Meet the Team

I am a Producer at China Plate which means I take the ideas for a production and make them happen. I support the whole life cycle of a production from when the work reaches China Plate through to the end of a tour or run and support the creative, technical and performing company through that process.

I enjoy discovering new and untold stories to give a platform to a wider range of voices and realising them with a team of creatives; my favourite moment of the production period is the development stage when all the ideas are out there and then I need to work out what is possible.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

Alongside Paul Warwick I co-founded China Plate in 2006.

We jointly share the artistic direction of China Plate and work closely with Executive Director Chloe Courtney on all aspects of leadership, management and strategy.

Paul or I usually act as Executive Producer on our productions, working with our producing team to support the artists making our shows as well as taking the lead on specific artist or sector development strands.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

I’m China Plate’s Executive Director. I joined the company in March 2022.

I support China Plate’s producers and everyone who works with us by making sure that our organisation is run well and with care. I look after our finances and policies, and work with our Artistic Directors, our Board, and our team to decide China Plate’s direction of travel. Day to day, I liaise with our bookkeeper, our accountant, our insurers, and our suppliers to keep things going smoothly.

It’s important to me to make sure that at China Plate we embed access, equity, and care into all our working practices – from our budgets to our live shows.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

I am a Freelance Director and Facilitator with an interest in community co-creation. I have worked as Community and Learning Associate at Hull Truck Theatre and co-founder of Feat.Theatre.

Over the next few years, I will be researching China Plate’s new modes of practice to investigate the intersections between artistic interventions and social justice, as part of an AHRC-funded Midlands4Cities Collaborative Doctoral Award: a PhD research project, supervised jointly by the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick.

As a first step to introducing what I will be exploring, I wrote a blog to share my initial thoughts and research proposal. One year in, I reflect on my first year of research with a second blog. I’m looking to connect with arts and community workers, activists, academics and anyone with insights on my research questions. If you’re interested in chatting, feel free to drop an email to [email protected]

Photo © Hayley Salter 

I am China Plate’s Training & Development Producer, supporting artists, creatives, and producers at all career stages to develop sustainable and resilient careers. I manage The Optimists and People-Focused Producing, as well as other programmes, gatherings, and resources designed to provide practical skills, mentorship, and industry connections.

In my role, I focus on providing artists, creatives and producers with guidance, hands-on support, and opportunities to connect with theatre, and the wider arts sector. I work closely with participants, venues, and cultural partners across Birmingham and beyond, helping bring creative ideas to life and to support the next generation of producers.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

I am China Plate’s Digital & Data Manager.

I am responsible for looking at how the organisation can best use digital tools and data – whether that be to communicate externally, evaluate our work, or support the team in producing and making creative projects happen.

I manage our online communications, including our website, social media, distribution platforms and monthly newsletter. I work closely with our Co-Artistic Directors and Executive Director to develop and implement our Reach & Impact Strategy, which includes our Audience Aims framework.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

Formerly on China’s Plate’s Optimist Programme in 2016, I have continued to work with the company on evaluation and reporting, as well as being a guest speaker in Optimists sessions.

I’m now working with China Plate as a freelance Associate Producer to research and development Urielle Klein-Mekongo’s new show TRASH.

I’m also a freelancer creative producer working across Theatre, Dance and Live Art. A recipient of the Jerwood Arts Live Work Fund 2021 and an advocate for class diversity.

I specialise in producing new work and introducing it to diverse audiences. In addition to having extensive expertise in touring work to mid-scale venues and festivals around the UK and internationally.

Career highlights include the development and touring of the award-winning BAC Beatbox Academy production of Frankenstein: How To Make A Monster and the touring of Touretteshero’s Not I by Samuel Beckett.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

I am China Plate’s Administrator. Based in our Birmingham office, I work with our Executive Director to maintain and progress a varied range of administrative duties, including finance, processes and policy implementation, and environmental data reporting.

I also provide our larger team including Co-Artistic Directors and Producers with administrative and logistical support, alongside managing our Birmingham and London offices.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

I joined China Plate in the Summer of 2024 as the company’s Bookkeeper.

I work closely with the Executive Director and Administrator to keep the day-to-day accounts running smoothly. I also support the company’s Producers with project reconciliation and any other financial wants and needs.

I see myself as a facilitator – eager to make arts finance accessible, clear and better understood. I enjoy giving brilliant people the confidence to focus their time on what they do brilliantly.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

I’m working with China Plate as an Associate Producer on Please Do Not Touch by Casey Bailey.

Previously I worked on Soho Settlers by Black Heritage Walks Network & Overhear and We Still Here by Jane Thakoordin – two of the co-designed community-led projects which ran alongside To The Streets! as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

As a Birmingham based artist, I specialist in projects that get unknown, untold stories out there.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

I am a Producer at China Plate, working with a diverse range of artists across the entire process involved in realising and ultimately presenting their work; from exploration of the original concept, through R&D stages, into accessing funding and then touring booking through the UK and internationally. I am particularly interested in work that brings together artists and creatives to collaboratively share knowledge and expertise to create work.

I am one of China Plate’s Co-Artistic Directors, having founded the company with Ed Collier in 2006.

Together we jointly share the artistic direction of China Plate, working closely with Executive Director Chloe Courtney on all aspects of leadership, management and strategy.

Ed or I usually act as Executive Producer on our productions, working with our Producing team to support the artists making our shows. I also lead on specific artist or sector development projects and occasionally even direct shows – most recently Romeo and Juliet – Mad Blood Rising.

Photo © Hayley Salter 

As a previous participant of the Optimists Programme in 2022, I have since continued to work with China Plate as an Associate Producer for the research and development of SpeakUp Theatre’s Our Skl Project, and as an Assistant Producer on A Family Business and Producer on Talking About the Fire and Humans Not Heroes. I am now working as the Producer on Neighbourhood Creatives. 

As a Coventry-based freelance creative, I enjoy working with artists and companies to make creative projects happen, from conception through to production and touring. I have worked with a variety of artists and organisations to produce indoor and outdoor productions, as well as education and participatory events. I am particularly interested in work that uses creativity to inspire, celebrate and connect a wide range of communities.

Photo © Hayley Salter