BAMBOOZLE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Freelance Theatre Designer - Facilitator
Alex is a theatre designer-maker and facilitator based in Nottingham. In her facilitation work, she is passionate about making art for and about underrepresented communities and the power of mixing education with art and storytelling to create moments of spectacle.
In her design work, she has a keen interest in combining traditional scenic painting mixed with modern technology for projection mapping, creating strong, primarily architectural stage designs. Her background is as an artist, and she often creates sketches of what happens in different Bamboozle sessions.
Job Titles:
- Choreographer and Movement Specialist
- Specialist
Amy Lovelock is a Choreographer and Movement Specialist who graduated from LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts).
Amy has performed and collaborated with companies and platforms across theatre, screen, site specific and outdoor work; Motionhouse Dance Theatre in The Voyage (Birmingham Olympic Festival), Willi Dorner/Bodies In Urban Space (Copenhagen International Dance Theatre), Exzeb Dance Company in their award winning Artism II, Hinged Dance Company (The Place), Royal Opera House, Cirque Bouji and Edinburgh Festival.
Amy has created original work for BYMT (British Youth Musical Theatre), Opera North Youth Chorus, Co_Motion Dance Theatre, University of Cumbria, Lincoln University and is Associate Choreographer for Spears Theatre Arts, KSA.
Amy is Lead Choreographer for Dancer Development Course (Magpie Dance, UK) where she has directed live performance and film. She has also led choreographic collaborations with the Royal Opera House and Protein Dance.
Amy has also worked as Digital Producer creating dance films that have been shown around the globe in film festivals, including New York and Toronto Film Festival (Canada).Through this role, Amy has collaborated on film projects with Propeller Dance (Canada) and Arts for the Disabled Association Hong Kong (Hong Kong) to produce films spotlighting and empowering dancers with disabilities.
Amy first worked with Bamboozle Theatre in 2017, touring productions Pulse and Moon Song to SEND schools. She also performed in Bamboozle's first Theatre Tour taking Pulse to theatres around the UK. Amy is now part of the Senior Training Team delivering training and residencies to teachers and artists in The Bamboozle Approach.
Amy has recently joined the Expressive Arts Team as a Dance Specialist at Riverside School, London.
We are delighted to have Bella Ramsey as Bamboozle's Patron!
Bella has been with us since 2017 as a Young Patron and we're so pleased they continue to support our work as a Patron.
Bella has recently gained international acclaim for their role of Ellie in the HBO adaptation of the 2013 video game ‘The Last of Us'. Other film and television appearances include playing the character of Angelica is season two of the BBCs His Dark Materials, plus starring roles in Judy and Resistance. Bella is also well-known as Mildred Hubble in CBBC's adaptation of The Worst Witch and for their debut role as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.
It's wonderful to have Bella's support. Hear below about why Bella is so keen to get involved with Bamboozle, and to help to raise awareness about the inspirational work we do:
Ben specialises in physical theatre, singing and acting. He trained in Ballet and then in theatre where he achieved an MA in Ensemble Theatre from Rose Bruford College.
He is Artistic Director of Theatre Elliptical where he wrote and performed in their latest production called `Absence Of Separation` that premiered at the Edinburgh festival 2016 followed by a UK tour.
He is also Artistic Director and cast member of Just Add Water Theatre Company who have been creating original physical theatre for the past twelve years including production such as `Bobby` and `Why Me`.
He has been Movement Director and Drama Facilitator for many companies including: Hijinx, CYAC, Library Theatre company and Small Things. As a singer he received tuition at the Royal Northern College of Music and has performed in choirs and bands as well as his own solo shows for private parties offering songs that span many genres.
Bob is a theatre maker, educator and project manager with an interest in developing others through creative practice. Former Director of Pedestrian, and outgoing Programme Manager of the award winning SENsory Atelier programme with Attenborough Arts Centre, Bob strives to provide equitable access to high quality arts for all. Bob's practice spans 20 years of arts in education work, as well as producing the 14/48 Theatre Festivals in the UK.
"I'm delighted to be joining the team at Bamboozle, having been a huge admirer and advocate of their work since I first connected with the company around 17 years ago. It's a great privilege to embed myself in the proven Bamboozle approach, and to be a part of the company's energy to continue to grow and provide equitable arts activity for disabled children."
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Artistic Director
- Co - Founder
Christopher is a director, trainer, educator and author of two books: "Creating Multi-Sensory Environments. Practical Ideas for Teaching and Learning" and "Dramatic Starts." He is continually seeking ways in which we can improve our methods of communication with young people.
Christopher is an honorary Doctor of the Arts at De Montfort University and is a founding member of IIAN the International Inclusive Arts Network.
