Category: Company Members

Director – Contemporary Dance Teacher

Helen trained in Dance and Music, attending the Royal Northern College of Music and Dartington College of Arts before gaining her teaching qualification at Rolle College, Exmouth. She has been involved in many different arts activities over the years. These include teaching Contemporary Dance at the Bristol Dance Centre as one of the inaugural teachers in 1978, a job that she still enjoys after 35 years!

Helen has been a delegate and organiser for the European Contact Improvisation Teachers Exchange. She has taught and performed in several different European countries at this event in the past 18 years.Choreographic works have included commissions for a solo work for herself and one for the Edinburgh-based dancer Janis Claxton as well as choreography for theatre e.g. ‘Mary Stuart’ directed by Caroline Hunt. She also performed in and choreographed for ‘Villainous Secrets’ also directed by Caroline.

Helen has completed many outreach projects and workshops, most recently at Merchant’s Academy in South Bristol (October 2013): co-incidentally, this was the school at which she first taught music in 1977! The list of her involvement in projects – educational, for television and for theatre – that have included both singing and dance is extensive.

Helen taught Improvisation and technique on the Foundation Degree Dance course at City of Bristol College for seven years. For twenty-four years, she taught a range of Performing Arts skills at City of Bath College, which is where she and Laura became firm friends. Having qualified with the Massage Training Institute in 2004, Helen now also works as a deep tissue massage therapist alongside her community dance work and workshop practice.

We are very lucky to have Helen’s expertise and experience on board. She has been a keen advocate and supporter of Rag and Bone Theatre from day one, and has now become a Community Arts Company Director.

Art Lead, artist, graphic designer and set and prop maker.

Charlie studied graphic design at Bath College of HE, before embarking on a varied career as a graphic designer, sous chef, company co-director and a brief spell as an insurance salesman. He became a fine art and graphics lecturer at Bath College in 2003 and the set designer for the Performing Arts department from 2008.  He also ran the Life Drawing classes there and at Bath University for around 5 years to great success.

As the Performing Arts Theatre Designer he designed a space ship with opening air lock for ‘Return to the Forbidden Planet’, a disappearing door for ‘Alice – the Musical’, a full sized wicker boat for ‘The Snow Queen’ and a movable, usable set for the college production of ‘Olive’ –  all at the egg Theatre, Bath.

Charlie left Bath College in 2014 to concentrate on return to creating Art work of his own.  You can see some of his drawings here: https://twitter.com/charlie_g_m

Come and see if you have the artistic flair. A lovely calm environment to relax in and learn new skills . Chat, draw, learn some techniques and hang out with other artists.

 

Singing Tutor (occasional) – Sound and Technical support.

Clive Stocker (BA PGCE MA) is a lecturer in Music and specialises in performance and composition. Being an active Jazz musician, Clive performs with his Jazz Group, ‘The Chilli Beans’ on Keyboards and also sings in the acepella group, ‘Adlib’ which were formed whilst he was still at University. Clive has studied music and music education and has a keen interest in confidence coaching and is an avid blogger on the subject.

His book, ‘How to be a Confident Performer’ has recently been launched. Clive has worked with the Rag and Bone Theatre Company since the start and is proud to support such excellent theatre, dance and art in his resident town.He also arranges our backing tracks, edits our sound, and teaches any harmonies that we might need.

Director and Workshop Leader

Laura was a member of ‘Stage ’65 youth theatre at the Salisbury Playhouse, then took a Contemporary Dance Foundation at Swindon Dance, followed by a 3 year Professional Dance Diploma at the London Studio Centre. Here  she was able to return to her love of acting and singing, alongside her dance training.

Since graduating, Laura has worked as an actress, rehearsal director, choreographer, college lecturer and Course Leader for Performing Arts at City of Bath College. She has worked on Musicals, such as ‘Honk’ and ‘Seussical’, as Movement Director on ‘Snow Queen’, and ‘Grimms Tales’ and Directed  ‘Alice the Musical’ – all National Diploma productions at the egg theatre, Bath.

Laura taught at Stagecoach Theatre Arts for around 8 years, choreographing for their Dance Troupe and producing many shows. She has also directed many dance and Theatre shows for Bath College BTEC Performing Arts students at the Ustinov Studios, and The Egg Theatre, Bath. Many ex-students have gone on to become working actors and dancers, some of whom now work for Rag and Bone Arts.

Laura was part of a programme called ‘Women in Radio’ and trained to work as a Broadcast Assistant and Journalist for BBC Wiltshire 2014-16. She also became the Education and Arts Officer for Chippenham Borough Lands Charity in May 2017, where she is helping to co-ordinate the Chippenham Arts and Cultural Events Group, as well as dealing with Education and Arts Grants.

The varied nature of her performance training, means that her work combines acting, physicality and observational humour, alongside funky dance, and helping to create the Theatre Company productions.

 

Drama Workshop Assistant

Rosie has been involved in drama since a young age, taking a BTEC ND at Bath College, and going on to take a BA Hons in Performing Arts at Winchester University. She has worked as a Performer, Workshop Leader, Stage Manager, and Education Officer from as near as Brighton and Salisbury, and as far afield as Sydney, Australia.

Rosie loves to make up work with young people, to create physical pieces, and challenging herself to be original. She loves to sing, and is actively collaborating with other performers all of the time.

She has a playful approach to devising, and is full of energy and ideas. We are very excited about her joining Rag and Bone, and can’t wait to have her on board! 


Rockets Dance Workshop Leader

Emily Brown is a contemporary dancer and arts professional who continues to perform and lead workshops to people of all ages. She is a member of 3rd Stage Dance Company, and is actively involved in many different projects in the South West.

She has just finished an internship with the creative learning team at the Wiltshire Music Centre, and enjoys many aspects of the performing arts, from prop and costume making, to supporting music workshops!

She loves to make the arts fun and accessible, and can even do acroyoga – which is a mix of acrobatics and yoga.

We are very excited to have someone of her experience on board and can’t wait to collaborate on some exciting physical theatre and dance.

Stage Combat Workshop Leader

Matt trained at City of Bath College and graduated with a BA in ‘Acting and Stage Combat’ from East 15 School in London.

He has had roles in many films including Ironclad, Hammer of the Gods, Robin Hood and Clash of the Titans.

He has also taken part in many documentaries for BBC, Channel 4 and the Discovery Channel in a series of combat roles, from cavemen to crusaders.

Matt says “The main principle of stage combat is to make something LOOK as dangerous and real as possible whilst maintainging a high level of safety. A fight will need to be repeated again and again in a show, so it needs to have a very low risk chance of someone getting hurt. So the principles of stage combat – even from the beginnings – is to make sure that you practice safe working so the “danger” can be raised accordingly. I’m looking forward to meeting the young people of Chippenham to see what they’re made of. I’ve heard that they might give me a run for my money!”.