the cotton shed Team
Kelsea Bennett
Artistic Practitioner
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.
Emma Matthews
Artistic Practitioner
Emma is a talented actor who trained at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has worked on several David Walliams shows, including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, which toured nationally and in the West End. In addition to her acting work, Emma owns a theatre school in Bury and teaches performing arts to schools and colleges across the North West as a freelancer.