He taught in primary schools for 13 years before spending an inspiring year at The Central School of Speech and Drama. He then joined the Leicestershire Drama Advisory Service before co-founding Bamboozle in 1994. He is artistic director of the company.
His work is informed by three fundamental beliefs:
that it is his job as an artist and educator to provide all young people with the means to find their own voice,
that young people of all abilities and disabilities flourish when we create an enabled space free from judgement and which facilitates exploration and learning,
that all young people know more than we think they do and are capable of more than they yet realise.
Christopher has run courses for many organisations nationally and internationally including: The National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, Royal Shakespeare Company, De Montfort, Leicester and New York Universities, Assitej [UK], Shanghai Children's Art Theatre, Singapore Arts Council, Melbourne Arts Centre and Sydney Opera House. As well as hundreds of special school staff groups in the UK and abroad.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Company and Production Technical Manager
David, Bamboozle's Company and Production Technical Manager, joined the full-time team in March 2021, although he is not entirely new to Bamboozle having worked with them as both a freelance technician and on the staff of the venues Curve (Leicester) and Lakeside Arts Centre (Nottingham).
He has been very pleased to have been part of the team getting through the pandemic (Moon Song online and Sing a Song) and back into presenting our work to audiences in real-life (Down to Earth, Backyard and Firebird).
Prior to joining Bamboozle he has experienced a wide range of theatre and music, touring nationally and internationally with both: notable shows were with Aakash Odedra (Rising, Murmur and Inked) and Curve (with too many shows to mention, highlights include The Twits, Chicago and Westside Story).
Job Titles:
- Creative Practitioner and Trainer
Dawn has worked for Bamboozle Theatre Company for 20 years. During this time she has performed in our touring shows, and for 5 years led on Bamboozle's 19+ project for young adults who might be described as having PMLD. More recently Dawn has led on a broad range of other family projects, including summer residencies at Curve, Sensory Garden and Bamboozle Backyard. Dawn has also delivered on a number of education projects and she is a member of our senior training team.
Beginning her career as a performer Dawn toured extensively around the country for 10 years. In the early ‘90's she was a regular visitor to the Thames TV ‘Rainbow' household when she moved in next door to Zippy George and Bungle. Dawn then developed a further love of working with children when she worked at Polka Theatre in London after her own children were born.
As well as her work with Bamboozle, Dawn has led on a variety of projects with other arts organisations/theatres over the years; including Leicester Haymarket Theatre, Spark Children's Arts, Attenborough Arts (Sensory Atelier) Leicester Museum Services, Warwick Arts Centre and Nottingham University. Last year she developed a series of creative workshops with survivors of domestic abuse. This collaborative research project with Juno Women's Aid culminated in a series of animations challenging the narrative that sits around domestic abuse.
Dawn is a qualified Independent Care Act Advocate and in 2016 she established ‘Different Drum Advocacy through the arts'; a group of disabled adults who meet to explore and express creatively the things in life that matter to them.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Freelance Performer, Director and Facilitator
- Freelance Performer, Director and Facilitator / FIND OUT MORE
Elena was thrilled to be asked to be part of Bamboozle's River Residency at Priory Woods in 2024. Alongside her own creative arts business Star Bright Arts, she has worked as a combined arts practitioner with TIN Arts and as a Clown Doctor on the wards of Newcastle Hospitals.
She is also an Associate Artist with Blue Cabin who provide arts activities for care-experienced children and their significant adults and for TimbaDash Theatre, who create sensory theatre shows for disabled children and their families.
Job Titles:
- Administrator
- Families & Community Project Manager
Fern graduated from The University of Northampton where she studied Dance and has worked in the Arts industry ever since.
Fern joined the team in 2023 as a temporary administrator and is now a permanent member of the team working as Bamboozle's Family & Community Project Manager.
Alongside her role at Bamboozle she is also practicing upholstery and hopes to fill her house with beautiful furniture.
Fern says: " I am delighted to be part of this caring and creative team. It has been wonderful to be involved in some exciting family projects this year.'
Job Titles:
- Tours Co - Ordinator ( Maternity Cover )
India graduated in 2021 with a degree in European Theatre Arts from Rose Bruford College. Since then, she's worked as a freelance theatre maker as well as honing her administrative skills with various theatre companies. In 2023, India joined Imperial College London, where she collaborated with the Royal College of Music on a project exploring the intersection between STEM and the arts. This role deepened her passion for research and highlighted the value of sharing principles within theatre training to boost confidence and self-awareness among students in the STEM fields.
India has just spent eight months living in Vietnam, teaching, where she focused on integrating play and confidence-building into her language lessons. This experience revealed the joy of working with children and solidified her desire to continue her theatre career with a community-centred approach, which led her to this new chapter with Bamboozle.
