Contact us

Get in touch using the email addresses below, or find us on social media.

Choosing who to contact

Events and tickets

Ticket booking enquiries
tickets@thesparkarts.co.uk
Festival attendees
delegates@thesparkarts.co.uk

Artists and programming

Artistic submissions
info@thesparkarts.co.uk
Programming enquiries
programme@thesparkarts.co.uk
Vital Spark
vitalspark@thesparkarts.co.uk

Schools and learning

Schools activity and training
learning@thesparkarts.co.uk

Jobs and volunteering

Job applications
jobs@thesparkarts.co.uk
Volunteer enquiries
volunteers@thesparkarts.co.uk
Charity trustee enquiries
info@thesparkarts.co.uk

Industry partnerships and training

Industry training and development
learning@thesparkarts.co.uk
Vital Spark
vitalspark@thesparkarts.co.uk
Partnerships/sponsorship
tom@thesparkarts.co.uk

General/other enquiries

All other enquiries
admin@thesparkarts.co.uk

Social media

Staff team

Artistic Director

Christopher Gorry

Christopher@thesparkarts.co.uk

I’m a Co-Creation specialist who trained at East 15 Acting School and on the National Theatre Studio Directors Course. I was the Founding Artistic Director and CEO Warts and All Theatre.

As well as directing theatre, I have worked as a co-creation consultant, coach, producer, project manager and facilitator.

From co-creating work with and for young people, my practice was highlighted by Theatre Royal Plymouth as a model of excellence during the initial creation, evaluation and testing phase of Arts Council England's 7 Quality Principles.

I enjoy working with driven, creative, entrepreneurial teams who are ambitious and embrace Radical Candour.

I’ve made theatre for church halls, community centres, theatres, basements, Kew Gardens, Drama Schools, Delapre Abbey, Royal & Derngate, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Chichester Festival Theatre, Curve-Leicester, The Castle- Wellingborough, The Point- Eastleigh, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and at Almeida Theatre in London, where I was the Participation Associate: Young Artists.

Vital Spark Associate Company

Daryl & Co

Daryl@thesparkarts.co.uk

I'm creative Director at Daryl & Co, we are a Disabled-led children's theatre company where collaboration and co-creation meet mischief and merriment. We make accessible theatre to delight young audiences and their families, and we tour across the globe. Our vision is a world where Disabled artists and young people have unrestricted choices to creative experiences and careers.

I’ve been a Director and Performer working extensively within the Theatre, Disability and young people’s arts sector for the last 25 years. Some say I’m a recognised cultural leader in youth arts participation as well as a high-profile advocate for disabled artists. I say I’m an active advocate for improving the rights of disabled and vulnerable people by promoting access and inclusion within the arts.

The main thing about me is that I take fun seriously. Working nationally and internationally, I create colourful and entertaining children's shows that challenge exclusion and champion equality. At Daryl & Co we are generous and playful in how we work. To us, the ‘& Co’ is just as important as the ‘Daryl’.

Creative Producer: Learning

Hazel Townsend

Hazel@thesparkarts.co.uk

I have worked with young people and artists in the arts and cultural sector for over 18 years, working with organisations such as The Mighty Creatives and Creative Partnerships before joining The Spark in April 2023. In my previous role from 2015 - 2023 I was the lead for the Artsmark programme across the East Midlands, supporting hundreds of schools and education settings in the region to embed arts, culture and creativity across their whole curriculum and to recognise the powerful impact that arts and creativity can have in education.

My background is in visual arts, having trained in ceramics originally, and I am passionate about the place that arts and culture has to play in transforming and enriching people’s lives, in particular those who are most disadvantaged. Inspired by my previous work with SEND schools and Early Years settings, child-centred practice is at the heart of all my work, and I strongly believe in the importance of listening to children and supporting their voice and agency.

