Theatr Iolo announces Associate Artists
Theatr Iolo are excited to announce six associate artists that they will be working closely with over the next six years to develop new work for children and young people.
Representing some of the most exciting talent working in theatre today, the Associate Artists have been selected to help the company fulfil their artistic vision.
The Associate Artists are:
Sarah Argent - Director and Writer
Catherine Dyson – Writer and Actor
Elgan Rhys - Writer, Director and Actor
Kyle Lima - Writer, Director and Actor
Anisha Fields - Designer
Hannah McPake - Actor and Co-Founder of GaggleBabble
During their 6-year tenure, Theatr Iolo will commission the artists to develop, create or produce new work, as well as providing them with access to resources, such as artistic and marketing expertise and office space.
“The artists we have chosen to partner with over the next six years have an incredible wealth of expertise and experiences between them. As a company, we have big ambitions for both our work and our audiences and we can’t wait to collaborate further with our Associate Artists to deliver those ambitions”
Lee Lyford, Artistic Director
“I am delighted to have been invited to continue my relationship with Theatr Iolo. The company is very dear to me and I have known and admired Lee’s work for many years. We have regularly talked about our shared belief in and passion for high-quality, challenging theatre experiences for young audiences, so the opportunity to collaborate with him, the Iolo staff, and the other Associate Artists during this exciting time is one I relish.”
Sarah Argent, Associate Artist
The Artists
Sarah Argent, an award-winning theatre maker and specialist in creating shows for babies and young children, is a long-standing associate of Theatr Iolo, having worked with the company since 2001. Sarah (along with previous Theatr Iolo Artistic Director, Kevin Lewis) is the creator of Baby Show, a sensory performance for little ones aged 6 – 18 months. Experienced by over 4,000 babies to date, it is hoped that the show will soon be presented in Cardiff by Theatr Iolo, once theatres in the UK are able to open their doors once again.
Catherine Dyson started working with Theatr Iolo in 2017 when she was part of the company’s Artist Development programme, Platfform. As part of the programme Catherine wrote a play for older children Transporter, around themes of transience, home and belonging, which she also performed in. Transporter went on to be produced by Theatr Iolo and has since been performed in Wales and England, as well as internationally.
In the same Platfform cohort, Elgan Rhys started to develop his idea for Chwarae, a Welsh language piece about the importance of play, that went on to be developed into a full production and embarked on a Wales wide tour in spring 2020, that was sadly cut short by COVID-19.
Kyle Lima was part of the Platfform New Writing programme in 18/19 and is now Theatr Iolo’s Platfform Artist for 2020, during which time he’ll be developing a piece of new writing based on the myths and legends surrounding the Welsh Dragon.
Anisha Fields is a set and costume designer, and graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Anisha worked as the designer on I Wish I Was a Mountain, which Theatr Iolo toured in Wales in autumn 2019 and most recently has been appointed as designer for Theatr Iolo’s upcoming tour of Owl at Home.
Hannah McPake is a performer and theatre maker from Edinburgh, now based in Cardiff. She originally started making family work as a performer with both Theatr Iolo and Sherman Theatre. Hannah is co-founder of multi award-winning company Gagglebabble and a current recipient of an NTW Radical Creatures Commission.
You can find out more about all our Associate Artists here