staff
Lucy Crompton-Reid
Director
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG lucy@applesandsnakes.org
As Director, Lucy is responsible for the overall management of Apples and Snakes.
Lucy was previously at the House of Lords, where she developed that organisation's first outreach and engagement strategy. Prior to that she was the Director of Creative Partnerships London West, working with a wide range of practitioners to promote and develop creative learning. From 2002-2005 Lucy worked for the Refugee Council coordinating Refugee Week, a UK-wide festival of arts, cultural and educational activities promoting positive images of refugees and asylum seekers. Lucy has also worked for Arts & Business, the National Theatre and The Space Arts Centre.
Lisa Mead
Creative Producer
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG lisa@applesandsnakes.org
As Creative Producer, Lisa plays a lead role in developing the organisation’s artistic strategy as well as delivering the creative programme of events, artist development and participation projects. She is also responsible for commissioning, producing and touring work. Lisa has worked at Apples and Snakes as a freelancer on various projects since 1998 and full-time since 2004.
Lisa has worked with artists since 1994 developing cross art-form projects which engage people in surprising arts work and events, in all kinds of settings. Previously she has run family learning projects, been a local authority arts officer, an arts centre programmer, facilitated drama workshops in prison, trained as an early years teacher and company-managed touring theatre and comedy shows.
Alice Ochocka
Education and Training Coordinator
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG alice@applesandsnakes.org
Alice is the Education & Training Officer and is responsible for organising the Poets in Education Scheme and the artist development programme.
After studying English Literature at Newcastle University, Alice joined the education team at Seven Stories: The Centre for Children’s Books. Here she spent two years leading workshops, storytelling and developing the education programme. Making the move from children’s literature to women’s literature in 2007, Alice became part of the Mslexia family, taking on copy writing and editorial tasks at the magazine for women who write. Relocation to Brighton in October 2008 led to a research position with online museums and heritage publishers Culture24.
Daniela Paolucci
Education Development Coordinator
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG daniela@applesandsnakes.org
Daniela joined Apples and Snakes as a Project Coordinator in December 2009 with responsibilities for continuance and development of the education programme, focusing on coordinating the education department’s activity and administrative systems.
Daniela has worked in the arts for 15 years, both in Italy and UK in a variety of roles in management, finance, tour booking, producing projects and festivals and across a range of theatre companies like the Royal National Theatre, Puppet Centre, European Cultural Foundation UK, Scarlet Theatre, Peepolykus, company of angels, Watermans Arts Centre, Pacitti Company (SPILL Festival of Performance 2007), Montage Theatre Arts & Poetry London.
Peter Hunter
Programme Coordinator South East
Tel: 023 8031 5500 Ext: 206
The Nuffield, University Road, Southampton SO17 1TR
pete@applesandsnakes.org
Peter Hunter has been a performance poet for over 10 years, during which he has performed around the UK (including a national tour of a multi-media poetry show), in Europe and on a 3 week tour of the USA. He has been the instigator, organiser and promoter of many performance poetry events as well as being involved in the visual arts as a ceramicist, sculptor, film-maker and gallery director.
He has been working for Poetry Can, a poetry development agency in Bristol, for several years and is now based in Southampton as the Apples and Snakes South East programme coordinator arranging events and artist development initiatives.
Apples and Snakes in the South East
Bohdan Piasecki
Programme Coordinator West Midlands
Tel: 0121 224 7446
The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham B9 4AA
bohdan@applesandsnakes.org
Bohdan Piasecki is the Programme Coordinator for the West Midlands. Working from the offices of Punch Records, in Birmingham, his job is to organise events, provide development opportunities for artists, and promote spoken word poetry in the region.
Bohdan is a poet himself, and he has been active on the European circuit since 2003. He founded and hosted the first poetry slam series in Poland, and has toured around the world with several devised poetry projects. Bohdan has a keen interest in literary translation and ways in which it can be used to complement performance, and actively pursues collaborations with artists from fields such as photography, video, music, and dance.
Gina Sherman
Programme Coordinator South West
01392 275 741
Cyprus Well, Exeter Central Library, Exeter, EX4 3PQ
gina@applesandsnakes.org
Gina has been working for Apples and Snakes since March 2010. Her job involves working with artists and organisations to programme a range of performance poetry events and professional development initiatives.
Gina graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2008 with a degree in Writing and Visual practice. On leaving she became a neo-comedy burlesque performer as part of the double act ‘The Ladies of Pleasure’! She has worked as Volunteer Programme Coordinator for the Barbican Theatre, Plymouth, where she found willing participants to help out theatrically - for free!
She currently works part time for Dance in Devon, a dance Agency based in Exeter who promote and organise dance across the County.
Kirsten Luckins
Programme Coordinator North East
Tel: 07585 223 162
ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton on Tees TS18 1LL
kirsten@applesandsnakes.org
As Regional Coordinator, Kirsten is responsible for programming events and artist development workshops in the North East.
Kirsten joined us from the Ouseburn Trust in Newcastle, where she worked to promote and support cultural volunteering. Previous work has included freelance arts administration and events management in a wide variety of media, including developing cabaret nights and programming community arts festivals. A practicing poet both on the page and in performance, Kirsten is passionate about helping poets achieve their full potential by learning from and collaborating with artists from multiple disciplines.
