Tessa is an arts leader who has been running creative community projects in Merseyside for 20 years. She has worked with some of the region’s most innovative companies including 20 Stories High, The Lantern Company, and The Suitcase Ensemble. She was a senior project lead at Collective Encounters for five years before becoming Executive Director in 2025. She has an MA in Contemporary Arts from Manchester Metropolitan University and a PhD from the University of Glasgow, with a research interest in how the making of theatre intersects with the making of a better world.
Abi leads on Collective Encounters’ community outreach projects, directs the Adult Theatre for Social Change Company, and co-leads creative activities with care experienced young people.
She is a neurodivergent facilitator, writer, director, performer, and activist who has been working in community arts for over 35 years across several continents. She loves working with people and thinks that everyone has a story that need to be told and heard and theatre has the capacity to change. She currently lives in Toxteth with her son and cat, she loves performing at festivals and dancing to ABBA in her kitchen.
She is a neurodivergent facilitator, writer, director, performer, and activist who has been working in community arts for over 35 years across several continents. She loves working with people and thinks that everyone has a story that need to be told and heard and theatre has the capacity to change. She currently lives in Toxteth with her son and cat, she loves performing at festivals and dancing to ABBA in her kitchen.
Aidan is a researcher in the fields of social policy, creativity, and performance. In 2022 he was awarded a Masters by Research from Edge Hill University and began a PhD in October 2022, investigating how local communities are developing creative strategies for transitioning to a society based on principles of social, racial and climate justice. He has a specific interest in Trauma Informed Practice.
Prior to the Pandemic, his work focussed on creative and collective music and performance making, taking inspiration from world-wide cultural movements, and the history, identity and undocumented stories of particular communities and environments. He has worked with Collective Encounters since 2012 on projects relating to mental health (‘Other Ways Of Telling’), homelessness, and with veterans (‘Out Of Service’). He has more than 30 years’ experience as an artist and an activist.
Prior to the Pandemic, his work focussed on creative and collective music and performance making, taking inspiration from world-wide cultural movements, and the history, identity and undocumented stories of particular communities and environments. He has worked with Collective Encounters since 2012 on projects relating to mental health (‘Other Ways Of Telling’), homelessness, and with veterans (‘Out Of Service’). He has more than 30 years’ experience as an artist and an activist.
Marianne is a freelance participatory theatre maker, facilitator, and project manager. Working with diverse communities across the North of England, she uses theatre as a lens through which we can dare to see ourselves, each other, and the world differently. She has delivered projects across many settings, including mainstream and alternative education, community venues, refugee centres, frontline mental health services and residential care settings in addition to traditional theatres. She has a Master’s Degree in Applied Theatre and Intervention from the University of Leeds. For Collective Encounters Marianne leads the Centre for Excellence in Participatory Theatre – a virtual space for learning, debate and exchange for anyone interested in participatory theatre and community arts; and she oversees projects delivered with women.
Patrick is an award-winning playwright, dramaturg, workshop leader and administrator with a passion for championing northwest voices and stories. Patrick got his first start in Collective Encounters a decade ago and subsequently went on to work at National Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith and Box of Tricks Theatre. Patrick is a graduate of the University of Glasgow and has an MA in Creative Writing at University of East Anglia. Returning to Collective Encounters as Programme Coordinator, Patrick is thrilled to be back supporting and developing events and programmes that make real and tangible change in this city and beyond.
Eleanor is an applied theatre artist, facilitator and researcher. Her work places a sustained emphasis on using the arts to allow participants to re-negotiate everyday societal issues. Eleanor’s current PhD research (Goldsmiths, University of London) examines what is unearthed when applied theatre workshops are used to enable girls from working class backgrounds to explore the pressures of performing the self on social media. In her role as youth participation producer at Collective Encounters she develops creative projects for care-experienced young people. She has an MA in Performance in Culture at Goldsmiths and BA in Drama at Liverpool Hope University.
Michelle is a creative arts therapist and community artist. Her route to this work was defined by her combined interest in the arts, mental well-being, and health promotion. She studied a degree in Psychology and Health Studies then went on to train as a Drama Therapist. After this, she worked within Social Services in several roles including work with looked after young people, roles in mental health development and health promotion.
In recent years her work has concentrated on working through arts-based practice, supporting individuals and groups to explore issues and enrich their lives by developing life skills and insight through creative engagement. Michelle leads Collective Encounters’ projects More Than, Where You’re At and the Black Maternal Health project.
In recent years her work has concentrated on working through arts-based practice, supporting individuals and groups to explore issues and enrich their lives by developing life skills and insight through creative engagement. Michelle leads Collective Encounters’ projects More Than, Where You’re At and the Black Maternal Health project.
Joanne is an interdisciplinary artist with 20 years’ experience of making thoughtful work with and for a range of communities, supporting people to make beautiful creations out of their lived experience. She works as a performer, director, painter, textiles maker and installation artist. She’s also a trained doula and wellbeing practitioner. As a performer she has toured improvised plays internationally with the aim of shedding light, bringing laughter, and encouraging people to express themselves and feel that their voice matters.
For Collective Encounters, Joanne leads participatory arts work with women, families and young people.
A graduate of Collective Encounters’ Radical Makers programme, Heidi has a degree in Sport studies and Business Management. Heidi is an actress and singer/songwriter who studied Song, Acting & Dance at Lipa. Her singer name is Harmoni Zax and her published songs are under this name. As Creative Support Worker, Heidi provides a range of creative, administrative, and pastoral support to Collective Encounters projects, particularly helping participants create Inclusion Documents and making sure everyone gets the most out of the sessions. She has also been known to lend her musical and acting talents to many a Collective Encounters performance.
Em (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist working across contemporary art, theatre, film and journalism. Their lived experience as a neurodivergent/disabled person informs their work as a facilitator and support worker, with a focus on creating socially engaged art. They have a belief in the enduring power of community, a passion for access to participatory arts, and a solidarity with the struggles of all marginalised people. She has a BA in Theatre Studies with Digital Film Production, and is currently studying for an MA Art, Philosophy and Cultural Institutions at the University of Liverpool. At Collective Encounters, Em is supporting the Adult Theatre for Social Change Group.
We also employ a wide range of associate artists, technicians and project staff on a project-by-project basis.
Collective Encounters is governed by a fabulous team of trustees who give up their free time to help us achieve our mission and support the delivery team.
Our Trustees are:
- Valeria Guarneros-Meza (Chair)
- Cat Foley
- Kate Elder Fuller
- Fabio Negro
- Jo Schweier
- Anya Winful
All can be contacted through admin@collective-encounters.org.uk
Collective Encounters has a Participant Advisory Group (PAG) which guides the company’s programme and works alongside the trustees and delivery team to set and achieve the company’s mission.
The PAG meets on a monthly basis and is open to any current participants. Contact abi@collective-encounters.org.uk for more information
Visit What Is Theatre for Social Change to find out more about our leadership structure and how we make decisions.