Company Administrator

Kamini Chhana

Kamini@thesparkarts.co.uk

I’m the Company Administrator with a background of HR and Finance working within the Charity sector. I previously worked for Guide Dogs within HR & Volunteering recruiting nationally, implementing new systems and of course getting cuddles from dogs in training.

Being a mum myself I attended several Spark sessions before starting to work with The Spark watching ‘Stickman’ in children centres and libraries which inspired me to work with the Organisation when the role came up. I enjoy working in the background and making the Finance and HR systems work and liaising with various artists, people etc. But the joy that arts bring to a child is what I love to see the most.

Executive Producer (Interim)

Tom Newton

Tom@thesparkarts.co.uk

I lead on the nuts and bolts in making The Spark's theatre productions and festival events happen. I'm passionate about supporting artists to create new shows for children which makes families guffaw in amazement, in the hope that they will either think about the world differently, or simply have the time of their life. Previous to working at the Spark I led the Creative Learning and Programming team at Stratford Circus Arts Centre. My practise revolves around empowering others through creativity, to raise aspirations, and to help people to be the best they can be.
Associate Director: Festival and Programming

Trina Haldar

Trina@thesparkarts.co.uk

Trina is the Founder and Artistic Director of national touring company Mashi Theatre and former Associate Director: Festival and Programming at The Spark Arts for Children in Leicester. As a Freelancer she works as a Director, Facilitator, Consultant in Diversity, Equality & Inclusion and is also a Giggle Doctor with the Theodora Children’s Charity.

Directing credits include productions at Polka Theatre, Derby Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, Tara Arts, Curve Theatre, Soho Theatre and Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai, India. She was awarded the Naseem Khan commission with Curve, Bristol Old Vic and The Lowry.

Trina is a former participant with the National Theatre – Step Change programme, The Optimists with China Plate and a Clore50 SC Alumni. She consults with Theatres and consortium to increase representation on and off our stages and has spoken at a number of platforms including the Guardians “Our Nations Theatre” conversations with Lyn Gardner and on Radio 4s Front Row programme.

Trina is Co-Chair of the board of international touring, Pilot Theatre (York), former board of Trustees for Theatre-Rites (London) and Advisor to Baboró International Arts Festival for Children (Galway).

Operations & Finance Manager

Tatiana Kidder

Tatiana@thesparkarts.co.uk

As a Woven Textile Design graduate, I had my first experience working for a charity early in my career as a volunteer designer working with hill tribe weavers on the Doi Tung Project, a UNDCP programme for the rehabilitation of the Golden Triangle in Thailand. When I returned to the UK my career path led me to working in Fashion Retail at Paul Smith Ltd where I began as the Chairman’s Office Assistant and progressed as a Merchandiser.

I continued my journey as a Merchandiser working with smaller organisations and start-ups, but after having my first child I decided to move away from Retail. I moved to the not-for-profit sector, which is where I have remained and gained a broad skillset and experience supporting all aspects of office management, from Board Governance to HR to Finance. I haven't looked back since and have dedicated my working life to making sure small charities can flourish and thrive. I am delighted to be working in the Arts & Culture sector, bridging my experiences back to my creative beginnings.

Digital Marketing & Engagement Officer

James Lawrence

James@thesparkarts.co.uk

Ay up duck! (Stokie slang) I was born in Stoke-on-Trent. Home of pottery, oatcakes and mediocre football teams. A degree in Film Studies didn't lead me to a career of writing for Sight and Sound or becoming best mates with Steven Spielberg, sadly. I've watched Jurassic Park so many times. While not the best degree if you want to persue a career in Film I did get to watch a lot of movies. Some of my favourites - Rashōmon, There Will Be Blood, Alien, Lost In Translation to name a few.

Being a relatively new industry, it's only been around since the late 1800s, meant that we did a lot of reading around it. philosophy, psychology, psychoanalysis, history - my essay on female bodies in science fiction was a real hit. In the final year I wrote a feature length script about a Riot Girl band in the early 90s. I was really into Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill at the time.

