Producer and social media co-ordinator Dan Baker prepares to jet off to New York, and gives us an insight into the preparations made for the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange

So, in a matter of days those of us taking part in the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange will be boarding a flight at London Heathrow, and making our merry way over the Atlantic to New York. Understandably, we’re all pretty excited about this.

The chance to take part in the exchange brings a number of exciting possibilities to the fore for those of us taking part, regardless of whether we’re actors, writers, directors or producers. Those of us involved are at a stage in our careers where we’ve begun to establish ourselves in London and beyond, and hopefully we’re on our way to long and successful careers in theatre – but it is important that we maintain momentum by making the most of any opportunities afforded to us. Although London is undoubtedly the heart of British theatre – like it or not – it would be foolish for us to think it is the be-all and end-all in terms of where we should be working, and the possibility of working internationally is something that is a challenge we’re all prepared to face.

A handful of participants on the exchange have worked in New York before, some have been to the city before – but many of us (myself included) have not. So, how can we ensure we make the most of the opportunity, whilst still enjoying ourselves? With just a week in the Big Apple – and taking into account the time spent preparing for our showcase – we’ll all be striving to make our mark on the city in a short space of time; thanks to Old Vic New Voices a number of workshops and meetings have been organised with practitioners on our behalves, and we also have the opportunity to arrange meetings ourselves. In a city with a reputation for being competitive, we’ve all been advised to have business cards, CVs, headshots and websites at the ready – self-promotion is definitely one of the key factors of the exchange.

Preparation for the exchange has been going on for some time now, and has been comprehensive; researching who the key players in New York theatre are and what the current trends are has taken up a great deal of time, but is vital. I myself am fortunate to have friends living and working in New York, and their advice has been invaluable to giving me a sense of what I’ve let myself in for; in addition, with the ‘buddy’ system that exists for the exchange we’ll all be able to pick the brains of our hosts whilst in New York.

Of course, it’s not all work whilst we’re out there. New York is clearly an amazing place to visit, and around the meetings and showcases I’m sure we’ll all be fitting in some sight-seeing and probably a bit of shopping! Personally, I can’t help but want to do some of the typical touristy things – walk through Central Park, stand in Times Square, visit Liberty Island – as well as trying to discover some of the city’s hidden gems. Seeing theatre in New York will be fascinating, too – the experience itself will undoubtedly be different to seeing a show in London, and the work might be quite different. And I’m sure there’ll be some terribly civilised evenings in bars, too...

If you don’t already know, we’ll be posting daily blogs here throughout the exchange to let everyone know what we’re up to – and if you’re on Twitter, keep an eye out for the #TSEliotUSUK hashtag!