Creative Arts Manager

After graduating with a BA in Drama and an MA in Making Performance, Kerry has dedicated herself to working with young people in the arts. Kerry works as a director and drama teacher for various youth organisations across Northern Ireland. This has given Kerry the opportunity to witness, first-hand, what performing arts can do for a young person’s confidence, social skills and creativity.

Performing Arts Executive

Conor was professionally trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London - graduating with a BA(hons) in Musical Theatre and has performed in several professional productions including Legally Blonde and Dogfight. Conor absolutely loves teaching at Rainbow Factory and is really enjoying his new role as Youth Arts Co-ordinator.

Cheryl graduated from Liverpool John Moores with a Degree in Drama and Dance. She has worked in Rainbow Factory for 18 years. Cheryl is a passionate advocate that theatre can change the lives of young people in a positive way. Currently Cheryl sits on the Board of Directors for Theatre NI. 

Janie Doherty is a movement based artist from Derry~Londonderry and currently based in Belfast. After graduating with a first class honours in Dance in 2009 – Janie has been working as a dance facilitator, performer and creator in Northern Ireland. Janie’s work focuses on vulnerability as strength and she experiments with story-telling, film, sound and live performance. Janie has recently developed a new body of work as part of the Freelands Foundation 2018–2020 and is currently collaborating on several projects with Oona Doherty, Locky Morris and Alessandra Celesia.

www.janiedoherty.co.uk

Melissa loves working in the Rainbow Factory as it combines her love of working with young people and her passion for all things theatre. She has taught in Scotland England and Ireland since graduating from Edinburgh, many centuries ago. Outside of facilitating, Melissa runs DAMD theatre company and her latest venture is Burlap & Twine which will focus on her love of adapting and modernising classic texts and site specific theatre. She's also crazy about her two rescue dogs, Roxy and Rafferty.

Thomas has been a Rainbow tutor since Jan 2019. As a former member he values not only the performance, but the life skills Rainbow gave to him in his younger years. With vast experience in issue based theatre he aims to bring creative lessons and performances to his classes and the wider Rainbow family. 

Charmaine works as a freelance Dance Artist in Health and Wellbeing. Her passion is movement, creativity; and exploring how they can be used as a tool in promoting a positive sense of wellbeing and zest for life. Charmaine was a shy young girl growing up in Omagh and the Arts encouraged her to believe in herself. Her route has not been easy or conventional. She graduated with joint Hons Degree in Sociology and Drama in 2004 and obtained her dance training in 2016.  Her love of the moving body has led to merging dance in the worlds of Cancer, Dementia, Disability, Mental Health and Parkinson’s.   Charmaine believes dance invites all peoples to move together, creating an inclusive, joyous & liberating space to ‘just be’. Her work as a Rainbow Factory tutor within STAR outreach performing arts programme, connecting with young people living with learning, physical and mental disabilities has been insightful and rewarding.

Alex is a freelance musical director and vocal coach based in Belfast. He studied at Bath Spa University and obtained a Certificate of Higher Education in Musical Theatre in 2018. Alex started his passion for performing at Belvoir Players Theatre Academy, where he has been a member for 13 years, taking part in their musicals and yearly pantomime, he also tutors voluntarily for them during his spare time. Alex is also the musical director and for YouthAction NI, he has musical directed ‘The Chain’ and ‘The Sound Of Music’ in 2019. Alex is also a private singing teacher, teaching the London College of Music syllabus for musical theatre, he teaches a large number of pupils throughout Belfast and has a 100% pass rate in pupil examinations. He is also the co-owner and musical director for East Broadway Theatre Company which was founded in 2016 for children and young people, aged 5-18 years old to engage in performing arts.  

Simona has worked with Rainbow Factory for many years, she has been a driving force in creating and sustaining our brilliant performing arts classes for young people from Romanian backgrounds in Ballymena. Simona believes in the power of the arts for providing young people with the tools they need for life. 

Shannen graduated from Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with a BA in Acting. She also has a strong passion for costume & loves working with textiles as stimulus. She has thoroughly enjoyed the outreach work she has been involved in with last term & is looking forward to continnuing this while taking on more in Belfast itself.