Jack of all trades, master of none here.

After university I signed on at the jobcentre for a week and got my first 'proper job' at Waterstones as a Christmas Temp. I must have enjoyed it because I was there for 14 years. Moving through the ranks and ending as a manager. Needless to say I do a lot of reading. I had some great experiences. Being involved in literary festivals, brushing shoulders with authors, talking to publishers. You wear a lot of hats as a bookseller. But nothing beats putting a copy of a book into a customers hand for it to become their absolute favourite. You didn't ask but my favourite book is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Micheal Chabon.

I don't have a traditional background in Marketing or the Arts so I'm hoping to bring a different perspective to The Spark. That or they've made a huge mistake. I'm sure they haven't. My friends and family are convinced I'll be brilliant. What was I saying... oh yeah. A different perspective. So, I'm hoping to bring my passion for storytelling and my background in bookselling to The Spark Arts. As well as having a lot of fun along the way.

I've told you about the bookselling thing and film which means I love stories and storytelling. And that's what my job here is. I basically get to tell stories and talk to cool people about art all day. I know, right! Which brings me to my love of Music. Another great method of telling stories. Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Fiona Apple. All great storytellers. On a side note if anyone can get me tickets to the Era's Tour that would be amazing.

I think that's about everything. If you ever find yourself wanting to debate film theory or you need a music recommendation let me know.

Associate Artist: Building Brave Spaces

Sam Redway

Sam@thesparkarts.co.uk

Sam is an international award-winning dramaturg, director, librettist, and co-creator with a deep passion for co-creation, climate focused arts practice, and creative democracy. He recently wrote a full-length opera with Laura Bowler, to be directed by Jude Christian, The Girl with a Hurricane Brain, built through eco-anxiety workshops with children around the world. Recently he co-created HOME:Zero, an interactive family theatre installation on sustainability with Nottingham families, Lakeside Arts Nottingham, Makers of Imaginary Worlds for The National Gallery & NESTA.

He is currently producing the Royal Exchange Theatre’s radically community co-created Den Festival in Rochdale and Our Room’s Social Script programme, working on a new opera co-created with the Royal Opera House’s Young Opera Company, writing his first novels, and is funded by Julie’s Bicycle and Arts Council England to investigate community empowerment as a model of Environmentally Sustainable Deep Touring with international partners.

As co-founder of Knaïve Theatre he co-wrote and performed the world-touring, multi-international award-winning Bin Laden: The One Man Show; dramaturged several pieces including War With The Newts (Lustrum Award for Outstanding Theatre); and wrote an interactive, online, game-based environmental schools piece, Antarctica.

He is Associate Artist (Dramaturgy) of Smoking Apples Theatre Company whose Kinder won Ettie and Offie Awards for Theatre for Young Audiences in 2023.

Recent dramaturgy includes: Joshua Val Martin’s Today The Streets Are Ours for Royal Exchange Theatre, Alex Oates’s The Filleting App (RSC’s 37 Plays); Laura Bowler’s Distance with Juliet Fraser and Advert with Decoder Ensemble.

Libretti include: Samhain Bloom (Edward Shilts), Tiresias 2.0 (Dominic Matthews), Cummings & Goerings (Zhenyan Li) and Women Conduct (Laura Bowler).

Directing credits include: Bermondsey 1983 by Rob Reid Allan and Gareth Mattey, Cupboard Love by Madeleine Dring and The Operatists, GOLD, Antarctica, and FFF (movement direction) by Laura Bowler, Module 471 by Lucy Mulgan and The Operatists, The Macclefield Potatot Riot with the community in Macclesfield, and Dead Tree Gives No Shelter by Bysshe Inigo Coffey and company.

Find us offline

Address

The Spark Arts For Children
LCB Depot
31 Rutland Street
Leicester
LE1 1RE

Telephone

0116 261 6893