ALEX HAMMOND - FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES

Alex studied at The University of Leeds and achieved a 1st class degree in Theatre and Performance, specialising in the use of theatre in the rehabilitation of disaffected young people. He then secured a place at The Royal Academy of Music and was awarded a PGDip in Musical Theatre and LRAM in professional singing tuition. Since graduating, his work in performance has included Matilda the Musical (RSC, West End), Calamity Jane (National Tour), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (National Tour), A Little Night Music (Watermill Theatre) and Motown the Musical (West End) for which he was also the Resident Director. He has also worked in film, television and as a professional saxophonist and guitarist.

As a son of two Senior Leaders in education, the subject of learning has been threaded through the fabric of Alex’s upbringing. Alongside his acting work, he has taught for a host of organisations including British Youth Music Theatre, West End in Schools, The Challenge UK (part of the National Citizenship Service), Perform and WAC Performing Arts College amongst others. 

His passion for the performing arts was ignited as a youngster when he joined a local Solihull drama group as an eight year old. His subsequent twenty years of experience in the world of performance along with his teaching work have allowed him to develop a uniquely energetic, engaging and dynamic style of facilitation. He is inspired by the impact that theatre can have as an educative tool and is committed to equipping people from all walks of life with a skillset that will allow them to unlock their potential. 

PHOEBE FILDES - FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES

Phoebe studied Drama and English literature at the University of Bristol after which she went on to gain a place at the prestigious Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, completing a Masters in Theatre Performance. She has worked extensively as an actor and violinist, making her professional debut in London’s West End as a member of the original cast of Once the Musical at the Phoenix Theatre. In 2014, Phoebe played Ophelia in the Globe Theatre’s two-year touring production of Hamlet, which played to audiences across the globe, performing in 196 countries in total.. Her other theatre credits include playing Mollie in The Mousetrap (West End), Lady Stutfield in A Woman of No Importance (West End), Charlotte in A Little Night Music (The Watermill Theatre) and Peter Pan (National Theatre). She also works in radio and her credits include Home Front and Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber for BBC Radio 4. Phoebe works regularly as a vocalist for various soul bands in London and is the violinist and singer for Irish folk group, The Phoenix Collective.

She has worked as a Drama Facilitator for a number of organisations including Stagecoach, Freedom Academy and West End in Schools. Phoebe regularly tutors Maths and English and also teaches Singing and Violin at various schools, including Tallis Academy in Blackheath. She has adjudicated various internal Music & Drama competitions at schools such as The Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School.

Phoebe is hugely passionate about drama in education and its capacity to inspire and nurture confidence in children. She is interested in developing workshops to encourage young people to challenge gender expectations in schools and promote female role models in education.

EKOW QUARTEY - Theatre & Education

Ekow studied Theatre and Performance at Leeds University before training on the Two Year Acting Course at LAMDA.

His theatre credits include Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe), Barber Shop Chronicles (USA Tour/National Theatre), Amadeus (National Theatre), People, Places & Things (National Theatre/Headlong/Exeter Northcott) and Peter Pan (National Theatre). His screen credits include Call The Midwife (BBC1), Enterprice (BBC3), This Way Up (C4) and Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner Bros). Ekow filmed Titus Andronicus as a two-hander short film with Peter Capaldi for Shakespeare's Globe.

Ekow was also Assistant Director on one of National Youth Theatre’s largest shows, S’warm, bringing together over 500 young performers to produce a show exploring climate change and, more specifically, the plight of the honey bee.

LIZ FLINT - Vocal Coach

Since 2014, Liz has been the Resident Vocal Coach, and Head of Voice on the RSC's Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre. She has been Children's Vocal Coach on Motown - The Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre), and a regular Children's Vocal Coach on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane). Other coaching includes: Adrian Mole – The Musical (Ambassadors Theatre), Tina Turner – The Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Groundhog Day (The Old Vic), and dialect coaching on Guys and Dolls and High Society (The Mill at Sonning).

Liz graduated with Distinction from the MA Voice Studies course at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and subsequently lectured at numerous prestigious drama schools and universities, including Central School of Speech and Drama, East 15, ALRA, The Oxford School of Drama, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and The Actors Studio in Auckland, New Zealand. ​She was also Head of Voice on Unitec's Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts (Acting) degree programme in Auckland.

LUKE THOMPSON - Shakespeare

Luke studied English and Drama at Bristol University before training on the Three Year Acting Course at RADA.

He has worked extensively in theatre focusing particularly on classical plays, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2013) and Julius Caesar (2014) at Shakespeare’s Globe, The Broken Heart (2015) at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse , Oresteia (2015) and Hamlet (2017, starring Andrew Scott) both at the Almeida Theatre/West End, as well as the West End transfer of Chichester Theatre’s King Lear (2018, starring Ian McKellen). His screen credits include Bridgerton (Netflix), Dunkirk (Warner Brothers), In The Club series 1 & 2 (BBC), The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (ITV) and Kiss Me First (C4/Netflix) .

Luke has also worked regularly in schools in the UK and France, developing and leading workshops and writing shows to engage children in Shakespeare in the most simple, straightforward way possible.

Elliot Ross - Mask Work

Elliott is a Drama graduate from the University of Bristol. As an actor he has worked extensively in the theatre, performing at the Royal Shakespeare Company (Queen Anne, Love for Love) and most recently in the West End in Admissions.

As a practitioner, he has joined forces with Didi Hopkins, the country’s leading authority on Commedia dell’Arte, to run ‘Commedia Works’ (www.commediaworks.com); a Commedia company that delivers workshops in schools, universities, conservatories and professional theatre companies. His workshops incorporate character development, physical storytelling, improv, mask work, movement and many other aspects that make up the actor’s tool kit. 

Last year he toured the USA as a representative of NYU, leading workshops in physical theatre & Shakespeare at prestigious colleges and local communities all over the country.

Heather Long - Theatre & Education

Since graduating from RADA, Heather has worked primarily on new writing projects, including collaborations. Last year she wrote, directed and featured in a new comedy sketch show, Slipped Disco, which was then released as a web series. She recently finished touring Gail Lou’s one woman show, The Mitford’s, playing four of the notorious sisters and her latest show,  Look Mummy, No Mans, featured as part of  ‘Vault Festival 2018’.

Other voice work has included voicing Jo Cox for the audio book, Jo Cox: More In Common, as well as Princess Diana for Channel 4’s documentary, Diana: In Her Own words. Heather leads Shakespeare workshops in inner city Schools in London with Key Stage 3 students, most recently exploring King Lear. She also leads Drama workshops for marginalised people, including working at Praxis to support refugee women, using performance to help them articulate their experience. Heather currently teaches Acting at City Academy in London.

Jamie Noar - Music

Jamie studied German and Spanish at University of Bristol before training as an actor at Bristol Old Vic.

He has worked for many years since on stage and screen. Credits include Made In Dagenham (New Wolsey), Calamity Jane (National Tour), Othello (Stafford Gatehouse), White Christmas (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Benidorm (ITV) and commercials for Diet Coke and Lexus.

As Musical Director, recent credits include Europeana (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Sandman (Southwark Playhouse), Working (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Pierced (Landor) and as Assistant MD,  A Little Princess (Royal Festival Hall) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, dir. Arlene Philips. 

Jamie regular teaches at drama schools and theatre groups across the country and is passionate about encouraging children to engage with theatre.