"It's an honour to be part of the Bamboozle team. The work created here feels so important. I'm proud to be part of a theatre company that works hard to deliver such rich, imaginative worlds and experiences in such an accessible and non-judgmental way."
Job Titles:
- Tours & Gala Co - Ordinator
Jade has been working with Bamboozle since 2014 and has loved every minute of it.
Jade's role involves co-ordinating our events and touring productions and leading on our marketing and publicity. She is also the main point of contact for schools who would like to book a visit from one of our touring shows.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Company Administrator
- Theatre & Touring Project Manager
Jennifer joined the Bamboozle team in 2019 as the company administrator and was promoted in 2021 to a project manager.
Before working for Bamboozle, Jennifer worked as a theatre administrator for Farnham Maltings in Surrey. In this role she supported their in-house productions, touring theatre and artist development programmes. Jennifer is also a Weston Jerwood Fellow having been part of the 2018 Jerwood Creative Bursary programme to diversify the arts with those from a working-class background.
Jennifer was drawn to role as she loved Bamboozle's multisensory performances and the personal touches they add to the family shows they create.
Prior to Jennifer's role at Farnham Maltings, she held internships at Jessica Ronane Casting, Gate Theatre and Headlong alongside her Performance Arts degree at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Jennifer has also previously written, directed and produced three theatre shows.
In her spare time Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family back home in the North West.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Karla has been working in the participatory and community dance sector for the past 15 years, specialising in creative change making and building cohesive communities through movement.
Job Titles:
- Company & Marketing Co - Ordinator
Kit changed career from Stage Management to start her first ever ‘office' job with Bamboozle in 2021.
Since graduating in 2014 from East 15 Acting School, she had worked as a freelance Stage Manager, often at her hometown Curve theatre as well as touring around the UK. She's a big fan of lists. Kit is very passionate about Leicester - the arts, music, diversity and the amazing food.
She loves working for Bamboozle (and has even got used to the 9-5!). She gets to work with some of her favourite people and is constantly inspired by her colleagues, freelance artists and most importantly the families and young people we work with.
Lara has been a performer since the age of 4. She is trained in various disciplines of dance and made her West End debut aged 9. She was awarded an Honours degree in Theatre and subsequently trained as an actor with Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company, with whom she performed repertory theatre around the UK.
She has been involved in many touring theatre shows worldwide and has toured the US and Canada as part of a folk music duo. She is a singer, and freelance musician. She also writes and produces her own music, mixing contemporary music production techniques with a folk sensibility. Lara has also modelled in fashion and commercial photoshoots, working with award-winning photographers and has frequently appeared in fashion magazines.
Her work with Bamboozle includes Storm (UK tours, Bamboozle Conference Day at Curve Theatre) and the Bamboozle@Home project.
Job Titles:
- Education & Training Project Manager
Natalie graduated from University Of Lincoln where she studied Media Production and has since worked in theatre and arts education settings.
Alongside her role at Bamboozle, Natalie also works at Leicester College where she creates and develops employer led projects and other work experience opportunities for the college's creative arts and media students.
She is passionate about using creativity as a tool to engage with young people and believes that the arts play an important role in enriching the educational journey.
Job Titles:
- Freelance Practitioner, Writer and Performer
- Writer
Olivia (Via) Macnab is a freelance practitioner, writer, performer and consultant who is passionate about story and communication. Growing up undiagnosed autistic, the arts have always been their safe space, and they are passionate about providing that space for other people. In addition to working in the Backyard and supporting other Bamboozle projects, they work as a practitioner for Toolbox Drama, a Shadow Writer at Beyond the Spectrum, and they are the co-founder and artistic director of Creatively Autistic Together. They have published a book entitled "Creativity in Autism" and in 2023 they worked with East Midlands Railway to produce "It Took Every Soldier".
Job Titles:
- Artist from Shropshire
- Co - Director of Pelican Theatre
Pagan is a freelance dance artist from Shropshire, now based in Gateshead, whose practice includes performing, choreographing, writing, and facilitation. She has worked across the UK and abroad with a variety of companies including Desi Nach, Fertile Ground Dance, Meta4 Dance Company, Northern Dance, Bamboozle Theatre, and is a current performer with Spark!, an international street theatre and drumming show.
Pagan is also Co-Director of Pelican Theatre, making physical theatre work and delivering a variety of engagement projects for people of all ages and abilities. In 2024 she launched a digital magazine about dance in the North East called COMMOTION.
Job Titles:
- Musician & Digital Music Artist
Phil is a musician and digital music artist creating experiences through sound and technology. Phil likes to use multi disciplinary arts to create soundscapes where students are encouraged to lead and explore within a relaxed setting. Phil has previously worked with Junction Arts, Made with Many, and as a music interaction specialist in schools.
