The Hale is a London-based arts producing company specialising in experimental, socially-engaged work
that is not restricted by form.
The Hale was founded in 2021 by Daisy Hale, who is the Creative Director.
We exist to produce and develop artists who have been traditionally ostracised from mainstream spaces
with a focus on Queer, Trans, Global Majority & Learning Disabled & Neurodivergent identities.
We describe ourselves as your cultural nightclub; in any room anything could be happening.
We make shows, parties, cabarets, workshops, digital happenings, cultural events that can happen anywhere, anytime.
We are just as interested in art as protest as art for fun. Often they can be the same.
Our work priorities joy over trauma, looking for the fun in the mundane and using populism as an access point for deeper conversation with a broad audience about socio-political issues.
Our work is countercultural, care focused and transparent. Often we work in models of co-creation and non-hierarchy.
It is important to us to consistently share our process to both keep an archive of marginalised work,
but also to demystify the practice of producing.
We advocate for better producer development and access into producing as a career.
Alongside producing we do fundraising, access support, workshop facilitation & disability equality training.
ABOUT
OUR MANIFESTO
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Process over product
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No form is too far
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Artists first, industry second (or third…)
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We will prioritise the hiring of people from marginalised backgrounds, specifically:
Queer, trans, non-binary, working class, learning disabled and neurodivergent people, and people from the global majority -
We seek out opportunities to develop early career artists from marginalised backgrounds and embed them on our projects
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Share the process of producing, seek to demystify the role
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We will respond to everyone. It may take us time, but we will do it.
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If we don’t archive it, who will?
Marginalised artists of the future need work to look to for ideas, solace and figure out how to do it better -
Approach everything from a position of care, empathy, honesty and transparency
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Accessibility as a starting point, not an afterthought
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We will provide space to fail and grow - not everything has to be a success
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We will maintain that boundaries are important in pursuit of better working practices
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Accountability is built into our work - we listen and action feedback
DAISY HALE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Daisy Hale (they/them) is an award winning independent producer of exciting performance artists and Creative Director of The Hale. Daisy’s work is not bound by form and takes place in theaters, cabaret, clubs, digital and large scale events and focuses on using fun and populism that often has a grassroots activism strand to have wider conversations about socio-political topics. Outside of The Hale’s work Daisy is co-director of Pecs Drag Kings, produces My Uncle is Not Pablo Escobar and Willy Hudson ltd.
They advocate for producer development and creating alternative models of working, leadership and project creation. In 2020 the co-created The Producer Report - investigating the working conditions of producers now.
Daisy regularly facilitates workshops & sessions on producing, leadership & inclusions for organizations including Clore, Soho Theatre, Yard Theatre, Stage One, NYT and Bradford Producing Hub. Daisy is an access consultant and disability equality trainer for arts organizations. They also work as an access support worker & fundraiser. They are a trustee of ArtsAdmin and Clore Leadership.
Previously, Daisy was Associate Producer for Theatre Royal Stratford East and Assistant Producer for the Borough of Enfield’s Theatres. They have been part of the Old Vic 12 (2018/19) and did Clore Emerging Leaders in 2020.
WHO WE ARE
SEAN BROOKS
ASSISTANT PRODUCER
Sean (he/him) is a theatre producer with nearly 10 years' experience working in the arts. He is currently Deputy Producer at Theatre Royal Stratford East and has a background in arts marketing working for British Youth Music Theatre, National Theatre and Stratford East.
In his freelance life, Sean has assisted Daisy Hale on several projects with recent shows including Ad Libdio (Fran Bushe) and Fatty Fat Fat (Katie Greenall).
Sean has an interest in Queer working class stories, particularly from disabled and neurodivergent artists, as well as artists from the global majority. He was part of the Mercury Theatre Producer Cohort 2021/22.
Sean was born in Romford, spending his formative years in Hornchurch and Chelmsford, and is now based in London.
Outside of theatre, Sean loves tea, coffee, Galaxy Ripples and Beyoncé. Sean is a big ol' gay.
RISS OBOLENSKY
PA AND SUPPORT WORKER
Riss (they/them) joined Daisy in 2023 as their PA and support worker. They have a background in theatre making, comedy and writing. Over the past few years, they have worked on a variety of projects, including their solo drag show Healing King Herod (Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre), Find Me Fool (Jackson’s Lane) and Switchboard (Bristol Old Vic).
With a foot in the clown and drag world, Riss champions Queer joy and the necessity to be utterly ridiculous. Having been involved in various clowning conferences on activism and radical inclusivity, they are fascinated by the intersection of queerness, transness and clowning. They may enjoy live art, but they are even more passionate about spreadsheets. Riss is a #virgo, which is unsurprising given the demands of this role.