Download Round table Speakers Biographies

Roundtable speakers
Mandy Redvers-Rowe
Collective encounters Head of Participation
Mandy’s career as a lecturer, writer and performer
both regionally and nationally spans 25 years. For
five years she acted as Artistic Director of North West
Disability Arts Forum (now DADA) and spent many
years as a lecturer in Community Theatre practice as
both Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts and at Liverpool Hope
University. Her written work has been produced by the Royal Exchange
(Manchester), BBC Radio, Graeae, Paines Plough and BBC Television.
Mandy joined the Collective Encounters’ team in February 2012.
Karen Gallagher
Karen was born in Liverpool, trained at the Laban
Centre for Movement and Dance in London in the
early 80’s then returned to Liverpool to develop
dance in a variety of ways. Having set up the
dance and mime department for Second Out
Theatre Workshop (1986) a youth training scheme,
she went on to become Assistant Director at Cheshire Dance Workshop
(1992-94) and is Artistic Director of MDI (1994-present). Karen is
passionate about dance and how it can effect change in people’s lives
alongside how as an Artform it is appreciated through creation and
performance. She has been instrumental in the development of the
Leap Dance festival at MDI, an annual dance festival that was extended
to a yearlong programme of dance in 2010 and now a biennial. Event
Producer for Decibel PAS 2011, Karen is committed to celebrating and
promoting diversity in all its forms.
A Graduant of Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in 2007 with an
MA in Social Enterprise, Karen received a BMOBO for MDI’s community
dance practice (2010) and in 2011 was a runner up for Merseyside
Woman of the Year. Recently she received an MBE, awarded for services
to dance in The Queen’s New Year Honours List (2012) and has been
awarded an Honorary Fellow of LJMU (2014).
Matthew Linley
Artistic Director and CEO of Liverpool’s Unity Theatre
Matthew often talks of Unity as ‘a place to dream’
and so is delighted that Unity is a core venue for
DaDa’s envigorating, challenging and exciting
programme which imagines new futures which are
so much more than skin deep. Productions which have premiered at
Unity under Matthew’s directorship include Nina – a story with me and
Nina Simone featuring Josette Bushell Mingo (with Riksteatern,
Sweden), The Pentecost Pageant (with Hope Street CIC), Broke n Beat
Collective (with 20 Stories High and Theatre Rites), Bardolph’s Box
(with Up the Road Theatre), Princess and the Pea (with Action
Transport), Lampedusa (with Hightide and Soho Theatre) and Chicken
by Molly Davies (with Eastern Angles in Paines Plough Roundabout at
the Edinburgh Festival Fringe). Previous roles include General Manager
(Eastern Angles), Director (Phoenix Arts, Leicester) Arts Co-ordinator (21
South Street Arts Centre, Reading) and Arts Manager (Michael Tippett
Centre, Bath). As a freelance director, producer and consultant he has
worked with Phrased and Confused, Windswept Productions, Dartington
Arts. EM Media, Jammy Voo, BadCo (Croatia) and House of Extreme
Music Theatre (Croatia).
Harrie Muir/ Millie Dollar
A self-made Burlesque Star from the back streets of
Liverpool, the glisten of glamour awakening a lifelong
yearning for the thrill of the stage. With a bump of
her hips, a swish of her curls, and a pout she has
danced into the hearts of many. With her frantic
bump and grind dance moves, and showgirl costumes, she has brought
the style of Las Vegas Grind to the stages of the UK, and Europe. Millie
brings an unmistakable charm to the stage, while offering some of the
sultriest performances in burlesque, she does so with a cheeky sass that
enamours every audience, from Liverpool to Los Angeles.
Claire Penketh
Claire Penketh is Principal Lecturer and Head of
Department of Disability and Education and a core
member of the Centre for Culture and Disability
Studies (CCDS) at Liverpool Hope University. Claire
taught art and design in Liverpool for 13 years
before undertaking the MA Artist Teacher. She gained her doctorate in
art education from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2010. Her
current research applies critical disability theory to an exploration of
current orthodoxies in art education. Previous work has explored
inclusive and exclusive policy and practice and the application of
disability studies to art education. She is Co-editor of Disability,
Avoidance and the Academy: Challenging Resistance (Routledge) and
joint Co-editor of the International Journal of Art and Design Education
(IJADE). She has published in a range of journals including Disability &
Society, Journal of Education Policy, International Journal of Inclusive
Education and IJADE.
