Arise - Wales Creatives
Directors and Producers Development Programme
ARISE - Wales Creatives is a year-long paid artist development programme focused on supporting the next generation of early-career creatives of all ages from or based across Wales.
With a current lack of diverse representation in theatre and arts, this programme is here to make change. We will be supporting directors and producers to take the next steps in their careers, with monthly sessions, masterclasses, mentorship and peer-learning and development.
The group will deliver a site-specific audio drama project, and a festival takeover at Wales Millennium Centre’s Weston Studio. We hope to support the cohort to be the next generation of creative leaders in Wales, making exciting work happen!
We are partnering with Wales Millennium Centre, with support from Stage Directors UK, Stage One, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and Buzz Culture, to deliver this programme.
MEET OUR DIRECTORS
Tijesunimi Oluwapelumi Olakojo
Tijesunimi Oluwapelumi Olakojo, an actor with over a decade of experience in performance and four years in filmmaking, TV & radio has performed in theatricals, music videos, films, documentaries, voiceovers, concerts, etc.
She is presently an advisory group member and volunteer at The Sherman Theatre, the drama coordinator, co-content creator, and representative of Oasis Cardiff with BBC radio II and Comic relief. In addition, She recently completed the “Acting for confidence” (Level 3) course at Cardiff and Vale College.
“I believe this program will give me the privilege of being mentored by industry professionals, one that I consider a very rare opportunity.”
Thomas Rhys Neil Jones
Thomas Leonard is a soon-to-be graduate of the European Theatre Arts Course at Rose Bruford College. Their practice focuses on communication and autonomy in the creation of both group and individual work, spanning a multitude of themes; Happy Decay, performed in Volcano Theatre in 2019, was a self-written two hander about identity and stagnation, their current piece, Man In A Dress, is a semi-improvisational twenty minute performance about home, bodies, and isolation.
“I seek to create work that reflects the artistic goals of all involved with specificity and pleasure, and form a strong artistic network with a new generation of artists through taking part in arise - wales creatives.”
Mehdi Razi
Mehdi Razi is a producer, early-career director and creative movement artist. He was a National Theatre Wales and Theatre Clwyd bursary awardee as emerging producer, and a trained dancer at Rubicon Dance Cardiff. He received awards from Arts Council to develop his practice in the performing arts.
“I'm very grateful to be on the ARISE programme as a very much needed creative development programme for the future of Wales. I am looking forward to being involved in the professional conversations in the industry and to be able to drive and clarify my directing journey.”
Joshua Robertson
Shwmae! My name is Joshua and I’m a multi/interdisciplinary artist based in Cardiff. I’m a recent graduate from Cardiff University, having obtained a first-class honours degree in social and political sciences. Aside from my academic pursuits, I’m a former member of the National Youth Theatre Wales and have previous experience working in professional theatre as an actor and dance artist.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the programme and I can’t wait to start collaborating with other creatives. I’m hoping to learn how to develop and harness my own distinct approach to directing, which I am confident this programme will enable me to do.”
Emmy Stonelake
Emmy (she/they) is a Queer, multi-disciplinary artist originally from Aberdare. Their work often centres the lives of Welsh, working-class, LGBTQIA+ people and seeks to highlight the Welsh (and Wenglish) spoken by those who attended Welsh medium schools in the ex-industrial South.
“There’s still so much for me to learn from a directing point of view and being the first opportunity of its kind, ARISE - Creatives Wales feels like the perfect place to be. about time, eh wales?”
Elicia Axon
Elicia Axon is a queer freelance creative based in South Wales. Graduating with a first class honours degree in Acting from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Elicia and a fellow peer set up an LGBTQ+ production company in 2021. After a successful pub tour across England the company is now preparing for its second tour later this year.
“I am very keen to collaborate and meet new, like minded people with the hopes of learning new skills and potentially passing on knowledge I’ve gained since graduating. I believe that this programme will provide myself and others with a safe space to explore our craft.”
Cerian Wilshere-Davies
My name is Cerian Wilshere-Davies, I studied BA Comedy Writing and Performance at the University of Salford. I work as a freelance artist and as a Youth Engagement Facilitator for Amgueddfa Cymru- National Museum Wales. I run a youth group called Trawsnewid, which explores LGBTQ+ Welsh history and the experiences of young LGBTQ+ people living in Wales. I am also the co-founder of Queer Clown Cabaret, a collective that organises live and digital performance events that platform emerging queer artists.
“I am very excited to be a part of the ARISE - Wales Creatives programme. I am looking forward to learning new practical skills on how to direct and make theatre as well as working collaboratively with other emerging directors and producers.”
Carmen Diana Almeida
Diana Almeida is an actor, scriptwriter and theatre director graduated with a Distinction grade in the MA Drama (University of South Wales, Cardiff). She also holds a University Degree in Audiovisual Communication and MA in Scriptwriting (Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain).
Some of her credits as a professional actor in the UK includes her own sketches at BBC Sesh, voice acting for Backwards Catastrophe (BBC Radio 2) and the devised theatre piece A Comedy (Chris Harris, Jafar Iqbal).
“I’m so happy to be one of the creatives selected for the ARISE - Wales Creatives programme! I hope this experience helps me to push my career further on the Welsh theatre scene. This can be the start for new connections and projects. So exciting!”
Juliette Manon
Juliette is a non-binary Queer Director, Playwright and Theatre-Maker. They’re passionate about creating work that amplifies LGBTQ+ voices, women & nonbinary people’s voices and any other voice or story that is under-represented (or rather, not represented) on the Welsh stage and screen.
