Sian Thomas: Creative Director

Sian launched Stomping Ground in 2012, having worked with both professional theatres and schools in London as a freelance director and drama practitioner since 2006.  She has run numerous youth theatres, managed schools residencies and outreach projects and has directed a range of London based productions.

In October 2014, Sian took up the role of Creative Learning Producer at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich.

Work as a director includes:

Through the Looking Glass (And What Alice Found There) (New Wolsey Youth Theatre), Earth Hour (Stomping Ground community event, Mareel, Shetland),  The Birthday Party, Vote Earth!, Dick Whittington & his Cat (Stomping Ground Beginners group, Shetland), A Doll’s House, Gargantua, There is a War, Lay Your Sleeping Head, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Cautionary Tales for Children (all for Rose Youth Theatre, Kingston), Brokenville and Where Are We? (both for Farnham Maltings Young Company), King Lear (Rose Theatre Kingston, Versophiles); Not to Be (Riverside Studios, Off Cut Festival); Last Orders (C Venues, Edinburgh Festival), Dorothy and the Land of Roz (Phoenix Theatre Artist’s Club); Maya (Hampstead Theatre Start Night); Gladstone in the Park and Treasure Island (Brent Arts Council) Let us Know (White Bear); Legends of the Tube (Greenwich Playhouse); The Taming of the Shrew and Mrs. Sorken (Bridewell Theatre); The Wood Piper (The King’s Head Theatre). Assistant director credits include: Blok Busta & The Pretender Agenda (New Players Theatre); The Little Prince (Hampstead Theatre); I’m A Minger (Arts Theatre/ Latitude Festival); Cosi Fan Tutte (National Tour, Opera UK); Rough Music Showcase, Road to Nirvana, A Right Royal Farce (King’s Head Theatre).

Sian has also worked as Schools Audiences Practitioner for Hampstead Theatre, Residency Director & Facilitator for Almeida Projects (King Lear & Turn of the Screw), Young Company Director for Farnham Maltings, has led workshops for the Young Vic and has run a range of schools drama projects in London as a freelance drama practitioner.

Anna Landi: Schools’ Theatre Practitioner (London)

Anna is a freelance Drama Facilitator in London. She completed the Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Theatre with Young People at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and has trained as a Workshop Leader with the Almeida Theatre. For Stomping Ground, she coordinates KS1 and KS2 drama club; amongst their end of term performances: Brave Flies (written by Anna); Aliens and Technology (devised by KS1 and KS2 pupils); The Princess and the Wooden Spoon (devised by KS1) and The Magic Stone (devised by KS2). Anna is also a Writer and a Dramaturg and enjoys making theatre with children and young people.

Floortje Robertson: Theatre Practitioner (Shetland)

Floortje grew up with wild West tales of Shetland ancestors and a passion for performing. Following an honours degree in Contemporary Theatre Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Floortje travelled the globe for a little while before working for Glasgow Science Centre, explaining scientific concepts to toddlers and exploring the stars with children.  She then traversed Scotland in a big purple Play Talk Read bus for the Scottish Government.

As a performer, Flooortje has worked with actors of all ages in all sorts of environments; with UZ Arts and Mischief La Bas in muddy fields, with various youth theatres in the streets of Berlin and Copenhagen and occasionally, even in fancy theatres.

Floortje is delighted to be back living, working, taking photographs and making drama in Shetland again.

Arwen Raikes: Assistant Practitioner (Shetland)

Arwen is a member of Scottish Youth Theatre, Shetland Youth Theatre and Splinters Youth Theatre. She got a place with Scottish Youth Theatre in 2013, where she did a six week intensive course in which she achieved an SCQF level 7 qualification for acting and performance. This involved devising a play about the 2014 Scottish referendum, which is currently being made into a documentary by the BBC. In March 2013 she took part in Ignition, a project with The National theatre of Scotland. She has been involved in many Shetland based productions ranging from pantomime to serious drama. In the 2014 Drama Festival she was part of the winning production in the Youth category.

In October 2013 Arwen joined Stomping Ground as a Trainee Practitioner, where she has learnt how to plan and lead workshops and direct young people for theatre. She now continues to work with our Beginners groups, where she enjoys working with our young actors and developing their skills and confidence.

In August 2014 Arwen will be going to Coatbridge College in Glasgow to study musical theatre.

Interested in working with us?

We work with a number of freelance practitioners for ongoing projects. If you are based in Shetland and are interested in working with us, please get in contact.

 

Our Partner Organisations

We work closely with Shetland Arts, partnering up for many of our Shetland based projects.

Shetland Arts aims to inspire, challenge and enhance the creativity of communities throughout Shetland. As well as presenting a programme of drama projects and events, we support and develop the skills of young people, those who are socially excluded, drama groups and enthusiastic individuals.

Directed by John Haswell (Arts Development Officer, Drama), Shetland Youth Theatre gives young people aged 12 to 21, of all abilities, the opportunity to take part in theatre productions. The company produces highly original and innovative work that has received critical acclaim in Shetland, on the mainland and internationally.

We also work closely with Shetland Islands Council and their Creative Links Department, who have enabled us to reach out to Shetland schools. As far as possible we support the Curriculum for Excellence through our work in schools, particularly where teachers are keen for students to have access to drama, and where the stimulus is an educational topic.