ASSITEJ UK - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Administrator for Theatr Iolo
- Artistic Administrator for Theatr Iolo, on
- Member of Various Committees
Aled Lloyd Rees is the Artistic Administrator for Theatr Iolo, Cardiff. Aled's career began as a communications and PR advisor within the social housing and third sector in Wales before moving into an area where he was truly passionate about, the arts sector in Wales.
As the Artistic Administrator for Theatr Iolo. Aled is responsible for the organising and coordinating of all aspects of its touring productions and workshop activities whilst providing a range of administrative functions.
Aled has been a member of various committees from local community councils and welfare associations as well as being a Youth Administrator to a Youth Theatre Company in South Wales.
During 2020, Aled was appointed a Board Member and Wales representative on the Board of Directors for ITC (Independent Theatre Council), where he remains as an active member.
Aled is an avid performer and a singer and has performed for various community and semi-professional theatre companies in Wales. As a Welsh speaker, Aled is passionate about Welsh language and culture, in particular Welsh language theatre and or theatre created and developed by Wales based artists.
Aled is very keen in establishing a Wales based children's theatre network where the work that is created for young audiences in Wales can be shared and developed with like-minded people and organisations in order to showcase and promote the importance of theatre for children and young audiences in Wales.
Aled was appointed a Board Member of ASSITEJ UK & Wales representatives during 2022.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice Chair & Scotland Rep.
Belinda has been Chief Executive of Imaginate since February 2021, with overall responsibility for the strategic development, financial management and leadership of the organisation. Imaginate is the national organisation in Scotland, which promotes, develops and celebrates theatre and dance for children and young people. Imaginate want more children in Scotland to experience work that is deeply engaging, innovative and inspiring, and so support artists with a year-round programme of creative development. Imaginate celebrates exceptional children's theatre and dance from around the world by producing the Edinburgh International Children's Festival
Belinda was previously Executive Producer at Barrowland Ballet, one of the most successful contemporary dance theatre companies in Scotland. Prior to this she was Executive Producer at Take Me Somewhere and Arts & Cultural Development Officer at Scottish Refugee Council. In 2016 Belinda founded a charity to provide an arts participation programme for young refugees arriving on their own in Scotland. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and has a Masters in Young People, Social Inclusion and Change from Glasgow University.
Eibhlín de Barra is Director of Young at Art, Northern Ireland's leading children's arts provider. Established in 1998 as the creator of the country's first international arts festival for children and young people, Young at Art has grown both the festival (the annual multi-artform Belfast Children's Festival running in early March) and its year-round programme reaching on average 50,000 children and adults each year, delivering performances, exhibitions, showcases, industry events, artist development, workshops and special projects. The organisation incorporates the charity Young at Art, the social enterprise agency Young at Art Events, and the creative writing centre Fighting Words Belfast.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board
Emma is a director and educator who specialises in making theatre for and with young people.
After training in Musical Theatre in her home country Canada, she attended the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama's BA programme in Applied Theatre and Education.
She has worked with communities and schools in London and throughout the Southwest of England as a freelance artist. She spent two years as Associate Director at Prime Theatre in Swindon where she managed the youth theatre and developed programmes alongside creative partners in the Southwest.
Emma is passionate about research and upon leaving Prime completed a Masters at Goldsmiths University in Sociology with a focus on gender and culture. Her research centred on theatre's impact on young queer identifying people and the role youth theatre can play in developing identities.
Emma currently lives in Edinburgh and works for Youth Theatre Arts Scotland as the Sector Development Manager.
Job Titles:
- Head of Participation for Hijinx Theatre
- Kidd - International Rep
Jon trained as a musician in Scotland. Here he developed a passion for creating creative opportunities for young and hard to reach individuals.
Jon is also Head of Participation for Hijinx Theatre developing their portfolio of work for learning disabled young people and an Age Cymru: cARTrefu Artist Mentor. He is currently Artistic Director (maternity cover) for Welsh young people's company Mess Up The Mess, who create brave and awkward work for, by and with young people.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Director of the Egg at Theatre Royal Bath
Kate Cross is Director of the egg at Theatre Royal Bath. Starting in 1998 as Head of Education she worked alongside Theatre Royal staff and Board to create and build the egg, which opened in 2005. The egg is now a thriving centre for children's theatre and creative learning, with close ties to Bath Spa University with whom it co-delivers an MA in Theatre for Young Audiences and Bath College with whom it delivers level 3 Performing Arts. The egg works with an eclectic range of theatre making artists to create contemporary, new work for national and international presentation.
Prior to Bath Kate worked for Salisbury Playhouse, Colway Theatre Trust and Beaford Arts, amongst others. She is the current Chair of ASSITEJ UK and former Trustee of children's arts charity 5x5x5=creativity.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Treasurer of the Board
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- Member of the Board
Louise is Producer for Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, based in Scotland.
Louise works closely with Artistic Director Gill Robertson & associate artists, creating new work and touring repertoire shows to schools, theatres and community centres in Scotland and around the world. Louise is also Producer for independent artist Shona Reppe (shonareppe.co.uk) and has worked with arts organisation Lyra (lyra.co.uk) in various capacities since she joined Artistic Director Jo Timmins in setting up the company at Artspace in 2012.
Wendy has held the position of Artistic Director at Tutti Frutti since 2005 touring nationally and internationally. Before working with Tutti Frutti Wendy was Artistic Director of Red Ladder Theatre Company for seven years , and before this; Merseyside Young People's Theatre Company in Liverpool. As a freelance director her work has included Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Crucible Theatre Sheffield, Hope Street Ltd, Turkish State Theatre, Oxford Stage Company, Unity Theatre Liverpool, European Stage Company, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Contact Theatre Manchester. Wendy's work has toured the UK, and in Turkey, Hungary, Albania, Poland, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the USA. She currently lives in Leeds with her husband Mark and has two sons; Louie and Eliot and her dog called Scout.