CRYING OUT LOUD - Key Persons
Alice O'Shea - worked with us whilst finishing her MA in Arts Administration & Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, Alice graduated with distinction.
Alice Underwood is a filmmaker and video content artist specialising in movement and visual performance. Alice has filmed and photographed a number of our projects as well as put together our brilliant home page video.
Job Titles:
- CEO & Creative Director of Worthing Theatres and Museum
Amanda is currently CEO & Creative Director of Worthing Theatres and Museum managing and programming four theatres and a regional museum which holds the country's third largest historic dress collection. With over 30 years experience leading arts organisations, Amanda has specialised in reinvigorating arts centres and theatres, delivering inspiring programmes of events, engaging with local communities and implementing bold organisation restructures. A skilled change manager determined to make a difference to the cultural landscape, Amanda has a passion for contemporary circus, clowning and physical theatre. In the last year Amanda has begun actively programming international work and is a member of the HOUSE International Touring network, recently attending the Adelaide Festival and Cork Festival seeking new companies and performances.
Andy is a passionate arts professional who has been managing marketing in the cultural sector for around 30 years, within both commercial and funded arts and cultural organisations across the South of England. She has headed up marketing at The Mary Rose Trust and the historically significant Phipps/Matcham, New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth, and is described by her peers as a bit of a ticketing and data geek! Andy loves to attend a diverse range of performance including Shakespeare, West End musicals, contemporary circus, contemporary dance, comedy, and the occasional opera. When relaxing Andy enjoys playing the piano, building Lego, walking her airedale terrier and travelling the world riding roller coasters with family and friends.
Ania Kanik has been working as our bookkeeper since 2017.
Anna is a designer and maker who believes the arts can and do change lives. At art college she studied textile design to "speed the revolution though better designed curtains" (still a work-in-progress). In addition to producing her own artwork, since the 1980s she has worked with performers and visual artists creating participatory arts projects and events, and as a community development worker. For the last 10 years the focus of this has been Fratton Big Local in Portsmouth, which has recently transformed itself into Fratton Together CIC. She hopes this will be the start of even more creative adventures.
Billy Ridgers is retired, although he continues to be involved in community action and childcare. His early life was spent as an investigative journalist and later he went into film making. He set up Team Video Productions, an educational publisher, and for 38 years provided video-based resources for the classroom. Billy specialised in Human Rights, Social Justice, the Environment, Citizenship and Critical Thinking. Currently, he is preparing his personal archive for a community library project.
Cat is an artist and producer. She is currently Creative Producer for Public Artwork at Royal Docks (a Mayor of London and Mayor of Newham initiative) and a founding member of artist collective Non Zero One, who make digital, interactive experiences for public spaces. In a freelance capacity she works to support socially-engaged creative projects however she can. In 2024-25 this has included script-writing with Peut Porter, ideas development with Dorothy Parkes Community Centre, tour-producing for Tania El Khoury plus application and mentoring for a number of amazing artists.
Job Titles:
- Head of External Relations With Akram Khan Company
Céline Gaubert - joined us from France for some UK arts experience; Céline is now Head of External Relations with Akram Khan Company.
Job Titles:
- the Crying Out Loud Co - Director at the Very Beginning ( 2003 - 2005 ) . Emma Went on to Be Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Dance Umbrella Festival and You Can Read
Emma Gladstone - was the Crying Out Loud Co-Director at the very beginning (2003-2005). Emma went on to be Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Dance Umbrella festival and you can read more about Emma's life here.
Hannah Bruce - originally our Project Manager and then General Manager, Hannah left to pursue her own performance work and now works as a Relationship Manager for Dance at Arts Council England.
Jackie Friend - spent four years with us as Marketing and Audience Development Manager around our Circus Evolution project. Jackie is now Head of Marketing for WORKTECH Events, a global conference series focussed on the future of work through the lenses of people, place, technology, culture and design.
Joanne Skapinker - worked as a specialist in Inclusive Practice and Sensory Theatre; is currently working as Programme Producer with Punchdrunk Enrichment.
