David Bellwood Expand David Bellwood David has worked in theatre for over 15 years, having started as a dancer in the world tour of Riverdance. He is the Senior Marketing and Access Officer at Shakespeare’s Globe, where his job entails ensuring equal access for patrons, employees and creatives to the theatre’s productions, educational work and museum space. He is the arts lead on the Southwark Dementia Action Alliance, working on infrastructural and social changes in the community to aid those living with dementia. He is an advocate for inclusion of Deaf, disabled and learning disabled performers and works with several companies to promote inclusive work.
Becki Haines Expand Becki Haines Becki has been a Producer and CEO with artists and artist-led organisations for over 10 years, and has substantial experience working with artists to develop ambitious new ideas in diverse locations, pioneering global programmes and creating resilient business and finance models for their work. She’s largely worked in installation, placemaking, performance in public space, and interaction design and many of her partnerships have been cross-sector and placing art in other industries. Most recently Becki co-led internationally acclaimed agency of play Coney as Joint CEO for six years with 52 projects across a range of partners including Greenpeace, the Natural Environment Research Council, Wandsworth Probation Service and PWC. Prior to that Becki presented projects at the National Theatre, the Roundhouse, the Barbican, The Southbank Centre, National Museum of Scotland as well as touring extensively through smaller towns and villages of the UK. She’s presented work in 11 countries including partnerships in Japan, India and Brazil and has collaborated with 13 artists and artistic directors overall. Becki currently works with Future Everything, Artsadmin and Walking Forest and has been the Co-Director of the Total Theatre Network for 8 years. She’s a Trustee for Deafinitely Theatre and Fierce Festival, a member of IETM and is trained in Accountancy to AAT Level 2.
Cathy Heffernan Expand Cathy Heffernan Cathy Heffernan is a freelance producer director with experience in investigative journalism and observational documentary-making. She started out in TV working as a researcher on Hands On, a magazine programme for the Irish Deaf community on RTE1 in Ireland but made a detour into print journalism, working at the Guardian as a reporter and news subeditor for over five years. During this time, she co-produced Deaf Sisterhood and directed Crossing the Divide for the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust. Leaving the Guardian in 2013 she took part in Channel 4’s investigative journalism programme that year and worked as a development assistant producer on Blakeway Productions’ Dispatches team. In 2014 she directed an observational documentary following a theatre company translating A Midsummer Night’s Dream into BSL to be performed at the Globe for the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust. She has also directed some feature-length programmes for BBC See Hear and produced a film about deaf education for Channel 4 News. She is currently working in documentary development at Postcard Productions. She is a keen theatre-goer – one reason she loves living in London is the vast array of shows performed in BSL or with captions. She has been a Deafinitely fan for many years and loves seeing how the company interprets well-known stories into BSL.
Mark Hopkinson Vice Chair Expand Mark Hopkinson Mark comes to Deafinitely theatre with a strong background in education and training. Following work as an access and development officer for deaf people in different London boroughs, Mark has spent the past 19 years working for City Lit in a variety of teaching and management roles. Since 2014, he has been head of department for Sign Language and Lipreading. Over the years, Mark has taught and assessed all levels of BSL, from introductory to Level 6 and is a qualified Internal Verifier, also providing consultancy and advice for BSL tutors in other colleges. Mark has lectured on the City Lit/London Met University ‘Deaf Studies’ degree and has coordinated a number of training programmes for external businesses across London. He is hoping that his experience will lend itself to supporting the development of Deafinitely Theatre; he has a particular interest in accessibility. Mark has also been a member of the London Deaf Drama Group for over 15 years, enjoying all that amateur theatre has to offer.
Sanchu Iyer Expand Sanchu Iyer Sanchu is familiar with Deafinitely theatre as she was one of the participants for Deafinitely’s creative writing group for two years (during which period she showcased two of her short plays) and she has worked with staff from Deafinitely youth project during their outreach work in a school where she had worked. Prior to the inception of the theatre, she attended BDA’s creative writing retreat where she first met Paula. Sanchu is passionate about global justice, social equality and poverty alleviation. She has been involved in a number of environmental, community and campaign voluntary work such as CSV, VSO and CAFOD. She has trusteeship experience as she was a trustee for Deaf Ethnic Women’s Association (DEWA) and a trustee and chairperson for Aurora Deaf Aid Africa (ADAA). Currently she’s a PhD candidate for Heriot Watt university.
