Bridget Crowley - Dancer, Teacher, Author
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Bridget has had an extensive and varied career in the arts. She once had both toes on the ground as a dancer, she then became a teacher, an art historian, a gallery educator and an audio-describer. But always – in between all this – she wrote. Her writing has covered many fields, but children’s books are a special pride and joy.
Back in April this year, Bridget gave a talk at Hypatia entitled ‘Whatever Next..?’ taking us through her "desert island discs" and memories of her extraordinary life in the arts.
Educated at Elmhurst, a leading theatre school, later became a student at the Rambert School where polio interrupted her training. Recovered sufficiently to dance with various companies in Paris and London. Taught dance and drama, becoming Head of Theatre Training with special responsibility for dance at Arts Educational Schools, London. Independently founded Dancers Anonymous, a company for students just emerging into the dance world. DAs as they were (and still are!) known, continued for 15 years, spending a month at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and touring the south and west of England during weekends and holidays.
Mid-life, she took a BA and subsequently an MA in the History of Art at Birkbeck, London. Employed by the National Gallery as a freelance in the Education Department, learning how to really look at paintings from the young people she taught. Became Outreach Officer accompanying visiting exhibitions to galleries all over the country, working with schools and ‘any group of individuals that normally don’t or can’t visit galleries.’
Long after official retirement she continued to freelance for the Royal Collection, writing and delivering their creative writing sessions for schools and writing accessible entries for the National Gallery website. She became an audio-describer for blind and partially sighted visitors to art galleries and theatres, including the National Theatre, and, for Vocaleyes, all round the country.
In between times, she has written four children’s books, one of which was short-listed for the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the USA. A fifth, Wake Up, Mr Kean, was published in June 2024 and is available in our Women in Word bookshop (Chapel St).
1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
At a recent reunion, one student said ‘We always felt you were on our side’. I hope there are others that think the same. If so, I think that’ll do.
2. What motivates you to do what you do?
The next project that comes along.
3. What do you owe your mother?
Difficult to say – let’s just put it that my mother was not sympathetic to my hopes and ambitions. I don’t know if that’s the reason, but it seems that, early on professionally, I rarely found help when I sought it. When it came, it was usually unexpected and I took it with both hands, always with great gratitude. It allowed me to get on and do things myself. But I realise now, that when making things happen for me, it has made them happen for other people, especially young or disadvantaged ones, and this has given me the greatest fulfilment.
4. Which women inspire you?
The many women I work amongst, who achieve things quietly and without a fuss are an inspiration, especially when they share my sense of humour. I believe in fun to help the learning along. But if I have to choose one individual, I would say Doreen Swinburne-Smith. Doreen gave me the voice that has since allowed me to speak poetry and to audio-describe for blind and partially sighted audiences, with I hope, sensitivity and discretion. She coached me for the Poetry Society Gold Medal, which took more than two years. She was endlessly sympathetic, demanding but patient, and full of humour – a proper teacher. In spite of many physical disabilities and being constant pain, she decided to go for the medal herself, and beat me to it by six months!
5. What are you reading?
Reading for pleasure for any length of time is difficult for me now. I dip in and out a lot, especially poetry - Byron’s Don Juan in short bursts is always a joy. Maybe I’ll get to the end one day, but I laugh so much, it hampers progress. I hope there’s time!
6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?
Gender barriers in the arts are less in evidence these days, I think, thanks to those who have gone before. But as a young woman it was very definitely, ‘you’re a girl – until you’re 21, you will do as you’re told’. I didn’t of course, but it always had to be contended with and it set me back in many ways. But I made up for it later, I guess!
7. How can the world be made a better place for women?
The good old education, education, education! By that I don’t mean learning by rote the current dry, anti-art school curriculum but learning by instinct, experience and delight about the world - and please, keeping a sense of humour too!
8. Describe your perfect day
There have been and still are so many! Let’s go into the realms of fantasy – I’d start with a warm up, once a dance class, nowadays Pilates, then a couple of hours in a studio working with students on a piece of choreography. Early afternoon in a gallery with a school group having fun writing about paintings and such. Next a walk by the sea, with a poem arriving suddenly out of the blue. Evening in a theatre audio-describing a really superb, demanding production. Lastly a couple of hours having the current writing project go just right. Food would come in somewhere I suppose, but I’m not too bothered about that – a tomato and cucumber on rye will do.
9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?
Statues don’t mean very much to me – they’re more use to pigeons and seagulls. Much better I think, to remember women by showing and celebrating their work in more practical, accessible, memorable ways. Even better, do it while they’re still here to enjoy it. Like this! Thank you!
