wolf + water arts company

Craig BarrettCraig Barrett trained in performing arts at Middlesex Polytechnic and then Arts Educational London after which he worked for many years touring within the UK and abroad. He co-founded The lamplit Company which produces innovative theatre in Italy & Sicily supported by Il Pachetto Stage and The British Council. Recently been working with Exeter Forum Theatre whilst completing his training as a dramatherapist at Exeter University.

Linda BucheliLinda Bucheli is the company’s principal mask maker, set designer and maker. Having trained in visual arts in Norway and South America she also facilitates a wide number of groups for the company particularly when Norwegian or Spanish language skills are needed! See samples of Linda’s masks.

Andy BuckleyAndy Buckley studied drama at Middlesex University and has since appeared in many of your favourite TV programmes and dramas. As well as collaborating with Ed Gaughan on the award-winning “Radio Play” and his own one man show “Fat Hamlet”. For wolf and water Andy works with lots of different groups and specialises in working with excluded young people.

Victoria CannellVictoria Cannell trained at The Desmond Jones School of mime and physical theatre and has worked with various companies including Women and Theatre Birmingham, Bash Street Circus, Gazebo T.I.E and Norwich Puppet Theatre. Until recently she was joint artistic director of Moving Hands Theatre Company specialising in theatre and workshops for children and family audiences & using performance styles such as masks, mime, music, storytelling and varied forms of puppetry. She has toured in South Africa & had commissions from the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith and The Birmingham Rep. She currently works as a part time lecturer in Theatre Studies at Cambourne College & is the schools liaison officer at The Acorn Theatre Penzance, as well as with Wolf + Water.

Peter StilesPeter Stiles is a visual artist who trained at London’s Slade Art School & whose pictures have been exhibited nationwide. Along with Steve Newton he is the primary visual designer for Wolf + Water, designing stage productions and working alongside groups in all manner of 2 and 3 D art.

Peter HarrisPeter Harris is one of the founders & artistic director of the Company. Having trained under Richard Hayhow at Worcester Arts Workshop he set up & ran the Beaford Arts Centre’s Common Sense Project for three years until it mutated into Wolf + Water. Fourteen years on he continues working in a wide variety of settings across the world. All the bits in between these two points in time are a bit of a blur.

Philip RobinsonPhilip Robinson is a co-founder of Wolf + Water and has worked with countless groups of young people, people with disabilities and community groups nationwide, using his particular skills in music and drama, but more importantly his immense skill in making those art forms accessible and enjoyable to everyone he works with, from working with difficult young people on estates in Northern Ireland to producing innovative sound tracks with people with learning difficulties for Wolf + Water.

Steve NewtonSteve Newton is a co-founder of Wolf + Water, skilled in visual arts and particularly known for his puppetry skills. Steve has worked extensively for Wolf + Water as well as his own Art Works Company for which he runs regular arts and craft sessions leading to everything from huge puppets to mosaics to shadow screen performances.

Tom StubbsTom Stubbs was trained in animation at Newport Art School. Then he did a lot of different jobs in the filmmaking world; animating, sound recording, cameraworking, writing, directing, editing and even some acting. He has worked a lot for Somerset Film and Video and wolf and water, notably editing the continuing epic that is the VP team. He also plays guitar in the instrumental colossus My Two Toms.

Sue LawsonSue Lawson left the prestigious London East 17 drama school to work throughout the UK prison and probation system with Geese Theatre. With a special interest in designing projects for and with young people in the care system, she is a senior practitioner for Wolf + Water.

Michael MagnetMichael Magnet trained in theatre arts at Bretton Hall before working for & acting with a wide range of companies including Hull Truck, Orchard Theatre, Imago Theatre & Tiebreak Theatre Company. He joined Wolf + Water in 2002 after a chance telephone call to the Company. The next day he found himself with wolf + Water working in a school in a deprived area with difficult young people at risk of exclusion…he hasn’t looked back since! Michael also claims to be an accomplished horse rider, but no-one has seen him prove this yet!

Saul HewishSaul Hewish is a founder member and former executive director of Geese Theatre Uk. Through this work, subsequent work with Geese Theatre USA, and now through his own company, Acting Out Company, he has established a reputation as one of the country’s leading theatre preactitioners specialising in drama and theatre-based approaches to work with excluded young people and people within the criminal justice system. His specialist areas include work with sex offenders, violent offenders and the development of drama-based offending behaviour programmes for adolescent and young adult offenders.

