KATHRIN YVONNE BIGLER

Kathrin was born and grew up in Berne, Switzerland, where she started to work as a writer/director in dance and theatre. In June 2003 she gained a first class honours degree in Performing Arts (Community Arts Drama) at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. She is co-artistic director of London based performance company Bottlefed (www.bottlefed.org). She has worked as a writer/director in theatre, dance and film all over the UK, in New York, Switzerland, Germany, Norway and Iceland.

Kathrin has facilitated workshops and performance projects for children, young people and adults in diverse communities and contexts such as schools, universities, theatres and prisons. Her work covers the areas of creative writing, physical theatre, improvisation, storytelling and directing. She has worked as a devisor/director and workshop facilitator for Eastside Educational Trust (London), Concrete Canvas Arts (London), Schaubühne Berlin (DE), Rumbalante (CH), Wise Moves Ltd (UK), Theatre Royal Bath (UK), Amabadelo (Liverpool), Merseyside Young People's Theatre (Liverpool) and London University of the Arts (UK) as associate lecturer. Additionally to that, she ran the Drama Workhouse youth theatre (London) for five years and co-directed 'Creative Skills 4 Life', an OCN accredited performance project for vulnerable adults run by the Drama Workhouse and St Giles Trust in Camberwell. She has co-run the same course at the juvenile units at HMP Downview and HMP Huntercombe in 07/08.

MEGAN BUNTING

Megan is a trained actress, voice over artist, director and teacher originally from Canada. Her interest in using drama and theatre as a means of engaging hard to reach people began when she was working with the Department of Justice in Canada.

Megan has been project managing and delivering workshops for over 6 years and has experience of working in Prisons, YOIs, Mental Health Centres, Youth Offending Teams, Community Centres, Schools and Theatres.

JIM CARTWRIGHT

Jim has played drums since the age of 13 and has over 20 years experience as a performer in numerous bands ranging from rock, dance, skiffle, reggae and funk. In addition to a his musical background he has worked for a number of years in various youth work and youth arts settings including the Princes Trust, London Youth Arts Network, Haringey Council and the Brady Arts Centre. Jim set up ‘Talking Trash’ in April 2007 offering ‘Junk Drumming’ workshops. The sessions themselves comprise of various different elements, from making the instruments themselves, to learning beats, creating soundscapes, junk drum loops, learning musical theory and team building activities as well as raising issues around recycling. Since setting up the company Jim has worked with such organisations as the Ellern Mede Centre for Eating Disorders, Edutainment, Epic Arts, The Catherine Rose Office/Milton Keynes Council, Eastside Arts, Drumjam, Fair Community Housing Services and Artangel.

TONY CEALY

As an actor director and trainer Tony has worked freelance for over 13 years with disadvantaged and disaffected groups in project delivery, development and management, particulary in the areas of criminal justice, community arts, mental health, local authority, education and social services nationally and increasingly internationally.

He develops projects and programmes that explore the impact of behaviour on offenders and people at risk, their families and others. This is achieved by, looking at the causes and consequences of the actions that have led them to act/offend.

The projects and programmes are usually drama-based activities leading to theatre or digital multi media productions or projects and programmes that analyse and challenge behaviour and help them resist the forces of exclusion and institutionalisation as well build and develop key social/life skills.

SOPHIE CARLIN

Sophie is a visual artist working mainly in sculpture. She became interested in arts education and its positive effects at university where she started to run workshops for school pupils and the public.

Since then she has continued to deliver workshops to small marginalised groups mostly creating large-scale outdoor sculptures.

She is the office manager at Escape Artists and has managed projects and teams for Escape Artists and in previous positions.

MICHAEL CROWLEY

Michael Crowley is a full time writer who has written for stage, short film and radio. His stage play Beyond Omarska was short listed for the Kings Cross Award and the BBC’s Alfred Bradley Bursary Award. He has written short films for and about young people for Action Transport and Lime Arts and youth theatre productions for Bolton Octagon and Oldham Coliseum. His book Write Up Your Street; a guide to creative writing with young people, is published by Young Voice publications. He is currently writer in residence in HMP YOI Lancaster Farms.

LOTTIE ETTLING

Lottie Ettling, BA Hons Dance and Theatre Arts is a trained Dance Artist, specialising in Contemporary Dance. Over the last 10 years she has worked extensively with YOSs, the Mental Health Service, schools and community groups as an independent practitioner and as an Arts Education Manager. She has trained with Dance United and The Arts Council/Youth Justice Board (Effective Practice Award) and is committed to promoting and delivering engaging arts projects and qualifications.

GEMMA KNIGHT

Gemma Knight has an MA in Theatre and Media for development and has worked within the Theatre for Development field both nationally and internationally with diverse groups of people.  She first became interested in using theatre in the Criminal Justice Sector during her undergraduate degree, undertaking a successful project with participants at HMP Winchester which was performed for the Probation Services Head Office.  Since then she has continued to work with marginalised groups to produce theatrical performances that aid capacity building for participants and invoke discussion and action for audiences.

SARA TURNER

Sara Turner is a professional performer, having appeared in a range of productions including The Asylum Monologues, performed as part of the 2008 National Refugee Week, where she played Olive, to singing with The Irrepressibles in the Opera of Surveillance as part of the Arcola Theatre's Grimeborn Season.

Sara also uses her creative skills with projects in the community using drama in her work with socially marginalised people, including members of the mental health charity MIND.