Our Team and Partners

As of autumn 2023 Stomping Ground is re-launching, and as such we are keen to meet more brilliant artists and practitioners who are resident in the East of England.

If you like the sound of our work and are interested in working with us, drop us a message.

The company is run by Creative Director, Sian Burford-Thomas:

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. 

After a successful couple of years embedding Stomping Ground in Shetland, Sian took up the role of Creative Communities Producer at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, where she stayed for nearly 9 years.

Two children, five cats and numerous chickens later, Sian is now excited to be relaunching Stomping Ground as a company dedicated to working with young people and communities in the East of England.

She lives with her wife and the above brood in Manningtree.

More about Sian…

Sian’s creative background is in theatre directing, and her artistic practice is informed by this. She is dedicated to working in participatory theatre, and has run numerous youth theatres, community projects, schools residencies, digital participation projects and more, and has directed a range of productions. She was responsible for family programming at The New Wolsey Theatre for 6 years, and has produced many successful funded projects, one of which was award nominated.

Sian has mostly recently led work for the Mercury Theatre, Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk Libraries and Manningtree Arts.

Work as a director includes:

Dark Sky Reserves (a radio play), The Twits, Through the Looking Glass (And What Alice Found There) (all for 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, Young Company Director for Farnham Maltings and has led workshops for the Young Vic.

Our Partners

We work closely with and are grateful to be supported by Manningtree Arts. We work with their team to develop creative projects for the local community. For more info, see our project pages.