Andrew Kenward Expand Andrew Kenward Andrew is a CIMA accountant and he has been working in the charity sector over the past 7 years with most of the years being in the education sector. He has a keen interest in the arts and theatre and is glad to be part of a team aiming improve and diversity deaf peoples access in the theatre landscape.
Ash Pandya Chair Expand Ash Pandya Ash Pandya has spent most of his working life working within the health sector. He has Run his own community Pharmacy and been a senior manager for NHS Direct. For the last twelve years he has been a Chief Executive for a pharmacy organisation representing 339 pharmacies. In this role he has established a separate provider company to deliver specific services for the community through pharmacy and developed many services to improve the wellbeing of the local population. Ever since he operated a pharmacy, he has been passionate in supporting organisations and delivering services to make a better community. To that end he has also been a Vice Chair for Jackson’s Lane community centre in Highgate which also host a theatre and a trustee for National Voices the umbrella body for many health charities. He has also worked with many ethnic diverse charities organising shows and events. Ash has a passion for the Arts and especially theatre. As the result of an operation Ash has recently become completely deaf in one ear and therefore developed a great deal of empathy for people with hearing difficulties. Ash is excited to be working with and supporting Deafinitely Theatre in bringing live theatre to people with hearing difficulties and at the same time raising the awareness and challenges faced by people with hearing disabilities.
Tom Robbins Expand Tom Robbins Job title: Head of Cultural Investment Fund, Senior Policy Advisor at DCMS Tom is a senior policy advisor in the Department for Digital, Cultural, Media and Sport, with a background in arts policy, public finance, and project delivery. Tom has previously worked in HM Treasury including working on DCMS Spending and welfare policy. He enjoys making art in his spare time and has a strong interest in improving the accessibility of arts and culture.
Louise Stephens Expand Louise Stephens Louise Stephens is a dramaturg specialising in the development of new writing. As in-house dramaturg or literary management personnel, she has worked at the Traverse Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. She has worked as a dramaturg or script reader with theatre companies throughout the UK and Ireland, including the National Theatre of Scotland; Tron Theatre; Tiata Fahodzi; Curve, Leicester; Live! Theatre; Rifco, and the Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland. Her dramaturgical work with maker/performers includes Rachael Young (I, Myself and Me), FellSwoop (Palmyra: Total Theatre Awards 2017) and Jenna Watt (Flâneurs: Fringe First 2012; Faslane, Fringe First 2016). She is the Dramaturg for the Abbey Theatre, Amharclann Na Mainistreach, where her recent work includes This Beautiful Village (Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards Winner, Best New Play 2019) and 2020's Dear Ireland project. She has admired Deafinitely’s productions, ethos and working methods for a long time and is delighted to serve as a trustee for the company. She signs to BSL Level 3 and recently began to learn ISL, completing QQI Award Level 3. She has a PhD in Creativity Management from the University of St Andrews.
Kimberley Thomas-Currie Expand Kimberley Thomas-Currie Kimberley is a producer, general manager and theatre consultant. She has worked across the commercial, subsidised and fringe sectors and has extensive experience of programming both International and fringe festivals in Edinburgh and Brighton. Having worked with companies including The Old Vic, Assembly, Adam Spiegel Productions and Riverside Studios, Kimberley’s background includes producing commercial West End Productions and national tours, as well as working with creative teams and commissioning new work. She has consulted on production general management, large-scale capital projects, redesigning theatre spaces, access and sustainability, and overseen operations of complex organisations. Her passion lies in opening theatre to new audiences and increasing diversity in the voices and stories we experience. Kimberley’s current focus is on advising and supporting producers and artists, and commissioning new work through her own production company.