aboutFounded in 2003, artworcs is a company run by four professional arts practitioners with many years experience: arts manager Deborah Rees, playwright Lance Woodman, director Peter Leslie Wild and visual artist Sheila Farrell. artworcs (pronounced "ärt wûrks") is a not-for-profit arts production company limited by guarantee. We are based in Worcestershire. artworcs is affiliated to The Independent Theatre Council (ITC), Worcestershire Arts Forum and Worcester Arts Council (WAC). It is also part of the Worcester Professional Arts Consortium (WPAC). |
 
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aims
aims to…
◊ Create high quality, inspirational arts projects in Worcestershire
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◊ Foster cooperation and collaboration between working artists and the local community
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◊ Generate debate and information exchange relating to the arts in Worcestershire
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◊ Campaign for the arts in Worcestershire locally, regionally and nationally
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why 
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Making quality arts in, of and for Worcestershire is important because it...
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people
The directors of 
are:
Sheila Farrell - artist
Sheila is a practising artist. She graduated from University of Gloucestershire with a degree in sculpture. She received a Creative Ambition Award from West Midlands Arts 2002. Exhibitions include Blueskythinking, untied/united and Perpendicular in Gloucestershire and, for artworcs, Upside Down and Back to Front . Sheila is a Visiting Lecturer for Birmingham University and teacher for WEA (Workers Educational Association).
Deborah Rees - arts administrator
Deborah is Director of The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury. Prior to this, she was Programme Director at Script, the regional agency for new writing in the West Midlands. For three years she was Administrative Director of the Worcester Swan Theatre and was responsible for the strategic planning and general management of the theatre. She has also worked as General Manager for both Red Shift and Compass Theatre Companies and as Development Manager with Paines Plough (all Arts Council funded national touring companies).
Peter Leslie Wild - theatre director & radio drama producer
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Peter is a theatre director and is Senior Producer at BBC Radio Drama in Birmingham. Since joining the BBC in 1995, he has directed many plays, dramatisations and serials for BBC Radio 4, Radio 3 and BBC 7. He is committed to developing new writing and has been involved in BBC initiatives such as Chasing the Rainbow, Plays in Progress, Double Acts and Sparks. Productions include the Classic Serial version of Watership Down and a fifteen-part serialisation of Wuthering Heights, as well as a number of ground-breaking drama-documentaries in collaboration with award-winning feature maker Rosie Boulton. Peter has worked extensively in both mainstream and community theatre. He set up the Education Programme at The Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, and directed a number of main house and touring productions there as well as producing two seasons of new writing. He has also directed at The Lyric Hammersmith, Edinburgh and in various drama schools. In 1989 he won the BP Young Directors Award. His work has also been nominated for the BP Arts Award, the Prudential Award, the Race in the Media Awards (twice), and the Richard Imison Award. His drama-documentary The Language of Flowers was runner-up in the 2004 Prix Marulic, a prestigious European Radio Award. |
The Prix Marulic Award
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Lance Woodman - playwright
Lance wrote Upside Down and Back to Front for artworcs and subsequently adapted it for BBC Radio 4. He has had 3 main stage plays and 2 youth theatre plays produced at Worcester Swan Theatre. His drama-documentary, The Climb, (directed by Peter Leslie Wild) was recently broadcast on BBC Radio 4. His stage work has been performed around the country. He is currently under commission to Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He was Pearson writer-in-residence with the Swan Theatre and New Theatre Works at the Courtyard Arts Centre, Hereford. He is a graduate of the University of Birmingham's MA in Playwriting Studies. Lance is an experienced teacher, mentor and workshop leader and lectures in drama and creative writing at UCE and Birkbeck. There are more details at www.lancewoodman.co.uk.
currently working with 
:
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Andy Watts - musician Andy is a freelance professional musician based in Worcestershire and working throughout the UK and abroad. He studied at Cambridge University and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. During the 1980s he was musical director for the theatre company The Medieval Players. He is currently principal bassoon with The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and leads The Carnival Band. With Maddy Prior and the Band he co-wrote and toured a song cycle based on the life of Worcester-born heroine Hannah Snell. He is an experienced music educator and recently led a workshop for 90 children at Symphony Hall, Birmingham. |
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Alex Jones - writer, actor and film-maker
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Alex is based in Worcestershire and writes for theatre, radio and film. Credits include the internationally acclaimed play Noise for Soho Theatre Company, which recently had its American premiere in L.A. Other work includes Phil&Jill&Jill&Phil for Coventry Belgrade and companies in Chile and Italy, A Miracle In No Man's Land, River's Up (the last commissioned play for Worcester Swan Theatre and for Alan Ayckbourn's Stephen Joseph Theatre), and The Worcester Pilgrim for BBC Radio 4. Films include: Greasy and Faster, Harder, Longer, Whistle! and Rhubarb And Roses which he also produced. Recent productions are Mr And Mrs Schultz for The Watermill Theatre, Newbury and Fields Of Gold for Stephen Joseph Theatre. |
Deborah Catesby - playwright
Deborah is based in Worcestershire and writes for theatre and radio. Credits include Happy Land and The Malvern Widow for Worcester Swan Theatre. She has also written for Soho Theatre Company (Swimming and Las Meninas, runner-up in the Verity Bargate Award in 1991); the Orange Tree and the Bridewell Theatre. Her radio play, Hair Piece was written for BBC Radio Drama as part of an attachment scheme, and Protection was broadcast in 2004 on Radio 4. Deborah received an Arts Council Bursary in 1998 and a further award in 2002 for Dressing Up.
