Jazanne Arts is a mixed cultural, female led arts organisation, working with older people focusing on those living with dementias and independent elders from Caribbean communities.

Core Team

Annie Smol MBE

BA (Honours), Pronouns She/her

Annie has worked within the arts in education, health and social care for 30+ years specialising in inclusion, forum theatre and socially engaged arts.

She has worked for numerous arts companies including Graeae Theatre, Half Moon YPT, GLYPT, Royal Court, London Bubble and is a founder member of the Theatre in Schools Partnership.

She was Artistic Director and a founder of Face Front Inclusive Theatre for over 15 years where she created many successful theatre programmes for children and older people working as a project manager, director, trainer and performer. 

In 2017 She received an MBE for services to theatre and inclusion through drama.

With Jazanne Arts she has co-created, produced and performed in ‘Exchanging Dreams’ and ‘Stepping Stones’ and has trained with Arts4Dementia and Age Exchange. 

Outside of JaZanne, Annie loves travelling with her partner discovering local and distant places in their camper van.

Jacqui Livingston

BA (honours) PGCE, Arts Diploma, Pronouns She/her

Jacqui worked as a community arts facilitator and performer before moving into education. She is a former Head of School who worked in education for 23 years. She managed a range of subjects and led in all key stages including early years. As a senior leader she provided CPD training, safeguarding and parent workshops across the school.

Since leaving education she worked for Bigfoot Arts delivering drama workshops across London.  She also worked as an actor/facilitator for Blue Sky Actors. 

Currently she works part time for Blue Elephant Theatre delivering workshops to primary schools which culminates in performances at Blue Elephant. 

She has been commissioned to make and design costumes for a range of shows as well as write pieces for Black History. Since 2016 Jacqui has been Creative producer for Face Front Inclusive Theatre.

With JaZanne arts she has performed, designed costumes and co-written for ‘Exchanging Dreams’ and ‘Stepping Stones’.

Outside of the arts Jacqui and her two cats -  ‘the big one’ and ‘the little one’ - enjoy barbeques and lounging in the garden.

Jac Shreeves Lee

BSc, PGCE, MSc, MA, C.Psychol, SOE, AFBPsS, JP. Pronouns She/her

Jac is a consultant clinical psychologist, a widely published creative fiction author and a Justice of the Peace. Previously she was a qualified teacher and educational psychologist.

She is a Winston Churchill Fellow and carried out her research into families in crisis across the US. As an author, she has had her work published in anthologies including Virago, the Mechanics Institute Review and the Bridport Prize.

Her debut collection of short stories ‘Broadwater’ was published in 2020. Jacquelyn has a genuine love of drama and believes in the power of the creative arts and theatre to empower and transform lives. She is committed to ploughing her energy, knowledge and skills into the diverse working-class communities from which she came.

For JaZanne, Jacquelyn is the therapeutic and diversity lead and script consultant. Outside of JaZanne, Jac likes to go on long walks with her husband.

Associate Artists and Companies

Charlene Low

Charlene is a Choreographer and Movement Facilitator, specialising in delivering inclusive performing arts workshops for those with learning disabilities, PMLD, the elderly (Active and those with dementia) and everyone else in between.

Charlene has a passion to make connections through each individual's story, energy and movement, working closely to successfully communicate and achieve a heartfelt depth in the work she produces.

Some of the companies that Charlene has delivered work for are The Unicorn Theatre, CandoCo, East London Dance, Entelechy Arts, Access All Areas Theatre, South Bank Centre and has also been awarded Arts Council England funding for her own work. 

She has worked with JaZanne Arts resilience projects and will deliver movement sessions with older people living with dementia.

Jeff Hammer

Jeff has worked extensively as a keyboard player, musical director, composer and music book author - he was a member of the band 'The Teardrop Explodes' and has done major international tours as keyboard player with: The Stray Cats, Kim Wilde (inc supporting Michael Jackson and David Bowie) Sade, The Psychedelic Furs, Gloria Gayner and The Proclaimers.