Mark RobinsonMark Robinson As an actor and forensic drama specialist Mark worked for Geese Theatre Company, at the forefront of drama with offenders since 1988, for 13 years. During this time he probably worked in every prison and probation area in the country. He is now a freelance drama specialist doing a similar job, working with many different groups in many different places, but amazingly seeing more of his family.

Intrepid the DogIntrepid the Dog joined Wolf + Water in 1998 after finding them up a mountain outside Tralee while they were on tour in Ireland. Since then he’s worked with the company & is possibly Wolf + Water’s most popular member. He has a wonderfully artless skill in working with children with life threatening illnesses & particularly vulnerable psychiatric patients at North Devon District Hospital where he is currently on ward one day a week. He is a dog & enjoys chasing balls & sticks in a psychodynamic setting.

Grace NichollAfter graduating in Drama and Theatre Arts with Education Studies from Middlesex University in 1997 Grace went on to develop a local project with young carers making use of drama to support creative expression and to raise awareness in schools. She moved on to work in inner city schools with young people and their families as a mentor/home school liaison worker, supporting young carers & families in facing a range of issues such as drug and alcohol misuse, abusive relationships, behavioural difficulties, school refusal or attendance problems and self esteem issues. She then worked for Connexions offering information, advice and guidance to 16-19 year olds with additional responsibility for teenage parents, care leavers, young offenders and those ‘at risk’. Moving to Devon, she continued to develop work with teenage parents, qualified as a Dramatherapist on the Masters programme at Roehampton University and had a baby. Her Dramatherapy experience and interests include working with young people and adults in education, mental health and bereavement settings, focusing on group or individual work. She also has an interest in movement & dance.

Ed GaughanEd Gaughan trained as a jazz musician at the University of Middlesex, but is also well know for his acting skills in shows for conferences and the public with Wolf + Water, and as part of his critically acclaimed London Fringe comic company Family Curioso.

Joff WinterhartJoff Winterhart studied film and animation at Newport Arts School in South Wales. He plays drums in a loud band called Bucky. He specialises in providing challenging behaviour for those who have challenging behaviour. He has worked a lot for Somerset Film and Video on various community video projects. For wolf and water he has done some filmmaking, drawing and animation. He loves dogs and rock n roll.

Jon NicholasJon Nicholas studied psychology at The University of Glamorgan, and went on to complete the post graduate course at the Weber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. He then spent two years working as a performer and workshop leader for Geese Theatre Company. Since then he has worked on a range of projects with a number of community arts organisations including Theatre Centre, Red Ladder and Cardboard Citizens. He has worked as a freelancer with Wolf and Water for six years as performer, deviser and workshop leader. He currently specialises in developing work in Conflict Management, much of this is in either the Balkans or Caucuses, & seems to become very rapidly fluent in any language he sets his mind to.

Laura NewtonLaura Newton studied at Exeter University, where she specialised in Applied Drama and Forum Theatre. She is the Projects Director for Exeter Forum Theatre, which provides arts opportunities for homeless and ex-homeless people. Her previous work has included working for Cardboard Citizens and Exstream Theatre Company. She is also studying to be a state-registered Dramatherapist.

Julie WalkerJulie Walker has an HND in Community Drama from the University of Plymouth. She is a youth worker and has worked in community practice since 1997. Which has included running youth theatre groups, summer play schemes and therapeutic work with groups with Autism and Aspbergers Syndrome. She has worked for Headbangers Theatre Company, South Devon College, Centre for Performing Arts and Exeter Mencap. She has trained in dramatherapy at Worcester College of Higher Education and mask making & usage with Michael Chase at the Mask Studio.

Di MurrayDi Murray worked in community arts in London back in the 70s and moved to Devon in 1976 to take up the post of Community Arts Worker at the Beaford Centre. As a member of Wolf + Water Arts she is a practitioner working across a number of disciplines including drama and visual arts. Di specialises in working with children and young people and is one of Britain’s leading play workers and consultants. Her recent international portfolio includes researching children’s theatre in Europe, USA and Canada, and conflict management work in Belarus and Macedonia.

Peter SmithPeter Smith is Wolf + Water’s lynchpin administrator dealing with everything from project set up to procuring air tickets. Not only does he undertake these vital roles, but on occasions has been bullied into performing with the Company too in some of its conference and public performances!

Associate Artists:
Quentin St. John Crisp, Holly Dawson, Claire Ingrouille, Bethany John, Beth Long, Rachel Mathers, Jonny Mottram, Gill Nathanson, Lone Palshaugen, James Russell, Natasha Buckley, Tiago Alves, Tony Walker


Board of Trustees:
Anne Bury
Kirsty Gilmore
Jennie Hayes
Di Maynard
Mary Stephenson
John Wehner
Ros Wehner