Joey Hateley
Joey Hateley is the Artistic Director of TransAction
Theatre who creates innovative cross-cultural
‘performance from the periphery’ on issues of identity,
inclusion, diversity and empowerment. The Gender
Joker, aka Joey Hateley is a female man who’s work
‘Q’uestion’s LGBTQI boxes, calling for a world beyond gender binaries,
transcending boxes and borders of difference through politics of
allegiance. As a writer, performer, educator and art-activist who creates
interdisciplinary experimental work, Joey has collaborated with diverse
organisations, such as Casa Trans in Ecuador, trans sex workers in
Thailand; drama workshops with young people in India, Namibia, Peru
and South Africa, devising a show with Peggy Shaw at the Drill Hall
London, ‘Drag King Richard the 3rd’ Bristol Shakespeare festival,
‘Transcripts’ Verbatim play and touring self-devised show’s across the
UK, Australia, Belgium, Sweden, Canada and USA arts festivals.
www.TransActionTheatre.co.uk
Reetu Jain
Reetu Jain is a certified Therapeutic Movement
Facilitator and an Indian American
dancer/choreographer who has trained and
performed internationally for over 25 years. Her
dance repertoire includes Indian classical & folk, Bollywood, Ugandan
folk, American Tribal Style belly dance and Flamenco. She was a
founding member of the Urban Gypsy tribal belly dance troupe in Texas
and has instructed classes and performed around the US, India,
Singapore, China and other countries, including a performance in a
Bollywood film with legendary Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah.
As a therapeutic movement facilitator, Reetu has co-developed a gender
curriculum focusing on bridging gender gaps and addressing gender and
sexuality related topics and issues through innovative movement and
discussion-based workshops. She has primarily worked with
underserved adolescents and the transgender (hijra) community by
creating an open and safe platform for self-discovery, dialogue and
expression. She was selected as an ADTA Talks’ speaker at the
American Dance Therapy Association’s 50th Annual Conference held in
Oct 2015 and is Co-Founder of the Creative Movement Therapy
Association of India (CMTAI).
Laurence Clark
Laurence Clark is an internationally-acclaimed
comedian, writer and actor who has cerebral palsy.
His observational, political stand-up and filmed stunts
demonstrate the endearing naivety and ridiculousness of human
behaviour by seeing the world through his eyes with humour and
warmth. highres1He’s performed everywhere from the House of
Commons to a double-decker bus in Sheffield. With television
appearances on BBC, ITV and Channel 4, Laurence was the subject of
the BBC1 documentary “We Won’t Drop the Baby” and has been a
presenter for BBC Newsnight. He was awarded Shortlist magazine’s
Funniest New Comedian and has been a finalist in the AmusedMoose
Edinburgh Comedy Awards. He has blogged for BBC Ouch, The
Independent and The Guardian and regularly performs with the comedy
collective Abnormally Funny People.
On stage he has recently toured Scotland in Birds of Paradise’s highly
acclaimed dance theatre production Purposeless Movements. He has
also performed in The Trouble with Richard (Graeae) and A Midsummer
Night’s Dream (Octagon Theatre), about which the Guardian said “his
wheelchair-assisted Wall is indeed ‘the wittiest partition that I ever
heard discourse.”
Lee Ridley/ Lost Voice Guy
Lee Ridley AKA Lost Voice Guy can’t talk but isn’t
silent. He is (probably) the first stand up comedian to
use a communication aid. He won the BBC New
Comedy Award in 2014.
Since making his first stand up performance in February 2012, Ridley
has already gained quite a reputation for being both very funny and very
unique. He has been described as “a wonderful comedian” by Little
Britain’s Matt Lucas and has been tour support for the likes of Ross
Noble, Patrick Kielty and Jason Cook.
He has also told jokes/given motivational speeches for a range of
charities and other similar organisations including Barclays, the NHS,
Communication Matters, Find A Voice, the Royal College of Nurses,
Percy Hedley School and the Royal College of Speech and Language
Therapists. He is also a patron of Find A Voice and Communication
Matters.
Miro Griffiths
Miro has worked in disability issues for over twelve
years and collaborated with various organisations,
institutes and government departments on a wide
range of issues pertaining to disability. In May 2014,
he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) as
recognition of my service to disabled people. As a member of the UK
Disabled People’s Movement, Miro is aware of the necessary presence
the people of the Movement have in order to raise awareness of key
issues and work alongside those in decision-making positions to create
positive change.
His understanding of disability issues was initially shaped by his own
personal experience of having a physical impairment but is now
complimented with a professional and academic background in this area.
As of January 2015, he is a Graduate Teaching Assistant and PhD
researcher at Liverpool John Moores University. The PhD is investigating
the following research question: What are the experiences of young
disabled people when presented with opportunities to become active in
promoting disability rights, leading campaigns and challenging current
agendas?
Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh
Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh is the founder
and Artistic Director of ZENDEH, an award
winning touring theatre company connecting
the personal with the political since 2004.
ZENDEH is an Arts Council National Portfolio
Organisation based in Newcastle, working nationally, internationally and
locally. Strategic work includes Facilitator and Founder Member of
Creative Case NORTH, established in 2011. Directing based roles in
theatre buildings: 2001 - 20002 Awarded an Arts Council England
Trainee Directorship at the CURVE (Leicester Haymarket Theatre) 2002 2003 Staff Director at Derby Theatres (Derby Playhouse) 2005 - 2007
Associate Director Theatre Workshop, Edinburgh Academic experience
lecturing and directing: 2003 - 2007 Visiting Lecturer and Visiting
Director of Directing and Theatre at Queen Margaret University,
Edinburgh. Education at graduate level: 1999 BSc Hons in Media
Technology from the University of the West of Scotland (University of
Paisley), specialising in: digital filmmaking, online content creation and
management, and developing online learning resources.
