I resolve:

That at a time of economic uncertainty and cuts to arts funding, the Young Vic should and can be a shining example of creative excellence combined with a compassionate, respectful and mutually beneficial attitude towards its Front of House staff, recognising their work, supporting their continued employment and ensuring that they are treated as full members of the Young Vic family through representation at company-wide meetings, events and socials. 

We're scared, so we are doing this.

• This blog has been created in the face of antagonism from management.
• It has been created from the organs of a theatre which puts on inspiring and aesthetically brilliant productions about peoples' uprisings
• It has been created from a theatre that says 'it's a big world in here', but puts the weakest people in that world against the wall at the easiest opportunity.
• The blog has been created in response to passive aggressive vocal violence from management.
• It's been created through the voice of a team of staff who represent one of the most commercially successful 'off-west-end' theatres in London.
• It has been created to counteract and advocate oppressive words.
• It has been created to give a voice to people in the team who may not be confident in speaking to higher powers.
• It has been made to give a platform to a team who need a platform, within an institution which would pride itself on giving access to that platform to wider audiences across the boroughs it resides in.
• It's been made by and for people who love their jobs at Young Vic and are scared that these jobs are about to be taken away from them.
• It's been made to give a megaphone to the silence which will be the lasting affect to what I fear is about to happen.