Russell Thompson
Programme Coordinator London
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG russell@applesandsnakes.org
Russell’s job involves programming the poets for Apples and Snakes’s London shows. He works with established artists, emerging artists and new artists to produce a well balanced programme across a variety of venues. He is the principal contact for London writers who are keen to discover more about Apples and Snakes or about the poetry scene in general.
Russell is active on the UK performance poetry circuit, both as Rachel Pantechnicon and as one half of Project Adorno. In these guises, he has taken eight shows to the Edinburgh Fringe. He runs the poetry group in the London Borough of Merton, and has several years’ experience as a creative writing tutor.
Hannah Jane Walker
Programme Coordinator East
Tel: 01603 877171
Writers Centre Norwich,14 Princes Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 1AE
hannah@applesandsnakes.org
Hannah Jane Walker is Project Coordinator for the East of England. She works one day a week at Writers Centre Norwich, working with live literature artists, youth development projects and continuing to develop the regions hearty literature profile and opportunities.
Hannah is a poet, producer, workshop leader, journalist and visual artist. She studied literature at UEA and a poetry MA at Newcastle then worked for, amongst others, the Norfolk & Norwich Festival co-delivering and overseeing Creative Partnerships Norfolk. She has made and toured two shows nationally and internationally, winning a Fringe First in Edinburgh 2011. She works as a practitioner in schools and prisons and has published a pamphlet with Nasty Little Press.
Robert Saunders
General Manager
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG robert@applesandsnakes.org
Robert has overall responsibility for the finance, marketing, fundraising, IT, HR and general administration operation at Apples and Snakes and is a member of the Senior Management Team.
Robert trained in the law before seeing the light and embarking on a career in arts administration. Starting as a self-employed odd jobber with companies such as Greenwich Theatre, Graeae Theatre Company and Jacksons Lane Community Centre Robert eventually graduated to full time employment as Finance Manager of The Oxford Playhouse. Robert joined Apples and Snakes in April 2007.
Tasmin Chowdhury
Financial Coordinator
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG tasmin@applesandsnakes.org
As Finance Coordinator at Apples and Snakes, Tasmin runs the financial accounting systems and maintains the computerised accounts program.
Tasmin has ten years’ experience in both manual and computerised accounting. She also has broad experience of the charity sector having worked as a community development worker for the Isle of Dogs Community Development Foundation, served as Vice-Treasurer for the Cedar Centre, London and is currently a member of The Friends of Khastobir in Bangladesh.
Beth Dunant
Arts Administrator
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG beth@applesandsnakes.org
Beth is the Arts Administrator for Apples and Snakes and started this role in April 2010. She ensures the smooth running of the offices and is the first port of call if you have any questions or enquiries about Apples and Snakes.
Beth studied Arts Management at De Montfort University in Leicester, while studying she worked on various projects including the cities cultural eXchanges festival, Leicester Belgrave Mela and also completed a placement at Leicester City Council, within the Festivals and Events team. Beth has previously worked at QCDA and joins us from Arts Council England where she was Administrator in the Media Relations team. Beth also enjoys her part time, voluntary work as an usher at the Roundhouse.
Nina McDonagh
Press and Marketing Officer
Tel: 020 8465 6147
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG nina@applesandsnakes.org
In her role as Press and Marketing Officer, Nina is responsible for managing the marketing mix for the organisation, for the promotion of projects, tours, poetry events, education and artist development work. Nina also works to steer and assist Apples and Snakes' national team of programme coordinators in developing press and marketing campaigns.
Nina originally started out creatively in theatre and trained as a Theatre Designer at Rose Bruford School of Speech and Drama. She has also worked as Duty Manager at the Cockpit Theatre and taught Technical Theatre and Scenic Arts to students at City of Westminster College, before a change of direction into Arts Marketing.
Previous to Apples and Snakes, Nina worked for the Albany arts centre in the marketing team.
Dan Simpson
Digital and Marketing Assistant
Tel: 020 8465 6146
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG dan@applesandsnakes.org
Dan's role is to maintain and develop the online profile of Apples and Snakes. He also supports the Marketing Officer on the marketing activities for the various shows around the country, particularly in London and the South East.
After graduating from the University of Kent in 2008 with a degree in English and American Literature, Dan worked for Year One, a consultancy operating in the arts and creative industries. He is also self-employed as a spoken word poet and compère, workshop facilitator and writer. He compères for Apples and Snakes and is active on the London gig circuit.
Dan is at Apples and Snakes until March 2012.
Daisy Dockrill
Creative Programme and Marketing Assistant
Tel: 0845 521 3460
The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG daisy@applesandsnakes.org
Daisy is recent graduate of the Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London and brings with her a wide variety of experience in performance as well as a personal love for poetry.
Daisy has worked on theatrical productions in world-renowned theatres such as The Minack Theatre in Cornwall and run a number of theatre education workshops with age groups ranging from 8 years old to 80. She has also worked with the Roundhouse Theatre Company in marketing a show for the Edinburgh Festival.
