GDIF 2023 | London’s free, annual outdoor performing arts festival 25 August-10 September 2023

Meet the FESTIVAL.ORG team

FESTIVAL.ORG is one of the UK’s most ambitious and prolific outdoor arts producing organisations. We set out to radically raise the ambition, quality and diversity of outdoor performance produced in the UK.

Beyond our flagship annual festival Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, we manage the nationwide Global Streets network.

Meet the people who make up the FESTIVAL.ORG team.

Bradley Hemmings MBE

Artistic Director

Bradley founded Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) in 1996 and has directed the festival for the last 27 years, building the festival’s reputation for staging high quality outdoor productions, often at large scale, whilst prioritising access and participation by diverse audiences. Bradley is the Artistic and programming lead for GDIF.

In 2012 Bradley was Co-Artistic Director for the Opening Ceremony of London 2012 Paralympic Games, watched by 11.5 million viewers in the UK. He was awarded an MBE in 2016 for services to Culture and Disability Arts, and was granted the Freedom of the Royal Borough of Greenwich in 2017.

Toby Smith

Associate Director

Joining GDIF in 2018, Toby works across the full breadth of FESTIVAL.ORG’s activity, leading on strategic development, fundraising and managing specific projects that are developing the organisation’s national and international impact, profile and significance. He is currently managing the Global Streets programme, bringing international outdoor arts to eleven town and cities across the UK. Toby was previously Festival Director at the Salisbury International Arts Festival and Director of Performance and Programming for the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Studying music at the University of York, he has also worked in programming at Barbican Centre and Cheltenham Arts Festivals, and founded the Early Opera Company.

 

Ellie Harris

Executive Producer

Ellie Harris leads on the delivery of the flagship Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, producing cultural events for FESTIVAL.ORG, and leading on environmental and sustainable practice across the organisation. Ellie joined the team in 2019, following her extensive work in the South West of the UK where she worked with the likes of Strike A Light, Green Man Festival, Cheltenham Arts Festivals, Rugby World Cup 2015 Gloucester cultural programme, and the National Trust. She independently produced theatre, puppetry, opera, dance, and enabled artists and companies to make and tour their work. Ellie is particularly interested in the dialogue of how outdoor arts can respond to our world narrative and creatively adapt to changing circumstances we are faced with, leading and reimagining new ways of working, highlighting sustainability and accessibility, and producing ambitious and collaborative projects.

 

Marie Faucher

Administrative and International Producer

After finishing her Masters Degree in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy, Marie moved to the UK from France in 2015. She has worked in the outdoor event sector for ten years. Her love of physical theatre, dance, contemporary circus and community engagement projects has developed at organisations in France, Canada and the UK, including Young Musicians of the World, Lieux publics (national centre of creation for outdoor arts in Marseille), NoFit State Circus and Bristol Circus City. She joined FESTIVAL.ORG in January 2018, leading on Artist Liaison, scheduling, accommodation bookings, visa applications, … and reminding everyone to recycle in the office & on site!

Shaun Evelyn

Head of Communications and Audiences

A native South East Londoner, Shaun joined FESTIVAL.ORG after leading the international marketing campaign for The Walk (2021), helping to engage millions with Little Amal’s story in live audiences, in classrooms and on social media. Throughout Amal’s 8,000km route, Shaun collaborated with leading arts and humanitarian organisations in 7 countries to help build “a savvy social media campaign” (New York Times) and “a whole buzzing community” (Time Out) of followers, audiences and allies. Shaun has also worked on projects with Good Chance Theatre, Omnibus Theatre, Nouveau Riché, A Younger Theatre, See Tickets and Soho Theatre.

shaun (@) festival.org

Nassy Konan

Associate Producer

Nassy is a Creative Producer working across Theatre and Live Art.  At the heart of her practice, she specialises in producing new work and introducing it to diverse audiences.  She’s a recipient of Jerwood Arts Live Work Fund 2021. Nassy’s has extensive expertise in touring work to mid-scale venues and festivals around the UK and internationally.  She has produced work for Soho Theatre, The Old Vic, Battersea Arts Centre, Young Vic, Brixton House (formerly Ovalhouse), Southwark Playhouse, Greenwich & Docklands International Festival. 

