Alyson Evans

I studied for four years at Bridgend College where I gained a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts and a HND in Community Theatre. From there, I spent a year at the University of Glamorgan where I achieved a BA(hons) in Theatre Studies. During my studies I volunteered for local theatre companies where I started working with young people and gained an interest in Community Arts. This also meant I had the chance to take part in exchanges to Estonia and Romania, giving me an insight to drama from around the world.

Since obtaining my degree, I've worked freelance, both as a facilitator and actor in schools. I spent summer 2007 in New York where I spent 3 months as an Assistant Director at Frenchwoods Festival of Performing Arts. This gave me a whole new experience of working with large casts on full-scale Broadway productions. I first started as a volunteer for Valley and Vale in 2002, so I am very excited to become part of the team.

Ali Franks,
Drama Development Worker

On leaving school in 1992 I spent two years working in London's East End as a voluntary community worker.  This involved running children's clubs and youth groups, visiting the elderly and working on the streets with the homeless.  I was also the drama and dance co-ordinator for a young peoples roadshow.  In 1994 I attended the University of Warwick where I gained a 1st Class Honours BA(QTS) in Drama and Education.  In this time I also set up a theatre company called Threshold Theatre where we performed as part of the Coventry Arts Alive Festival in 1997.

After spending two more years living in London, I visited Odin Teatret in Denmark shortly after which I moved back to my family home in Devon, where I studied an MA in Devised Theatre at Dartington College of Arts. In September 2001 I moved with my partner to South Wales. I spent three years as a Drama Teacher at Willows High School in Cardiff where I first made contact with Valley and Vale working on "Our World - Our Journeys" a multi arts project with young asylum seekers.

I joined Valley and Vale as Youth Arts Development and Drama Worker in October 2004 to set up and facilitate the "Breathing Space" Anti-Bullying project.  During this time I have also developed and written a teaching pack to accompany the "Our World" video which will be available to all secondary schools in Wales.

Alison O'Connor

Since studying Drama and English at Bristol University, I have worked in various settings as a director, facilitator and performer. I was a Co-Director of Swansea based theatre company Steel Wasp, then Project Manager of a European Youth Project called STORM which used drama and other arts forms to build young people's confidence. I also worked for several months in a Romanian orphanage, using drama, music and play with children and young people.

In recent years I have focused more and more on using drama as a tool for personal development. I spent four years working with Geese Theatre Company which specialises in using applied theatre with offenders and young people at risk of offending. While working there I developed a real passion for theatre in prisons and believe this can be a powerful force for change. Since then I have run several creative projects in HMP Cardiff and hope to do more of this during my time at Valley and Vale.

I am now working part time for Valley and Vale, as well as doing some other freelance work, including a drama based reminiscence project with older people in Cardiff, and raising my two young sons!