Jeff has worked as a songwriter signed to ATV Music Ltd - including the release of a single by JUMP THE NILE and has written songs for the BBC and ITV.

As an author he has created 6 interactive music books for Wise publications and as a music producer he has worked for many companies including Harper Collins, Dorling Kindersley, Ladybird, Pickwick, CYP Ltd,Cat's Pyjamas, ELC, Out of the Ark and Faber Music.

For JaZanne Arts, Jeff works as a Musical arranger, keyboard player and vocalist on our touring productions.

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Winnie Greer

Winnie Greer is an educationalist by day and a Jazz diva by night!” She has had a wealth of experience in performing her favourite jazz standards, Ella Fitzgerald being one of her main jazz diva idols.

Her experience has ranged from being a runner up in the International Jazz singing competition in 2007 to performing in a range of well known jazz venues e.g. The Vortex  ( Dalston),The Pheasantry ( Chelsea) and The Bull’s Head ( Barnes).,

Since then her jazz singing experience has grown and she have been part of the group of six runners up in the International Jazz singing competition held by Mehr Clef in 2007, which provided her with the opportunity to perform at the Vortex Jazz Club.

She has also performed at Pizza in the Park and the Crypt at St Martin in the Fields with the Morley College Big Band. She now enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience by teaching individual and group sessions to aspiring vocalists and has worked with JaZanne as a vocal teacher and singer.

www.winniegreer.co.uk

Nigel Kellaway

Nigel is a film-maker, visual artist and graphic designer.

He has spent many years working with voluntary and community groups as well as publicity funded organisations to develop and run creative projects for people of all ages and abilities.

He regularly works with Tower Hamlets Youth Arts Team, The National Archives, Hornsey Vale Community Centre and Face Front Inclusive Theatre. He also co-organises the annual Euroart Open Studios in Tottenham.

For JaZanne he has developed graphics and show projections for our touring performances.

Face Front Inclusive Theatre

Face Front creates theatre that pioneers social change for an inclusive world. 

They use the transformational power of theatre to improve emotional well-being and address social injustice.

Face Front is led by disabled and non-disabled arts practitioners who make multi-layered theatre that is accessible to all.

www.facefront.org

Ola Animashawun

Ola has worked in theatre for over 30 years, with 20 of those years dedicated to specialising in script development as a dramaturg and facilitator.

He is the National Theatre Connections Dramaturg and Associate and co-founder and Creative Director of the playwriting consultancy, Euphoric Ink. 

He is also a former Associate Director of the Royal Court Theatre, where he worked for 23 years, during which time he set up a nationwide writers’ programme – Critical Mass – which is dedicated to finding and nurturing new African, Caribbean, Asian and other PHDP (people historically denied power) playwrights. 

He also holds positions as an Associate Artist, Dramaturg and Mentor for Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Theatre Absolute, Shop Front Theatre, and Eclipse Theatre. For JaZanne, Ola has delivered creative writing training sessions.

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Darren Carr

Darren has been working with young and older people for over 20 years and has extensive experience working in a wide range of settings working with people with varied needs.

He has worked as a mentor,  actor, workshop practitioner, facilitator and Head of Performing Arts in  schools across London and Theatre companies such as Immediate Theatre, Ignition Arts, Little Fish and Face Front Inclusive Theatre.

 Darren is an energetic, inspiring and motivating force in the creative space with exceptional skill for communicating with young people. Darren has the ability to build relationships with the most emotionally challenging, providing positive encouragement and behaviour management.

 For JaZanne, Darren will work on the Building Bridges and Golden Connections programmes

Harriet Smith

Harriet works teaching both dance and drama and is a Director of Ignition Arts. As a freelancer she specialises in teaching, directing and creating theatre that is both accessible and effective.

Encouraging confidence in physical ability is at the heart of her ethos. Harriet works sensitively with participants and cast organically making the experience enjoyable and inspiring.

