Who We Are
……A family business….
- Janine Waters – Artistic Director
- Janine is a writer, director and facilitator. After working for five years at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, she set up the first Community Partnership programme at the Royal Exchange Theatre in 2002, which she ran successfully until 2007. During that time, she founded the Muslim Jewish Youth Theatre and the Refugee Theatre Company (now the World Wide Workshop). She was Acting Head of Education at the Exchange in 2007, after which she left to set up Waters Edge. Janine runs training events for teachers and presents at conferences, on the use of Drama to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages, the Arts & Community Cohesion and the Arts and the Citizenship Curriculum. Janine is a Trustee of CAN (Community Arts North West).
- Simon Waters – Musical Director
- Simon is a composer, musical director and facilitator who ran a number of different prison bands at HMP Wormwood Scrubs and Springhill. Simon has since facilitated on projects with the Medical Foundation for the care of victims of torture, TIPP (Theatre in Prisons and Probation) on drugs projects such as LASH (Leigh), The Key Project (Wigan), and STASH (Salford), Moss Side and Cheetham Hill Probation, DTTO (Drug Treatment and Testing Order) Outlook (for drug and alcohol users) and on a number of projects for both children and vulnerable adults for the Royal Exchange Theatre. Simon is Musical Director for Theatretrain Manchester and has written two full scale musicals, an adaptation of Great Expectations and A Kiss in the Sky, both for large casts of young people.
- Dominic Waters – Associate Artist
- Dominic was the driving force of G Swing, a five piece Jazz Band, which toured pubs and clubs nationwide throughout the 1980’s and into the 90’s. Dom then moved into film production and worked for a short time on both commercial and guerilla projects. After a period working in theatre in London, Dom returned to education and obtained a PGCE in Drama. He then worked in both secondary schools and FE colleges, teaching basic literacy to adults. For the past 6 years, Dom has been the Co-Director of Theatretrain, a performing Arts Centre for 65 children between the ages of 6-18, who attend classes and perform in local and national productions at venues including the Palace Theatre, Manchester and the Royal Albert Hall, London. Dom is a singer, actor and co-facilitator on Waters Edge productions.
- Jenny Harris – Early Years Lead Artist
- Jenny has led drama workshops with young learners in children’s centres, schools, arts centres and theatres for over 20 years. Most recently for the Royal Exchange Theatre, The Library Theatre, Creative Partnerships, East Lancs and Bolton Artists in Schools. In 2007 Jenny took part in the International Exchange Programme, working alongside US artists in early year’s settings in Pennsylvania.
- The Board
- Peter Kyle is Chief Executive at Shakespeare’s Globe, London. He was CEO of Scottish Ballet and Dean of the Arts Educational Schools. For more information go to www.shakespearesglobe.org.
- Charlotte Platt is the co-director of Russell Platt Associates. Prior to that, she worked at Dixon Raines after 10 successful years as Head of Fundraising and Development at the Royal Exchange Theatre. For more information go to www.russellplattassociates.com.
- Professor James Thompson was the founder of Theatre for Prisons in Probation, In Place of War and is Director of the Centre for Applied Theatre Research at Manchester University. For more information go to www.inplaceofwar.net/.
Waters Edge is an amalgamation of all of our experiences and of a shared ethos that theatre is for everyone…