Career highlights include the development and touring of the award-winning BAC Beatbox Academy production of Frankenstein: How To Make A Monster and the touring of Touretteshero’s Not I by Samuel Beckett to international & UK festivals/venues.She is currently a producer for Dropped Tea Theatre – making work that celebrates and amplifies London’s lost voices through multidisciplinary forms of storytelling in gentrified communities. As well as, producer for Swiss Selection Edinburgh & Swiss Selection Live with Pro Helvetia

 

Caroline Francis

Producer

Caroline has experience in producing, community engagement and project management. She joined FESTIVAL.ORG in 2021 and is looking forward to her third year of working on Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.

Before joining FESTIVAL.ORG Caroline worked as a Community Engagement and Public Art associate at UCL Culture. Caroline’s event experience has seen her work with Applecart Arts, SMASHfest UK, Bernie Grant Arts Centre and Emergency Exit Arts.

caroline (@) festival.org

Alison Holder

Associate Producer

Alison Holder is an Independent Producer who has worked in Theatre, Audio and Short Film. Alison has been Producer for Talawa Theatre Company, Creative Producer for The Mono Box, Associate Producer for Festival.org and Unlimited Theatre.  Previously an English Touring Theatre Forge Associate and Producing Coordinator at the Bush Theatre.

Theatre, film and audio credits include: Mugabe My Dad & Me (ETT/Brixton House/Theatre Royal York); Black Victorians (Festival.org); Run it Back, The Tide (Talawa Theatre Company); PLAYSTART (The Mono Box); Future Bodies by RashDash/unlimited theatre/HOME and UK tour; Reset The Stage (The Mono Box); Tales from the Frontline (Talawa Theatre Company); A Visible Man by Edward Enninful, None of the Above by Travis Alabanza (Audible); Our Mothers’ Stories (BBC Sounds) and We.Black Women (Apatan Productions/Donmar Warehouse).

Kat Gill

Access Producer

Kat leads on the creative development and implementation of access provision across the organisation including the annual Greenwich + Docklands International Festival. Kat is proudly neurodivergent. She champions Disability-led and co-created work.

Before joining FESTIVAL.ORG she was a founding co-director of BLINK Dance Theatre, where she devised and produced theatre productions with innovative approaches to access for audience and artists. She has also developed and facilitated accessible participatory projects with St Margaret’s House, Speech Bubbles, Brixton House and the Young Vic. She’s taught Inclusive Arts Practice on the MA Applied Theatre courses at Goldsmiths, Central School of Speech and Drama and Lancaster University.

kat (@) festival.org

Diana Whitehead

PR Consultant

Fourth Wall PR is a specialist Arts and Culture PR consultancy working across performing arts, festivals, exhibitions and events. Headed up by founder Diana Whitehead, a former journalist turned PR expert with a solid track record for garnering National and International coverage as well as connecting projects at a grassroots level and targeting under-represented communities. Diana has advised CEOs of FTSE listed companies, worked on top level strategy and managed large and small scale PR and marketing campaigns in-house and agency-side.

Matilda

Wilde

Matilda joined the FESTIVAL.ORG team in 2023 as Artist Liaison Coordinator for this year’s festival. She is a freelance Creative Producer and theatre-maker from South East London, who works in theatre, festival and event management. Matilda is also a facilitator and regularly delivers theatre education and creative workshops with young people.

 

Before joining GDIF they completed their MA in Creative Producing at Mountview, as well as the Stage One ‘Bridge the Gap’ and Liverpool Young Everyman & Playhouse Theatre producer programs.

Career highlights so far include projects with the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, HOME Manchester, Splendid Productions, Raindance Film Festival and Sh!t Theatre.

Our Board of Trustees

Geoffrey Pine (Chair)
Vicki Amedume
Carolina Correia
Cllr Gary Dillon
Paul Hanrahan
Josh Harsant
Fiona Hughes
Cllr Iqbal Hossain
Oliver Hughes
Antony McBride
Rahee Nayar
Dr Maxine Room
Jenny Sealey
Dr Margaret Sheehy
Fayçal Tazi

Media enquiries and press releases

For PR enquiries please contact Diana Whitehead
diana@fourthwallpr.co.uk
079391491887
www.fourthwallpr.co.uk

Freelancers

We’re extremely grateful to all our freelance staff without whom GDIF would not be possible. We have credited as many possible here in recognition of the huge amount of behind-the-scenes work which takes place every year.

 

Find us

Old Royal Naval College, Pepys Building, 2 Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich, SE10 9LW

You can unsubscribe at any time
* indicates required