The board

Circomedia is the trading name of the Academy for Contemporary Circus and Physical Theatre. All Board members are trustees of the charity, number 1056852, and directors of the limited company, registration 2928738. All are appointed as individuals and not as representatives of any other organisation. Their jobs are listed for information only.

Claire Williams

Claire Williams is a Bristol-based Finance Director and Chartered Accountant, supporting Charities and Social Enterprises.  With 20 years’ experience, including 10 years at accountancy firm Smith & Williamson, Claire loves using her finance skills to help ‘values driven’ organisations to thrive.

Circomedia is a wonderful organisation to be part of – showcasing cutting-edge circus and physical theatre education and performance, with an impressive range of courses for all ages.  The shows at St Paul’s Church offer access to thought provoking and powerful performances.  At a fundamental level, the power of art and performance to form and shape ideas and to effect change is inspiring!

Martin Booth

Martin Booth is the Editor of Bristol24/7, the city’s leading news and entertainment website and free monthly magazine; and the author of the bestselling guidebook, ‘111 Places in Bristol That You Shouldn’t Miss’ (which features Circomedia as one of the chapters). Martin has written for publications including The Times, The Guardian and Time Out, and in 2021 was shortlisted in the local journalism category at the British Journalism Awards. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling and drinking locally-brewed beer, sometimes both at the same time.

To me, Circomedia means cycling across Bristol with my two daughters to get them to their weekly Youth Circus class on time, and getting the bus across town for the annual summer school. It means seeing the exhilaration on their faces when I pick them up and ask them what they have done today. It means seeing them lifted up to have the best fun, to do things they did not believe were possible, and to become better little people.

Martin Booth

Scott Wilson-Evans

Scott is a Strategic Head of Communications for Population Health for Wales’ largest NHS Trust. His job focuses on tackling inequalities across communities and supporting people to live well and live longer. Scott is a chartered communications and marketing specialist, however his original career was as a trained dancer. Scott has a wide breadth of experience in strategic leadership in marketing and communication across a variety of sectors including arts, health, tourism and leisure. Scott is driven by his goal in life to build communities where people can connect and thrive. Aside from his work life, Scott trains in a variety of aerial arts which provides freedom from a busy day.

Being part of the Circomedia Board is truly an honour. This phenomenal organisation is shaping the world of contemporary circus as a leading education provider in the UK. With so much phenomenal work happening across its many courses as well as helping connect communities and provide access into circus- it truly is an organisation to be proud of.

Rubba Stephenson

Rubba is a distinguished practitioner of Traditional African Dance with over 47 years’ experience, during which he has been at the forefront of the development of the art form across the UK. Having co-founded two highly acclaimed dance companies, Ekome Arts and Adzido pan African Dance Ensemble, Rubba now leads his own freelance company Afidance and is passionate about promoting health, wellbeing and cultural education through traditional African dance and drumming.

I am honoured to have been invited to be part of Circomedia as I am from the immediate community of St Paul’s where they are based. I am excited to be part of the important work that this organisation is providing for aspiring circus and theatre performers. Through my involvement with Circomedia I am driven to enlist more students from the local community that do not normally get the opportunity to make a career from circus skills and theatre.

Afidance

Laura Tanner

Laura Tanner is a Performer, NHS Arts & Music Project Manager and Educator. A classical musician by trade, with over 20 years’ experience as a creative educator, from Early Years to Conservatoire level. Laura has a keen interest in inclusive practice, the provision of high quality employment opportunities for creatives, and performer health and wellbeing.

Serving on a board is a new challenge for me. It is hugely exciting to be part of a cultural organisation where education, from youth circus through to Masters level, is placed front and centre. We are so fortunate to have Circomedia in Bristol. I feel extremely privileged to be able to support the provision of cutting edge circus and physical theatre in the city I call home.

Andy Hay

Andy originally trained as a drama teacher before becoming an actor for Theatre-In-Education companies and later joining Oldham Coliseum Theatre’s ensemble. After two years at the Coliseum and with several TV and radio credits under his belt he joined Manchester’s Contact Theatre ensemble as an actor, musician, and director. There followed nearly 20 years as an Associate Director of Nottingham Playhouse, Artistic Director of Bolton Octagon Theatre and Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic. Andy has been a television director since 2000 working on shows including Waking The Dead, The Musketeers, Dickensian, Lucky Man and more recently The Last Kingdom and All Creatures Great and Small.

I was Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic when the always inventive and bold circus company Fool Time metamorphosed into the ever adventurous and groundbreaking Circomedia. The passion, sheer determination, commitment and fierce energy of its co-founders was breathtaking – it was hard not to be swept up by it. The legacy of their vision and the reverberations of their founding spirit is still manifest in Portland Square and the Kingswood Studios sites of Circomedia. In the short time I’ve been a trustee it’s very clear the Board, Executive Officers and staff are always ready to support and nurture the brilliant talents which walk through our portals every day.