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

The FESTIVAL.ORG team

The team at FESTIVAL.ORG believe in sharing inspiring and exciting outdoor arts experiences for all, both in the UK and beyond. Together, we imagine and deliver Greenwich + Docklands International Festival annually, manage the nationwide Global Streets network and create one-off commissions and touring productions.

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 has led on communications for projects with Good Chance Theatre, Omnibus Theatre, Nouveau Riché, A Younger Theatre, See Tickets and Soho Theatre. 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.

shaun (@) festival.org

Mary Mekonen

Digital and Social Marketing Officer

Mary recently joined GDIF, bringing her expertise in digital and social strategy to the role. With prior experience in account management at Mindshare, a corporate media marketing agency, she has honed her skills in paid media advertisement, social content creation, and creative strategy. Mary’s academic background in Sociology fuels her passion for harnessing the power of social media and digital platforms to drive positive social impact in the digital age.

mary (@) festival.org

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

Artist Liaison Coordinator

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.

matilda (@) festival.org

Amelia Chisholm

Access Assistant

Amelia joined FESTIVAL.ORG as Access Assistant for 2023’s GDIF festival, assisting with the implementation of access provision. Having recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Drama, Amelia has developed a keen interest in accessibility within the UK Performing Arts Sector, the importance of inclusive practice and the establishment of accessible spaces for audiences and performers.

access (@) festival.org

Ella Kennedy

Volunteers Coordinator

Ella runs GDIF’s Volunteer Programme, coordinating the 150 amazing volunteers that give their time across the festival. Before working for festival.org, Ella worked in for alternative education charity, The Complete Works, inspiring learning through creativity. Alongside festival.org, she works as a freelance producer, runs East London scratch-cabaret, Things That Go Eeek! and makes performance art with her company collectivebreak.

ella (@) festival.org

Tiffany Tam

Production Assistant

Tiffany joined the GDIF team in 2023 as a Production Assistant. She is a freelance producer and theatre maker with experience in technical production and stage management across theatre, events and festivals. She recently completed her MA in Creative Producing at Mountview.

Tiffany (@) festival.org

Corinna Woolmer

Head of Production

Corinna initially trained as a classical musician and has worked in the live music and arts events industries for over 20 years. Working across a range of genres, Corinna has held senior production and artist management roles at a number of large festivals and major events both in the UK and internationally. Corinna joined Festival.org in 2023 as Head of Production, overseeing the end-to-end production of each GDIF event. In her spare time, Corinna is undertaking PhD research into social inequalities and business practices within the music industry.

corinna (@) festival.org

Africa Nile

Outreach and Audience Development Coordinator

Africa Nile has recently joined GDIF as our new Outreach and Audience Development Coordinator for our On Your Doorstep and Ancient Future events. He is a creative at heart with a Bsc Hons Degree in Music Technology and an illustrious career as an actor and musician including: playing Young Simba in The Lion King at The Lyceum Theatre; Scipio in Trevor Nunn’s Porgy and Bess at The Savoy Theatre, Touring the UK as a singer with the Young Voices charity; and much more.

 africa (@) festival.org

 

Kevin Wratten

Global Streets Producer

Kevin is a producer with a focus on creating high quality, innovative experiences across circus, dance and outdoor spectacles. Since 2013, Kevin has worked in socially engaged contexts and with professional artists at leading London venues and festivals including Sadler’s Wells, Jacksons Lane, the Roundhouse, Shubbak Festival and GDIF. In 2020, Kevin joined forces with another independent producer to create Split Second – a producing company collaborating with artists blurring the lines between circus, theatre and dance. Outside of FESTIVAL.org Kevin is currently producing outdoor and indoor productions with Hip Hop Circus company Simple Cypher and Olivier award-winning experiential theatre maker Kit Green.

kevin (@) festival.org

 

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
Rahee Nayar
Dr Maxine Room
Jenny Sealey
Dr Margaret Sheehy

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

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