“I was really lucky to grow up at a time when there were fully funded youth theatres throughout the country, the arts were really valued and living didn’t cost nearly as much. This all meant that despite growing up on a pig farm in Bedfordshire I was able to experience – and fall in love with – the arts.

Everyone has the right to take part in the arts, but there are so many barriers stopping people.

With arts companies closing due to lack of funding & a cost of living crisis and the arts disappearing from many of our schools I really want to be creating art spaces where people can try things they’ve never done before, failing safely, succeeding brilliantly.

So I guess where I am right now is trying to help some of our excluded communities to experience theatre and art and also using theatre to platform their voices: co-creating work that brings empowerment and joy.”