Hollie Louise Johnston
Creative Lead
Hollie Johnston is a professional dancer, freelance dance artist and dance teacher.
She is passionate about inclusivity and neurodiversity in dance, and being autistic herself gives her great insight and understanding into some of problems facing neurodivergent dancers. (She runs a social media account supporting neurodivergent professional dancers.)
She trained for three years at the Kings International Ballet Academy and holds a BDQT Professional Dancer’s Diploma, an IDTA Anatomy and Physiology Diploma (distinction), ARBTA Russian Classica Ballet Teacher qualification (distinction), and distinctions in Rad, ISTD and ARBTA examinations.
She has worked as an assistant at ‘Can’t Sit Still’ Theatre’s project - “Being Me” (a group for young girls and non-binary autistic individuals). She was part of Brum Pro Class Project ‘Inclusive Dance Practice Professional Development Programme’. She was an assistant at ‘Flow: OT Inspired Inclusive Dance Workshops’ (workshops for young disabled children). She has written a social media post and blog about Neurodivergence in dance, ‘Poise Dance Content’ and created videos talking about Neurodivergence in Dance,‘Help4Dancers’.
She currently teaches at ‘Ballet Malvern Centre of Dance’ (Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, range of ages and abilities, inclusive sessions, creative sessions)
She has just been appointed as Creative Lead in the newly formed company Deaf Dance, which is dedicated to providing greater access to dance for deaf people. Her ability to sign will be invaluable.
Chris Jaeger MBE, FRSA
Chair
Chris Jaeger is Director of the Worcester Festival which he started in 2003, 800+ events in Worcestershire in August. He is Managing Director of ‘On A Role’ which tours a number of one-actor shows nationally and internationally. He also wrote and runs the Historic Ghost Walk of Worcester, a significant tourist attraction in Worcester. He is a trustee of the Elgar Festival. Also he Chair of the newly-formed Deaf Dance.
For many years, he was a teacher, a freelance actor and director, and musician. He ran a very successful Folk Agency, and promoted concerts around the country.
In 1995, he was head-hunted to try to save the failing venue Huntingdon Hall in Worcester, which has since become one the most successful mid-size venues in the Midlands, and then took over the Swan Theatre when it went bankrupt in 2002. It too is still open and thriving.
Chris is a highly-experienced writer, musician, actor and director. For twelve years he wrote and directed the Swan Theatre’s professional pantomime and the professional outdoor Summer show. He writes most of the plays for On A Role, and has been commissioned to write plays by among others, Worcester Bosch, Worcester Cathedral and the Battle of Worcester Society.
Chris is a member of the National Guild of Drama Adjudicators, and adjudicates drama festivals all over Britain. He is a drama advisor to the Royal Navy. He is also a Fellow of the University of Worcester and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 2013, he was awarded the MBE by the Her Majesty the Queen for services to the Arts.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.