Artist Biographies
Jo Carey
Jo has been working in creative engagement and participatory education for the past 17 years. Her current work for HMDT includes workshop facilitation on the E Project and stage direction on the I Can Sing! Programme. She is an experienced facilitator and director of young people and regularly works for the National Theatre and the Primary Shakespeare Company for whom she has directed performances with Primary School students of Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Twelfth Night. She has previously led curriculum-linked workshops for The Almeida Theatre, The Old Vic Theatre and Polka Children’s Theatre and was the director of two youth theatre groups for Creation Theatre in Oxford. Jo is also an experienced project manager and previously held the position of Participation Manager at The Almeida Theatre in Islington and Primary and Early Years Programme Manager at the National Theatre.
Sophie Gresswell
Sophie Gresswell is a multi-disciplinary artist exploring identity and belonging, with particular interest in intersectionality and the ‘In-between’. Gresswell aims to visualise a connection between us which transcends our individual lifespan, and amplifies the way our human stories interconnect through generations, cultures and history to bring us to the current moment in time, and inform the very people we are today.
She is also a believer in socially engaged arts practice having worked with community organisations, museums, and in educational settings to engage various groups in forming artistic responses to topics such as diversity and heritage.
Her work includes an Artist Residency to Saint Helena to explore ‘Saint’ heritage and identity, ‘Saint Roots and Tungi Fruits’ in Stables Gallery, ‘Ancestors, Protect Me’ exploring the experiences of artists of colour during lockdown, and short film ‘Where are you from?’ commissioned by BBC Arts and Arts Council England. Her work has been performed on BBC Radio 6 Music and in 2022, Sophie was POCC x Clear Channel x Shuttershock Artist in Residence.