Up Close: A fresh start for The Gateway in Seaton and its new manager

Seaton Nub News aims to be supportive to every element of the community from businesses, shops and people, to charities, clubs and sports organisations.

We like to profile some of these local businesses, groups and individuals in a feature called 'Up Close', and this week Nub News editor Francesca Evans met with Sophia Moseley, new manager at The Gateway in Seaton.

Sophia Moseley has always loved to write since she could first put pen to paper.

This gave her a deep connection with the arts, looking for ways to escape the everyday to go somewhere else in her head where there were no boundaries.

Although her career initially took her into insurance, her creativity always shone through and she took on freelance writing when her two sons were young, eventually setting up her own business which included running creative writing classes for schools in the South West.

Sophia also worked for television and media company Big Ape Media, run by Somerset couple Stewart and Lucy Binns, where she helped to secure places for their clients on TV and radio.

After moving to Uplyme, her background in both administration and the arts led Sophia to her ideal job of managing the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis in 2014, but in September 2020 – with the venue having been closed for six months due to the coronavirus pandemic – she was made redundant.

It was a devastating blow but, not one to sit about feeling sorry for herself, Sophia got straight back to work taking on various part-time jobs around Lyme Regis, including in a pub, gallery, bookshop and hotel, before eventually landing the manager role at The Gateway.

She considered the appointment a fresh start for both herself and The Gateway, which has now fully reopened following the pandemic with a refurbished foyer, new toilets and plenty of ideas for the future.

"It is brilliant to get back into the arts," said Sophia.

"I had been out of it for quite a while so I felt a bit nervous but it completely slotted into place straight away."

A rebirth after the pandemic

She described The Gateway as a "blank canvas" – similar to many other small-town venues in that it was previously council-owned but is now moving into its next stage and becoming a successful business in its own right.

And it comes at a time when people are keen to get out of the house and return to some sort of normality following the pandemic.

Sophia commented: "It's quite tangible when they arrive, like the first trip to the sweet shop for children.

"People have missed that social element, doing things with friends and family, and mental health has suffered.

"We have a new set up here we we are welcoming back people as if they are new. It's like a rebirth; people are so pleased to see us open again."

Sophia said she has received a huge amount of support locally since taking on the manager role, not least because The Gateway is considered a community venue – not just a theatre.

Every week the venue is used by local clubs and associations, for everything from fitness classes to fundraisers.

"The Seaton community is very proactive and we have been talking to them about what they like and enjoy, which is great," said Sophia.

"Local businesses and the council have also been very supportive and several people have offered help with specialist skills."

Sophia is also supported by a small team of staff at The Gateway as well as many volunteers, including two generations of the same families.

"They are terrific; they go above and beyond with decorating or sourcing items for special events, such as our James Bond night coming up," said Sophia.

Big plans for the coming weeks and months

The Gateway will be staging an entire Bond-theme weekend starting with a gala night complete with red carpet, complimentary drink or arrival and canapés on Friday, November 12 – the first night the new 'No Time To Die' movie will be screened outside of mainstream cinemas.

There will then be a picnic screening on the evening of Saturday, November 13 and a matinees screening on Sunday, November 14, but tickets are selling fast.

The Bolshoi Ballet in Cinemas season also gets underway this week with 'Spartacus' screened live from the Bolshoi Theatre on Sunday, November 7.

This series will continue with the perfect Christmas treat – a screening of 'The Nutcracker' on December 19 – and with 'Jewels' in the New Year.

Plans are now underway to offer a full programme of events in 2022, and Sophia is keen to add live theatre performances to the already popular live music events and film and National Theatre Live screenings.

The Gateway will also continue to work with local organisations, including amateur dramatics groups to stage community productions.

They are also hoping to stage special events for specific groups in the community, for example those suffering with dementia, care home residents or those with hearing impairments to ensure the venue is all-encompassing and inclusive.

When asked what she most enjoys about working in the arts, Sophia said it was interacting with people that come through the doors each day.

"People want to escape, even more so now, and I love the thought that when someone walks through the doors into the auditorium, they are going somewhere else where they don't have to think about COVID, the food shop, picking the kids up from school," she said.

"They can just forget everything and its that feel of giving people a release from the humdrum of everyday life, or even depression and everyday worries. That's what people want and need.

"When we recently screened Andre Rieu the audience just absolutely adored him and were so animated when they left because of what his performance had done to them.

"I always stand by the door to say goodnight and hope to see you again, and the feedback is just great."

Feeling optimistic about the arts

Commenting on her new role at The Gateway, she added: "It feels completely fresh and new despite being similar to my previous job and I'm very excited about it. Despite all the doom and gloom in the news I feel very optimistic about the arts.

"This is an opportunity too reach people who possibly have not previously thought about the theatre. I want to remind people that there's life outside their houses and after COVID.

"The restrictions have been so severe that people don't necessarily think about going out and we want to bring them out again and remind them that there's a lot of good and a lot go fun to be had.

"Having fun and enjoying life is so important."

With her love of writing still as strong as ever, Sophia will now be writing a monthly column for Seaton Nub News, sharing all the latest goings on at The Gateway. Look out for her first column later this month!

For more information on upcoming events at The Gateway, visit thegatewayseaton.co.uk

If you would like to feature in one of our future 'Up Close' articles, contact editor Francesca Evans on 07810 221 420 or email [email protected]