Job Titles:
- Creative Producer of Outdoor Arts With Us Now Director of Pinwheel and Chair of North Tyneside Cultural Partnership
Job Titles:
- Programme Producer ( Solent )
Lucy joined the team with enthusiasm and a strong commitment to establishing COL in Portsmouth and the Solent region. She is playing a pivotal role in shaping strategic partnerships and fostering collaborations with artists and communities, ensuring COL's work has a lasting impact in the area.
Her career in the arts began with Glastonbury Festival's Theatre & Circus Fields, igniting a passion for live performance and festivals. Over 15 years at Larmer Tree Festival, she honed her leadership in programming and operations for outdoor events. As Lead Producer for Salisbury International Arts Festival with Wiltshire Creative, Lucy led ambitious projects, overseeing complex programming, marketing and delivery.
Based in South West England, Lucy is dedicated to harnessing the transformative power of the arts, driving cultural development and championing collaboration across the region.
Lucy is working on
Marie Remy - was our General Manager and is now a Director of Ample Play Records.
Mark is a lawyer with 35 years experience of advising trustees (although mostly of pension schemes rather than charities), who has a wide interest in the arts, from traditional theatre and fine art to modern dance and indie music.
Michael has almost two decades of banking experience, with a focus in Emerging Markets Fixed Income. Prior to moving to London in 2010, he spent several years in Singapore and previously studied in Seattle with degrees from the University of Washington. In London Michael has been lucky to squeeze in a few years practicing flying trapeze, making up for lost time having only found the joy of circus arts at university.
Minnie was an arts lover working in the monochrome world of desktop publishing, until she clicked her heels and joined the technicolour offices of Crying Out Loud. Since her epiphany she has also worked as a freelance administrator, project manager and website coordinator for organisations including ISAN, the British Library, Bill Gee Associates, Culture in Flux and Charles Wallace India Trust as well as a number of independent creative writers and performers.
Molly Nicholson - originally joined us in 2010 as one of two Jerwood bursary Assistant Producers and went on to produce CircusFest at Roundhouse. Molly co-founded Scottee & Friends Ltd - now &Friends Productions CIC - and is currently an Executive Producer specialising in circus, cabaret and drag and socially engaged theatre.
Rachel started her career mixing paint as a theatre designer but soon changed palettes for international touring with Ra Ra Zoo. To work her way up she assisted the GLC outdoor events team on her sit-up-and-beg bicycle in Battersea Park and Jubilee Gardens and, with Muldoon's Cast New Variety, organized the Save the GLC 32 London Boroughs tour.
Rachel then rode her way round London venues as a freelancer programming performance and late night music clubs at Acklam Hall, The Diorama, Watermans Arts Centre, Riverside Studios, Lyric Hammersmith, Broadgate Arena and the Southbank Centre. In between she finished a Contemporary Arts Practice degree at John Cass School of Art.
After many flat tyres and bell ringing, Crying Out Loud was established in 2002 with an Arts Council Bursary and a 7m x 9m red velvet curtain, recycled from the Purcell Room. She has since cycled far and wide.
Rachel Clare is working with
Job Titles:
- Photographer for Us since Our Inception
In essence, Sarah oversees the use of money and other resources for COL, reporting to the Board, and working with Minnie. Together, we are the back office. Starting from a passion for Mathematics alongside a love of the arts and their politics, Sarah has worked with many companies: both those that are commercially independent and those that receive public support. She has also crossed over and worked for funders, the Arts Council and NESTA for ten years. In addition to working with COL, she continues to work as a consultant and is a Director of Culture in Flux. She likes problems - and working out how to solve them.
Sue has worked in marketing for over 30 years within the social enterprise, membership and charity sectors. She was most recently the Marketing and Communications Deputy Director at the College of Optometrists, and was a member of the Age UK Enterprises and Age UK Lottery boards. She studied economics and politics at The University of Sheffield, and marketing at Kingston University. Away from working life, Sue has a keen interest in the arts, especially contemporary dance, live music and visual art.
Job Titles:
- Head of Producing Operations at the National Theatre
Tracey is currently Head of Producing Operations at the National Theatre. Previously she worked as Executive Producer at Manchester International Festival and has also worked at organisations including Southbank Centre, Chichester Festival Theatre, Manchester Art Gallery and English Pocket Opera Company. Tracey studied Theology at the University of Manchester.