List of New Creative Practitioners

We are continually looking for new people to join our on-line directory which is a one-stop shop for finding a creative practitioner for a project you are involved in.  Here are a selection of the latest additions to the database:

Eleanor Knowles - Eleanor is Director of Cumbria Development Education Centre (CDEC) supporting teachersand young people on developing the skills and valuesto enable them to be active global citizens. Eleanor is a Philiosophy for Children practitioner supporting children with critical and creative thinking in the classroom, linking with a range of curriculum areas including speaking and listening and citizenship.

Nici Long - I have formulated creative approaches utilising storytelling, visualisation and relaxation techniques, combined with art-based applications to work on the emotional issues facing children in contemporary social contexts. This approach is highly relevant to PSHE and SEAL, but also has added value across the curricula since through relaxation pupils and teachers become open to the divergent thinking necessary in creativity.
I strongly believe in the creative potential of every human being and am commited to providing opportunities to enable people to unlock this potential and believe that a positive sense of self comes through this process of self-expression.

Julian Longcake - As a Creative Practitioner and Artist I like the freedom to explore the imaginative potential of recycled materials and found items to create Magical Objects that can facilitate the development of stories, in their widest sense, via their interpretation. Working with children is always an exciting process that involves collaborative learning and unanticipated creative outcomes. The idea of 'Rites of passage' and the rituals connected with them in contemporary culture also interests me in terms of developing such ideas to apply to significant Life transitions.

Roy Blackburn - I am a broad based theatre practitioner with a wide ranging experience, from Rock Challenge to Shakespeare. I am essentially an actor, writer and director who has worked extensively in professional theatre, particularly in classical theatre. In an educational context, I have run my own company delivering Shakespeare workshops in schools and have worked as company manager for the largest national ‘Shakespeare in schools’ company. I have also run a number of projects for CP and CAE. I have worked as an acting tutor and have written, devised and directed numerous performance pieces for all ages and abilities. I devised and directed a Rock Challenge entry which was in the top 6 schools in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I have basic skills in lighting and set design/construction and a particular interest in recording and editing sound, and producing soundtracks.

Dominic Kelly - Dominic creates and performs full-length storytelling pieces at a national level in major theatres and festivals, including The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival and an upcoming solo show at The Barbican. Sharing the techniques and approaches involved in this with children, he helps them to create, adapt and perform stories in all manner of contexts, often in collaboration with other practitioners.  “Stories are how we make sense of the world. In storytelling, you are author, producer, performer and director all in one”, says Dominic, “so as a storyteller a young person is in charge of the whole narrative and performative world of their tale. It’s very empowering for them to express themselves in this most personal of art forms. No matter what the story, underneath it all, it’s about helping them to find their own voice”.

Del Whitticase - I am a working professional artist with experience of working throughout Cumbria, the U.K. and Europe. My working practice encompasses community and educational work as well as large-scale public commissions. My practice is very varied and I used a wide range of materials and processes to explore the themes that I’m interested in. The link between art, architecture and the environment as well as notions of internal and external space all help to inform the work that I make.

Ems Jesse - Originally from Liverpool, Ems has grown up with a love for children and a huge passion for performing arts. From dancing around the kitchen to whatever music might have been playing, to singing into a hairbrush in front of the mirror, performing arts has always been a huge part of every day life and LimeBox is now looking for more opportunities to share experiences and knowledge with others.  Graduating from University of Cumbria with a BA(Hons) in Performing Arts in 2008, she has performed in several professional theatre productions, including 'Hair' at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. As well as directing and producing shows such as 'Footprints of Passion' and 'At Ease'.The last year and a half has been spent working in primary and secondary schools delivering performing arts workshops to the children, young people and staff, bringing music, dance and drama into every day school life.  Now she is bursting with ideas and is looking forward to sharing this huge passion for performing arts with others

Karen Lloyd - Originally trained in Textile Design, in my own studio practice I now work across the mediums of paint, print and drawing. Projects in schools are diverse – from taking children to visit allotments to explore the growing of food and sustainability, then responding in a variety of media, to exploring ideas around identity – making felt islands and embroidered passports. I have worked on large and small scale – from hand-made mixed media books to huge hangings for school halls.

Ann Wilson - I'm a performance poet, songwriter and comedienne based in South Cumbria. I've been performing and leading workshops in theatres, pubs, on the street, in schools and community settings for over ten years. In 2006 I was the poet laureate for South Cumbria. I regularly perform for Apples & Snakes (the UK's leading organisation for performance poetry) and was until recently the NW Programmer. I'm a qualified higher education tutor (PGCE) and an Arts Awards Advisor. I taught BTEC Performing Arts at Furness College for five years. I hold a BA (Hons) in Theatre and Media Drama from the University of Glamorgan and Welsh College of Music and Drama. I've recently led the following workshops: Slam Poetry, Poetic Forms, Performance technique, Stand up Comedy, Lyric writing, Scriptwriting for theatre, Beats, Rhymes and Lyrics, poetry and music collaborations, poetry and visual art collaborations.