Catherine Davies Cantú

 Trained as a costume designer/ artist and theatrical tailor, I have varied experience of working freelance and within theatre costume departments. 

As a theatrical tailor I've worked within the Men's tailoring department at Glyndebourne Opera theatre, Sherman Cymru, Talinn Opera Theatre in Estonia and Teatterikorkeakoulu Theatre Institute, Helsinki. As a costume assistant I've worked on short films and music videos.

Other experience includes designing and constructing costumes for performers with learning and physical disabilities (Hijinx and Taking flight theatre), and coordinating and running costume and art workshops for children and young people with SWICA Mas Carnival and NDCS (The National Deaf Children's Society). I have also taught sewing courses and worked as a part time lecturer and sewing technician at IED Design Institute, Barcelona.

Commissions include bridal wear, individual costumes and evening gowns. Costume art exhibitions of my work consist of residencies in Finland and an ACW funded exhibition in Cardiff ('Llun a Stori Adar').

My language skills include fluency in Welsh and Spanish and an advanced level in Swedish and Catalan. I have a qualification in Industrial Tailoring and Dressmaking from a Swedish Vocational college in Finland, and since 2011 have been living in Barcelona, achieving an MA in Costume Design for Theatre, Opera & Cinema and working in a bespoke Men's tailoring department, constructing suit jackets using traditional tailoring techniques.

Currently I'm designing, cutting patterns and sewing children's clothes for my own label, 'Haden'. Inspired by fruit, the garments feature screen-printed 'seed designs' and resemble the colours and textures of fruit.

Sharon Teear- Allen

I have spent 14 years within the community dance sector and focussed on developing a comprehensive career in this field during my time at Rubicon Dance. As the Cardiff Development Co-ordinator I currently manage a development programme that encompasses 50 sessions per week for a wide range of ages and abilities in various outreach community and educational settings within Cardiff. In 2011 I established my freelance practice called Tiered Arts where I offer multi-arts programmes in community settings. Working with both dance and art I lead workshops directly with schools and communities. I also collaborate with external partner organisations (e.g as a freelancer with PLPS Physical Literacy Programme for Schools as a Multi Arts practitioner) I also worked as a dance mentor for many years with PESS (Physical Education in School Sports) working in foundation phase, KS2 and KS3. I have worked on freelance commissions and exhibitions as a visual artist (such as blinc 2013 digital light festival).

Artwork by Sharon Teear

www.rubicondance.co.uk / sharon@rubicondance.co.uk

www.tieredarts.co.uk / sharonteear@hotmail.co.uk

http://blincdigitalarts.com/index-page_id=2656.html

Pauline Down

My passion for Wales started when I went from Brighton to Bangor University in the late 70’s and then deepened when I found myself living back in North Wales in 1988. I’ve been happily living in Wales and exploring her glorious landscape ever since and moved down South to Cardiff two and a half years ago.

Here is my work profile:

Pauline works as a singer, musician, vocal choreographer, choir leader, voice coach, musical director, and champion of participatory arts. She is a talented facilitator and leader with a successful track record of delivering singing, arts and performance workshops, one to one support, arts in health and voice leader training programmes and projects in theatre, education, health and community settings with people of all ages and abilities. She currently directs three community choirs including one for veterans, friends and family members living with PTSD and works as music mentor for cARTrefu, an all Wales Arts in Care Homes project hosted by Age Cymru. She is working on a new composition, inspired by the care home work, for the Gwanwyn Festival’s 10th birthday – a multi arts celebration of older age.

With a background in theatre, she performs with a cappella trio ‘Bread and Roses,’ vocal / instrumental quintet ‘Variegated Women,’ vocal / instrumental septet ‘Chalk Circle Collective’ and storytelling duo,‘Adlais’.

www.paulinedown.com
https://www.facebook.com/SingingforHealth/
www.naturalvoice.net/teachers_profile/39/Pauline Down

Nick Davies

Having spent many years working in the media industry as an scenic artist/set decorator/prop maker and art director, returning to education to study a Masters in Fine Art was something that I felt I had to do to re-connect to a more creative purpose. This resulted in being encouraged to view more innovative approaches to contemporary art culture, and having the freedom of pushing personal boundaries with experimentation in multi-media techniques.

Coming from a more structured profession, I have been able to focus my attention to a new found curiosity with drawing and sculpted forms which has become more intuitive in nature.

I am deeply passionate about my arts practice and hopefully this is reflected through my approach to teaching this subject to learners of all ages.

www.nickdaviesart.co.uk
twitter.com/nick1967_nick

Michael Harvey

Michael Harvey - Storyteller

I have been telling stories for over twenty years all over the world and for many different audiences and frequently in participation with other artists. A big part of my work is in schools in Wales working on interdisciplinary and literacy based projects as well as the Lead Creative Schools Scheme. I work in Welsh and English and offer training in the use of storytelling for Welsh second language teaching.

www.michaelharvey.org
https://wordpress.com/stats/day/michaelharveystoryteller.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/michaelharveystoryteller/

Ruth Garnault

I  have wide and varied experience of the arts in England and Wales from community projects in the Rhondda Valley to the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford.

I have worked as a  senior professional with high-level strategic, managerial and organisational skills, and have been using these as a consultant since 2008.

• Knowledge of strategy, business planning, project management
• Proven ability in taking projects from inception to reality
• Wide experience in performing, visual and participatory arts
• Worked in the private and public sectors, with venues, and with smaller groups and individuals

"Ruth has always delivered exceptional work for us, due to her knowledge of the arts and creative & cultural industries sector and her communication skills." Arts Development Manager, Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council

My current main area of work is setting up and managing RawFfest GŵylGrai, the new youth arts festival for Wales. I have a MSc. in Strategic Marketing with a distinction for my Masters Dissertation and winning the 2013 CREaM award (Centre for Research in Entrepreneurship and Marketing).

I am a fellow of Arts Development UK and board member of Breaking Barriers Community Arts and have been a National Advisor for Arts Council of Wales.

www.ruthgarnault.co.uk

Jude Brigley

Jude Brigley was born, and lives, in Maesteg. She has taught for over forty years and always wanted to improve, hone and adapt practice. She has led learning and teaching in a variety of schools and written various books, poems and articles on education.  She has contributed talks, workshops and guidance at a national level. She is an experienced coach and mentor.
Jude has run two performance poetry groups, Connect and Poetry Unlimited, which both worked in schools and she is a performance poet herself. She is also the editor of two poetry anthologies, The Poet's House (Pont, 1998) and Exchanges: Poems by Women in Wales (Honno, 1990), which were created with students in mind. She is now writing more material for the page and her latest book of poems is called Labours (Thynks, 2014). While being an experienced examiner, inset provider and research student, she still retains her enthusiasm for the classroom. In 2009, she was named as a teaching trailblazer by the Poetry Society (UK).
In January 2011 she was awarded a Doctorate for her work on poetic intelligence and creativity. Her thesis presents groundbreaking evidence to suggest that students can be trained in poetic thinking and that this can have a significant impact on the quality and outcomes of their learning. Her PhD research also looked at creative thinking and she continues to champion the role of action research in developing projects in the classroom. Jude is an experienced CPD provider and has held many posts of responsibility including Chief Examiner for Media Studies and the chair of NACE Cymru. She loves to write and to get others to love writing too.
Dr. Jude Brigley
Judeteach_write@hotmail.com
Judebrigley.co.uk/blog