Just how was Be Bold Be You, born?

Wow. That’s not a small question! Make yourself comfy - this will take some time. Let’s take a walk down memory Lane, shall we?

I have an absolute passion for theatre. I’ve been lucky enough to work in many theatres, across Yorkshire, as backstage crew on many national touring shows as well as premier night with Opera North and Northern Ballet. Side tracking slightly, however, a personal highlight of mine is when I, naively, went home, so proud, one evening to my dad who I went on to tell that I’d “made it” and been accepted into the theatre by being allowed “in” Rockie’s bed, from the Rocky Horror Show, and my name will be inscribed, forever, on the back of it. Once I’d explained who Rocky was, and that his bed was in fact a vertical prop that you stood in before being wheeled onto the stage, he smiled and replied “well done, darling!”.

Despite feeling bloody lucky to have been allowed into theatres across Yorkshire, and work on national touring shows, something wasn’t being “fulfilled” for me. Having grown up with full-time secondary school teaching parents my school-runs had been fulfilled by “Pat”, a local childminder and foster carer. I’d grown up with foster children throughout my time at primary school and met many from all sorts of backgrounds and stories - some OK, and some not so much. Although I didn’t realise it at the time, this upbringing really set me up for life. I was quite used to being dropped off and Pat introducing me to a kid that had arrived over night… At the time I didn’t notice that sometimes these kids had black eyes or cigarette burn marks on their limbs - they were just someone to have breakfast with and, most of the time, push in the pram, whilst having a chat or two.

I wanted something to infuse both my interest in people and love of the theatre and was accepted by the University of Derby, on the only course in the country, dedicated to teaching you how to become an arts practitioner: Creative Expressive Therapies. Despite the lack of showers, and the jazzy bus fabric curtains (mentioned in the “about” section of the website) I adored this course and my time at university. It was diverse in its teaching and allowed you to follow personal interests… Despite being three marks of a 1st, I absolutely loved it. I learnt about people psychology and how to use the arts as a tool to unlock an individual’s potential in many different walks of life (school pupils, store managers, palliative care, the list goes on!). It’s also how I met James who you will know as the other co-founder of #BBBY, owner of Studio1825 and my husband.

Over the years of running highstreet studios, James & I were amazed to see how much our professional backgrounds complimented each other. The therapeutic value of the arts was, mostly unintentionally, seeked for by the public. The public knew they wanted a photoshoot, but wouldn’t always know why. James had learnt, over his years working in other studios, that it was normally due to a milestone that a family would want to be acknowledged and celebrated: A grandparents milestone birthday, for example… A new baby being born or a family wanting to capture multiple generations together. However, there was an even bigger “reason” from the modelling side of the business. These were normally much more personal reasons that needed time, rather than a memory of happiness in a photography studio. A “this is me” moment. Reasons including surviving an illness; household break ups; relationship changes including divorce or even domestic abuse. People had a basic human need to want to start “fresh” and a photoshoot seemed to be the start of that journey for so many. I could go into the theories of the therapeutic values and the alliances linked to this but this may be a blog post for another day…

By 2017, we had three children to think of, a lot of hospital visits for our eldest due to illness and far too many overheads to think about. We agreed that we didn’t want the pressures of a highstreet business, anymore. It took over two years, but we wound that business down and closed its doors, for good, in September 2019. This was an amazing decision, for us. Our family came first. We moved house and bought a run-down barn and, despite many, many obstacles, converted it into what you see today.

Yes, I am now that co-owner of the Boudoir Studio on Spanker Lane, near Belper in Derbyshire! It’s not a goal you think to have, when asked by the careers advisor at school (all those years ago), however this is where you will find us today and I’m rather proud of what we, my husband James & I, have achieved. We all have a “this is me” moment - lots choose to celebrate this with a photoshoot. We are so, incredibly, lucky to have been able to shut the highstreet down and create “our moment” through the studio you now see today. Despite the odds (a cowboy builder, a rare long eared bat, two floods and a worldwide health pandemic) we’ve not only been able to open a photography studio that allows us to provide the service we want to provide and think our clients deserve - we’ve also been able to create a truly unique experience, through Be Bold Be You, that neither of us think would be alive in the way that it is, without, to quote James, “his camera and her books.” EVEN BETTER, we get to do it with our three children near by and a much, much healthier eldest daughter.

For the full version of this story, my background and how #BBBY was born, please click here.

Welcome to #beboldbeyou. I’m thrilled you’ve joined us. -Kirsty