Meet our Spring/Summer 2026 Artist in Development
2026 March 30We’re absolutely delighted to welcome the brilliant Isabelle Kirkham as our Artist in Development for spring/summer 2026.
Each season, we team up with an artist or company and give them what they need most—time, space, and a bit of behind-the-scenes magic—to explore ideas, take risks, and grow their work. Whether it’s the very first spark of an idea or something nearly ready for an audience, we’re here for every stage of the journey.
So, who is Isabelle?
Isabelle is a care-experienced activist, campaigner, theatre-maker and writer, creating work rooted in lived experience, creativity, and care. She’s a graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD), where she achieved a First Class Honours degree in Drama, Applied Theatre and Education.
Her work uses storytelling as a powerful tool for change—challenging systems and amplifying care-experienced voices. Isabelle is also Co-Founder of The Care Experienced Movement and was shortlisted for the National Diversity Awards’ Positive Role Model Award: Age in 2022. Alongside all of that, she’s proudly LGBTQ+, and says her most important roles are being a mother and a sister.
What will she be working on?
During her time with us, Isabelle will be building a theatre company made by and for care-experienced people.
Right now, the focus is on adults aged 18+, with a longer-term vision of growing into something intergenerational. At its heart, this project is about creating a space where care-experienced people feel welcome, seen, and able to show up exactly as they are—whether they’ve got years of creative experience or are trying something new for the very first time.
Some of the work may grow into performances, shaped by the people in the room and the stories they want to tell. But just as importantly, it’s about the space itself: a place to connect, share, and be together—without pressure, expectations, or the need to perform.
Using theatre, spoken word, and collaborative storytelling, the project will explore identity, memory, belonging, and lived experience. It’s about honesty over polish, and creating work that feels real and emotionally true.
Over time, the aim is for this to become a kind of creative home—a space people can return to, build relationships, grow creatively, and feel part of something that reflects them and their community.
And for now? There’s no pressure to produce a finished piece—just time to experiment, play, and be supported along the way.
Why this work matters
Supporting artists like Isabelle is at the heart of what we do. It’s how new ideas take shape, new voices are heard, and meaningful stories find their way to the stage.
In the past year alone, we’ve provided over 1,400 hours of free rehearsal space—worth more than £41,000—helping artists develop bold, exciting new work right here in our community.
With your support, we can do even more: more space, more opportunities, and more chances for artists to connect with people and tell the stories that matter.
If you believe in the power of new voices and fresh perspectives, we’d love you to be part of it. Together, we can help the next generation of artists thrive