Harriet has been nominated for and won awards for her work in schools and her creative consultation. 

For JaZanne, Harriet is a creative movement tutor and choreographer.

Advisory Group

Ros

I was an NHS professional and I have done midwifery, psychiatry and general surgical nursing.  I have worked with, and have experience of  many of the types of people that JaZanne now work with.

When I retired.  Annie asked me to join Face Front and I thought, me, drama! - Then  I thought I would give it a go.

I like working with JaZanne because it keeps my brain active and I feel like I can be of some use to someone again.  I can also have a good little laugh.

When we went back in time, doing reminiscence workshops, it brought back a lot of memories for me that I had not thought about in a long time and it was good to share that with the people we were entertaining.

Mo

My work was mainly as a buyer. It meant that I had to judge people’s personalities and you had to be quite canny to make sure that you got deliveries on time.

Currently I am part of the Face Front’s InterAction drama group and before that was part of Art Start – I have done over 10 shows with Annie. I am also a member of a choir.

I have designed Logo’s for theatre groups and can help looking over the accounts. I have an interest in writing plays as well as acting. One of my main jobs has been to design and make the set and props for shows.

I want to be part of JaZanne’s advisory group because I like to work with people who are enthusiastic and who push me to be enthusiastic too and I find that Annie and Jacqui are those types of people.

Anne

I just love the theatre, it, feels natural to me and is a way of expressing myself and is a really good way of dealing with lots of things in an acceptable way. 

In terms of the arts I have put on lots of shows with children when I was teaching. I was a deputy head at an East London school and before that was an auxiliary nurse.

I also play the piano and I was a creative writing tutor for MIND and first started to write plays during a Face Front community show, ‘Ponderful People’, about the area I have lived in for over 50 years. I have helped to write and performed in 7 shows with Face Front.

I want to support JaZanne arts because I believe it is an excellent company and people will benefit from being involved in it and from seeing its shows.

Mary

I was a teacher for over 20 years in India; I also taught drama at the school and  delivered the drama up to 11th standard (A level). 

When I came here (UK) I changed my profession and went into accounts. I also I worked at Enfield College and taught international cookery. I also worked with teenagers and helped by talking to them and listening to them.

I have performed and written scenes in many Face Front plays and have also performed in ‘The Originators and ‘Between the Wi and the Fi’  I was a volunteer for JaZanne Arts for the ‘Exchanging Dreams’ show.

I want to support JaZanne Arts, I can help with accounts and share my life stories. I enjoy  the social life with JaZanne and enjoy mixing with people of all ages.

Lydia

I used to be a teacher and taught in schools for many years back home in Barbados and in the UK in North London. I also sing in a choir and have done singing at Face Front.

I enjoy writing and have written poems that have been used in many shows. I have performed with Face Front as part of the InterAction drama group and been in shows such as ‘The Determined and the Damned’, ‘Ponderful People’, ‘The Originators’ and ‘The New River’.

I have known Annie for 20 years and enjoy all the theatre projects we have done together  and the acting and stories we have told in schools.

I want to support JaZanne Arts because I think reminiscence and music are very powerful when working with older people, especially those with dementia. I love being involved with  JaZanne’s projects and look forward to every session and meeting .

Rose

I used to be in a group called the ‘Sweet Ebonys’ and I sang with them for 5 years and we toured the UK and Europe to nightclubs. 

I also used to work with the elderly as a care assistant I cared for residents and I really enjoyed it. 

When I used to go in they used to like my clothes and when I used to get them dressed, I used to get them their nice earrings and their nice jewellery and everything.  I said ‘it doesn’t matter if you’re only going into the lounge you still have to look nice’. So I used to do that.

I am in two of Face Front’s theatre groups, Interaction and Broken Silence and have performed regularly in the Dugdale Theatre in Enfield.

I want to support JaZanne arts because this is something very new for me to do.  It’s very interesting and exciting.



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