Kelsea was a volunteer at Cotton Shed for several years.  She loved helping at all sessions but thrived when working with the Company Theatre Group.  Kelsea also arranged a 24-hour Rounders event for Cotton Shed in 2018, where she managed to raise over £1000.

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Kelsea is an experienced arts practitioner and has worked with an array of theatre companies across the North West. Kelsea has a BA Hons in English Literature and Theatre Studies from The University of Leeds.  During her time at University, she wrote, produced, directed, and performed in a one woman show; her area of expertise is socio-political, feminist theatre and physical performance.  

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At a young age, Kelsea was a member of Stagecoach which evolved to being an attendee of Carol Godby’s theatre group as her interests swung towards television.  Her TV credits include, Waterloo Road and 4 O’Clock Club.  She also has lots of production experience in theatre and has worked as a camera assistant for Rossendale TV.

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Kelsea has always had a love for theatre and people, “I love the Cotton Shed ethos and aim to spread it wide throughout the valley.  I hope we can gain more membership as well as reconnecting with original members, leading inclusivity into the spotlight.  Many companies call themselves inclusive but to me, that involves so much more than just representation.  I would never take on a job that was not aligned with my views.  Therefore, Cotton Sheds commitment to building a brighter future for EVERYONE is the perfect fit for me.”

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In her spare time, Kelsea runs a successful vegan food and lifestyle blog.  She is an avid reader and regularly writes book reviews (in 2021 she managed to read 100 books!)  Kelsea enjoys playing netball, swimming, and walking her black Labrador, Una.  Being in nature is important to Kelsea and she is always willing to try new things.

Sam is extremely excited to be joining Cottonshed and feels strongly that everyone should have access to theatre and the arts regardless of background. 

 

He trained at East 15 acting school, Middlesex University and recently has completed a Masters in contemporary performance at Manchester School of Theatre.  Some of his work over the last decade includes theatrical tours, performing on cruise ships and hosting Deal or No Deal in Latvia!  He has also spent time working as a producer for several organisations, as well as devising and performing his own work.  When creating his own productions, his personal areas of interest are political theatre and comedy.  This year, his theatre company, Know Idea Productions has successfully toured a new musical comedy around the UK.  

 

Sam has extensive experience in leading drama workshops.  He believes the growth that can occur both personally and artistically, in an accessible and collaborative workshop environment, is incredible and is one of the reasons to love theatre.  It’s a great place to make new friends, discover skills and most importantly enjoy yourself.  Sam is a big fan of sport and is a black belt in karate (though he achieved this when he was fourteen - so pretty sure after nearly fifteen years and no practice, it doesn’t really count!)  He enjoys rock music, playing video games and watching the latest films and TV shows. 

 

Sam could not be happier to play his part in the next chapter of Cotton Shed's development and is looking forward to the exciting new work we will create together and all the fun along the way.