The Party Somewhere Else

artist, writer and actor. Olwen collaborates with performance companies and artists alongside making solo work. She graduated from De Montfort University in 2010, completing her Masters Degree in 2012. Olwen is co-artistic director of LaPelle's Factory. LaPelle's Factory are an associate company of In Good Company, a regional development scheme run by Derby Theatre, Attenborough Arts Centre and Create in Mansfield. They have been supported by Arts Council England and are produced by LittleMighty. Olwen is an associate artist with Attenborough Arts Centre. Eleanor Field:
Since graduating from RADA’s Postgraduate Theatre Design course in July 2011, Eleanor has worked regularly in a wide variety of styles and genres for theatre, opera, dance and festivals. This has included Man To Man, directed by Tilly Branson, a new translation of Brecht’s Fear And Misery directed by Stephen Unwin, and a delightfully muddy show; For The Little People with Caroline Horton at Latitude Festival. Last summer she was invited to design a set of three windows for Selfridges, London, as part of their Shakespeare 400 celebrations. See her full portfolio at www.eleanorfielddesign.com

Hannah Stone:
Hannah trained as an actor at Bretton Hall, Leeds University. Since then she has gone on to perform and tour with a variety of theatre companies. In 2009 she co-founded The Gramophones Theatre Company who have made a number of shows, all of which have gone on to tour nationally and received excellent reviews. They were mentored by New Perspectives in 2012 and became a Breakthrough Company at Curve in 2015. They have been commissioned to make work by Creative Arts East and First Art. Tilly Branson is a director and dramaturg with a particular interest in new writing and women's voices. She has recently completed a practice-based AHRC funded PhD about rural touring. She was Associate Director at New Perspectives from 2011-2014, and is an Associate Artist with The Gramophones. Directing includes Getting Better Slowly (Lincoln Drill Hall/national tour 2016-2017), Think of England (Anonymous is a Woman, national tour 2016), Acting Alone (international tour 2015-16), Man to Man (Mercury Theatre Colchester 2013/Park Theatre London 2014), Entertaining Angels (New Perspectives, national tour 2013) and End to End, (The Gramophones, Edinburgh Fringe/national touring 2013-2015). www.tillybranson.com

Kathy Akers is a State Registered Dramatherapist. She has 18 years' experience of working with children, young people and families in education, health and community settings, as a creative arts group-worker, drama teacher, creative education trainer, theatre-maker and storyteller.. Much of her work has been with young women in group and 1:1 settings, with a focus on building a sense of self through creativity, and playfully approaching issues that affect young women on an individual, social and political level. Kathy was one of the founder members of the Gramophones Theatre company and is currently an Associate Artist of the company. She joined out of a passion for women's’ voices being heard in theatre and the performing arts. She was also chair and coordinator of the NETWORKS emerging theatre network in 2012 – 2013, coordinating masterclasses and skills share events for emerging theatre professionals in the region. Kathy is currently an active member and assistant facilitator for AuROARa, the women's’ theatre group who work from the Women's’ Centre. Nikki Disney is a state registered Dramatherapist, Director and Yoga practitioner. She is experienced in therapeutic support for women and young people; specialising in empowerment (Nottingham Women's Centre), sexual abuse and exploitation (The Children's Society), inclusivity (pastoral care for Mouthy Poets and Creative Movement at Deda) and currently investigating support needs within the arts for mental health. She has directed youth theatre with an emphasis on ensemble and collective productions including Derby Theatre (Spoonface Steinberg 2016) Nottingham Playhouse (Ugly Duckling 2015), and Lakeside Arts Centre (The Wardrobe 2014). Founder of AuROARa; creating drama about women by women for everybody. Beth Shouler is a director and writer from the East Midlands. She loves to develop new plays with writers. She was Staff Director at Theatre Royal Plymouth and Young Company Director for the Tricycle Theatre and Lakeside Arts Centre. She has been an Assistant Director at Nottingham Playhouse and Lakeside Arts Centre. She co-founded the artist collective Toast, Plymouth Fringe Festival and Junk Shop Theatre. Most recently she was part of the Royal Court Writer's Group. She has also directed plays for Junk Shop Theatre, Spark Arts, Theatre West, The Tricycle, Lakeside Arts Centre and Theatre Royal Plymouth. Beth often makes work with and for young people. She is currently developing projects with Nottingham Playhouse, is devising shows with the Almeida Young Company, and developing plays with writers in London and the East Midlands. She is currently a Breakthrough Artist at Curve and in the middle of developing two of her own plays for production in 2017/2018. Siobhan Cannon-Brownlie is a freelance theatre director with an MA in Drama Directing from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She also read MA English at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, during which time she directed over 20 productions. She has directed shows for the BAFTA award-winning Television Workshop in Nottingham and has taken three shows to Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She has a particular interest in new writing and site-specific work. Her directing includes Macbeth on Inchcolm Island and The Tempest in the Firth of Forth both of which enjoyed sell-out runs and favourable reviews from national press. Recent theatre includes: Woman and Scarecrow (Brewery Theatre at Tobacco Factory), Mrs Green: The Musical (Nottingham Playhouse and Leicester Curve), The Tempest (Hopetoun Estate in the Firth of Forth, Fingask Estate Dundee, Belladrum Estate in the Highlands), Love Song (C Venues), Macbeth (St Andrews’ Castle, and Inchcolm Island), Airswimming, Unsuspecting Suasan, Zoo Story (The Television Workshop Studio) King Lear, Translations (The Byre Theatre), Creditors (Summerhall), Love and Money, In Flame, Bodies (Barron Theatre), A Doll’s House(BOVTS). Ria Ashcroft
Ria Ashcroft is a theatre maker, circus performer and teacher of circus and drama. She is a co-founding member of Nott Circus and The Gramophones Theatre Company. Ria has been performing professionally on stage and screen for the past 10 years. Ria is passionate about the benefits of circus for young people and is dedicated to raising aspirations and promoting healthy lifestyles through circus and drama.