Phil currently works for the Level Centre and Theatre of Citizens in Nottingham and Bamboozle theatre as a drama and music practitioner as well as a freelance creative across the Midlands, delivering workshops and performances. Phil often works with children and adults with various educational needs and is passionate about creating accessible musical spaces for all.
Job Titles:
- Actor Musician & Theatre Maker
Rachel has worked in theatres across Europe & America, including: Underneath a Magical Moon (Tutti Frutti), Give it Back Mak! (Riding Lights), Twitchers and A Force to Be Reckoned With (Mikron Theatre Company), The True Adventures of Maid Marian and Robin Hood (Barn Theatre, Cirencester), A Christmas Carol (TNT Theatre), Swallows and Amazons (York Theatre Royal), Surprise Ending (Riding Lights), Much Ado About Nothing (Northern Broadsides), Babe - The Sheep-Pig (Mercury Theatre, Colchester), Macbeth (Wiltons Music Hall).
Rachel's writing credits include: Joshua (and Me) (Pleasance Theatre, National and International Tour) and Dear Lilian (Northern Broadsides Young Writers).
Ravneet is a British South Asian Actor. Her talents were noticed at a young age, leading her to early acceptance at Stratford Upon Avon College to study Acting at the age of 14. She further trained at Birmingham Ormiston Academy, which was co-founded by Maverick Television and The Brit School.
Her work includes Bal in Bafta Nominated Short ‘I Choose' (BBC), Uzma in a UK tour of ‘Sanctuary' (Red Ladder Theatre Company) and Simran in award winning Radio Drama ‘Queens' (Holy Mountain Studios & Tamasha) to name a few. Ravneet has also featured in various commercials for leading international brands.
Alongside her acting, Ravneet is also a vocalist. She started her musical journey learning Gurbani Kirtan at the age of seven, parallel with western singing. She is currently under the musical tutelage of the eminent Ustad Kirpal Singh Panesar. Her vocalist and acting skills have led to performances across the globe.
Ruth has over 30 years' experience in development and leadership roles across a diverse range of settings, including educational, not-for-profit, and commercial. Ruth's experience in developing and delivering both strategic and tactical business plans for financial management, income generation, and fundraising with creative organisations is widely valued. From 2013-2020 Ruth was the Director of Development for People Dancing and until November 2022 she was the Executive Director for Aakash Odedra Company (Leicester Dance Theatre). Since December 2022 Ruth has been working as a freelance consultant with arts & cultural organisations supporting their income generation planning, fundraising and dynamic thinking, and as a mentor and coach to individual artists. She is a trustee of The Spark Arts for Children and a member of the advisory board for Sidekick Dance Company a learning-disabled dance company based in Leicester.
As Executive Director for Bamboozle, Ruth has joint responsibility with the Artistic Director for driving the company forward, delivering the programme and maximising growth opportunities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Sue Pyecroft co-founded Bamboozle Theatre Company with Christopher Davies in 1994. She has been the lead theatre designer for Bamboozle's touring shows for many years, mentoring theatre design undergrads, and also developing the use of puppetry to connect with young audiences in performances.
Sue has been closely involved in the development of Bamboozle's programme of work with students on the Autism spectrum. In 2021, as a response to the Covid pandemic, Sue found a wildlife plot on an inner-city allotment site which has since become the Bamboozle Backyard. Through working with Bamboozle artists and the families the Wildings sessions were developed. The Wildings are play based, child-led interactive experiences within a natural environment, designed for autistic children and young people and their families which run in school holidays at The Backyard.
Tim Baker is a musician, performer, and experienced inclusive music facilitator, living in Derby. With a degree in Music, Technology, and Performance from De Montfort University, he specialises in working with disabled and d/Deaf musicians, pioneering vibroacoustic music and immersive listening experiences.
His work has been featured in various productions, and he has recently received funding from Arts Council England to develop his experimental work further. He also fronts the progressive rock band Something Orange, blending his passion for experimental sound with live performance.
Tina joined Bamboozle in 2014, she is responsible for managing and developing the work Bamboozle do with families and community partners. Tina also helps with Bamboozle's fundraising - writing applications to trusts and foundations and then if successful reporting back on the impact of those grants.
Tina works for Bamboozle part time and also works for other creative companies and individual artists, supporting them to apply for grants to develop their work and projects. Prior to working for Bamboozle Tina worked with Arts Council England for 15 years in various roles. As well as working for the Arts Council, Tina has held previous roles with UK New Artists and Aakash Odedra Dance Company and still works with the Royal College of Art undertaking guest lecturing. She has a MA in Modern Literature from the University of Leicester.
In her spare time Tina enjoys visiting cultural events and festivals with her family - she is an advisory board member for Wild Rumpus who run the Just So and Timber family festivals.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees