FACE THEATRE COMPANY - Key Persons

After training at LAMDA in London, Jess worked as a stage manager before developing an interest in disability theatre and dance, which she then studied at The Laban Centre. Before moving to Herefordshire, she ran classes at London Contemporary Dance and was the first director of Group 64 Youth Theatre in Putney. She has been Artistic Director of About Face for more than 25 years, as well as running successful youth theatre projects for the Courtyard in Hereford. Jess says about theatre, "I love how powerful emotions are shown, how the unheard voice is listened to, how environments are created, how ideas are sewn together..."

Juliet leads Wednesday's Drama for All group and also assists Jess with Thursday's Theatre Skills group. In 1999, Juliet started working with the Contact Course at Hereford College of Arts, which gave her the opportunity to learn and teach all sorts of creative arts like drama, dance and music, as well as ceramics, textiles, photography and animation. Juliet believes that theatre brings people together in a safe place to explore ideas with freedom and imagination. "I love the teamwork, the support and friendship, the fun, experiences and pride in our shared achievements," she says. Juliet's spare time is spent with family, especially her grandchildren, with days out visiting parks, zoos or farms and short breaks at the seaside. She also likes being with her daughter's two pugs, Kevin and Jim, and Hugo, her French bulldog.

Kate is the one to one support worker for the Friday Theatre Foundation group. After a myriad of jobs Kate finally realised (at the age of 42) she was supposed to be an artist and went to study at Hereford College of Arts. Since graduating in 2018 Kate has worked on many creative projects and collaborations, including Mindwalks (exploring the rural landscape and living with Motor Neurone Disease), Walking the Pipe (a study of the Elan Valley Aqueduct), Finding a Way (navigating when living with Dementia) and Watershed Line (walking the perimeter of the Elan and Claerwen river catchment). Her work has been featured on Radio 4, podcasts and in academic publications. In 2019 Kate discovered she could make up tunes, sing and perform. She then learned to accompany herself on the ukulele and mountain dulcimer, but there is still a long way to go with her musical journey! Last year Kate was lead artist/curator of the Watershed exhibition at the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham and is currently resident artist at the Sidney Nolan Trust in Presteigne with her project about Glacial Lake Wigmore, At the Water's Edge.