Rebecca Ross-Williams
Rebecca is Engagement Director at Everyman and
Playhouse and developed the Theatres Learning
programme which works with schools, colleges and
Universities in the city region. She founded the
Community Outreach programme which focuses on
under-represented people and which has been
nominated for awards for using arts for social change. The most recent
development is Young Everyman and Playhouse (YEP) which provides
participatory on the job training for young people in a variety of theatre
strands. YEP aims to provide a navigable route from first engagement
to professional training/employment and was voted Stage School of the
Year 2015 (Stage Awards). Rebecca is passionate about diversity and
has spear headed the theatres development work in this area which was
awarded TMA Diversity Award 2015.
Rachel Rogers
Rachel studied BA then MA Theatre and
Performance at Aberystwyth then worked with the
Centre for Performance Research as a Curator,
Producer and Project Manager.
Rachel moved to Liverpool in 2005 to begin work at
MDI (Merseyside Dance Initiative) as Project Development Manager a
role that cemented her passion for dance and combined work with
communities with working directly with artists on creative projects.
In 2012, Rachel was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to research
performance for, with and by older people on the East Coast of the USA.
Rachel has an MA in Cultural Leadership from John Moores University, is
on the board of Lisa Simpson Inclusive Dance in Knowsley, ZU-UK –
London based immersive theatre organisation and has recently joined
the board of Homotopia in Liverpool. Rachel is also a keen runner
(sometimes!) and bivouac-er.
Dr Richard Nutter
Richard joined the staff of DaDaFest in October
2016 from Royal Liverpool Philharmonic where he
worked as Executive Director of LARC (Liverpool
Arts Regeneration Consortium). LARC comprises
seven of the major cultural organisations in
Liverpool and was established in 2007 with the aim
of ensuring that the cultural sector contributes more effectively to the
social and economic renewal of the City and City region.
Prior to joining LARC Richard worked in Liverpool City Council as
Assistant Director for Regeneration Policy and Programmes. Before this
he worked for Government Office North West where he was responsible
for managing the European funding programmes in North West England,
including the highly successful Merseyside Objective 1 programme.
Janet Price
Janet is a feminist disabled campaigner who
advocates queer crip politics. She works on issues of
sexuality, disability and social justice largely in UK
and India. Janet is strongly committed to the arts
and their role in advancing marginalised people’s
agency.
Sam Wade
Sam started working for DaDaFest in 2009 as a
freelance coordinator; she helped to deliver
DaDaFest International 2009 and 2010. In 2011 Sam
took over running the young peoples programme at
DaDaFest and has loved working with the young
people in Merseyside to deliver a number of large scale and exciting
projects. Sam is a qualified visual arts teacher with five years teaching
experience and experience of working within the creative industries prior
to becoming a teacher.
Sam is a passionate project manager whose enthusiasm for enabling
people especially young people to reach their potential drives her to run
the best projects possible.
Aleasha Chaunte
Aleasha was born in Birmingham, England in the late 70s.
At aged four she was paralysed by a virus and
hospitalised for 18 months. Her mother consoled her by
buying a fortnightly story book and tape series which
thrilled, terrified and obsessed her around the clock.
Those stories (many of which she can still tell you almost word for word)
were the beginning of a passion that led her into the world of creative
practice.
After studying theatre at Goldsmiths College in 97 she went on to form
several fringe theatre groups, to travel and live in several countries and
to study acting with Teatr Piesn Kozla.
With her voice she is interested in the potential of the human voice as
an expressive entity indivisible from the inner experience of the vocalist.
With a camera in her hand she is interested in the textures of light and
land and her obsession with photographing directly into the sun (not
advised without a filtered lens).
As a theatre maker she is interested in communicating in non-rational
ways and in the power of old stories to teach and transform.
www.aleashachaunte.com
Garry Robson
Garry Robson is currently the Artistic Director of Fittings MultiMedia Arts
Liverpool and Birds of Paradise Theatre Co. Glasgow.
He’s directed over 40 professional productions both here and abroad
receiving several awards including a Manchester Evening News Theatre
Award, a Herald Angel and a Moscow Golden Mask nomination. He has
been a Drama advisor for both the Arts Council of England and the
Scottish Arts Council and was an Unlimited Awards panel member for
the Cultural Olympiad. He was Artistic Director of DaDaFest International
2008 and 2010 and for DaDaFest 2012 he Co- Curated a major
contemporary Arts Exhibition Niet Normaal: Difference on Display.
In 2016 he has Directed a Hip Hop Theatre installation for young people
Café Missing, The Last Show in Siberia for KultProject Moscow at the
Skomorokh State Puppet Theatre Tomsk, a body swap comedy at A Play
a Pie and a Pint in Glasgow and “Miranda and Caliban : The Making of a
Monster” in Hong Kong as part of the Shakespeare Lives Festival.