They’re a member of the Sherman Theatre’s ‘Unheard Voices’ Writer’s Group and Theatr Genedlaethol’s ‘Young Playwright Programme’ (2021-23). Their current projects include being co-Artistic Director of their new theatre company: Cwmni Cwiar and developing their first play.
“Seeing a programme like Fio’s ARISE Wales Creatives programme that has been created specifically to platform underrepresented Directors and Producers in Wales is incredibly exciting (and way overdue!!). ”
Nadia Nur
Nadia Nur is a 22-year-old multi-disciplinary freelance artist from Cardiff, which includes working as an actor, training director, and writer, and always seeking opportunities to create change in the industry. They trained at Identity School of Acting and recently have been performing at the National Youth Theatre Wales and the Riverfront Theatre. Nadia works at the Sherman Theatre as an assistant director and the Wales Millennium Centre as part of the Young Queens project.
“I'm honoured to be training and developing my practice with Fio, which has provided such a safe space to grow in confidence that I can take into the creative arts”
MEET OUR PRODUCERS
Alexia Barrett
Alexia is a Development Researcher at Wildflame Productions, an Indie TV Production Company based in Cardiff. She is also an advisory board member at Creative Cardiff, an Indie Author and an aspiring Producer and Screenwriter. Alexia has now joined the ARISE Wales Creatives Programme.
"I believe that the ARISE programme will offer me training and valuable transferrable skills in Production that will greatly improve my career prospects. I am passionate about production and I can’t wait to delve deeper into the industry through ARISE".
Alexander Rice
Alex Rice is an emerging creative, who identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Following the completion of the BA Acting degree at UWTSD, they formed a theatre and production company, Badger Sett Productions, with a friend. With the company they have produced a new writing show that toured some venues in England. Since graduating they have been exploring their freelance role within the industry and exploring specifically the role of producing. They are very excited to see where this path will take them.
"I am very excited about my place on the Arise programme. The layout looks like it will support and develop my interests in producing and help me to go further."
Duke Al Durham
Duke Al is a published poet, spoken word artist and rapper. He is currently undertaking a Creative Writing Masters at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Writing rhymes is Duke Al’s therapy. From a young age, Duke Al would scribble raps and poems in his old lyric book. It was his way of expressing himself; an escapism to challenge his OCD. A passion for words, flow and rhyme flared. After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 23, the pen was there to help him understand and articulate how he felt. Now he aims to make an impactful change using one rhyme at a time.
"I am keen to learn how a producer works. I want to gain the knowledge of how to pitch ideas to organisations. Being able to have the opportunity to produce a project that I really believe in is a goal of mine. I am looking to understand the role of a producer and how they collaborate with other creatives. I am excited to be a part of this learning experience and keen to meet new people who share the same passion of creativity."
Joshua Whyte/Blankface
Blank Face aka Joshua Whyte is a musical canvas, who fuses different sounds like Hip Hop, Rnb, Trap Soul, Afro and Gospel. He believes in the idea of creating vibes and not genres and although predominantly a singer is a genre-less artist and so far no two songs are of the same genre. As an artist, he has amassed over 200,000 online streams across all major streaming platforms and has showcased as a prominent artist in the Welsh music scene with multiple BBC Radio features alongside some outstanding blog features like ‘The Big Issue’ magazine.
"From this programme, I want to be equipped with the knowledge and tools that I would need to work as a creative freelancer in the Welsh Arts Industry, not just as an artist but as an industry professional. I want to be like Aretha Franklin defying the odds of the normal producer stereotypes as a young black artist in this evolving creative field."
Kyle Stead
Kyle is a benefit-class actor, producer & creative from the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. He grew up in a single parent household on council estates. He has a high interest in taking real life experiences to create raw, gritty and insightful new work that is driven by authenticity. Kyle is the Artistic Director of Off Ya Trolley Productions, which he co-founded in 2020 to champion the voices of working class artists and communities.
" I feel we all need to stick together and support each other in an industry that is dependent on filtering us out, that is the way we will survive and prevent this industry from being a middle class populated space. I really want to ensure that my toolkit is equipped with all the fundamentals of producing, so that throughout my career I have the ability to tackle anything that portrays itself as a barrier."
Rhiannon Farr
Rhiannon is a BA English Literature student at Cardiff University. She adores everything to do with arts and is particularly interested in improving accessibility to the theatre for those who are deaf/hard of hearing. Rhiannon enjoys writing and has had her work published in Buzz Magazine and Quench Magazine: her first article for Quench, discussing the recent revival of Fleetwood Mac, was awarded the article of the month in March 2022. She loves studying drama and theatre in university and these modules are what helped her realise that the arts is where she wants to be.
"I am ecstatic to be a part of Arise's Producers cohort; the opportunity to work with Wales-based creative professionals is a dream come true. I really want to improve accessibility to the arts for those who are deaf/hard of hearing- as someone who has issues with hearing I believe this is imperative to making the arts open for all."
Tayler Walters
Tayler Walters is from South Wales and is an aspiring graduate from Aberystwyth University (2019-2022). Tayler studies a BA joint honours in film, television + scenography, theatre design and this has allowed her to express her creative energies individually and in groups. Her degree has given her a stable foundation and understanding of the creative world of theatre and film.
“This is both daunting and exciting and I am looking forward to embracing the ups and downs this journey will take me on. I thrive to produce the most creative events seen on the streets of Cardiff and I want to ensure that everything I create and produce is done to the best of my knowledge and ability. I am eager to develop my producing skills and I do believe that this programme will prepare me with the right tools in order to do so.”
