Our People

Anna O’Steele

Strategy and Development Lead

E-mail: anna@wearechol.co.uk

Anna O’Steele has a background in communications and senior management across dance and theatre organisations in Yorkshire, the East Midlands and Cornwall. From her time at Dance4 (Now Fabric) to Kneehigh Theatre, combined with all her consultancy work over the last 25 years, she brings a wealth of knowledge around marketing, audience development, organisational development, strategic directioning and change management. She is passionate about the impact the arts can have both personally and socially and places wellbeing, kindness and care at the heart of her practice.

Anna is also a freelance consultant working across strategy and communications, and is studying for a Masters in Person-Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy.

In her spare time, she has been known to write the odd book, play and screenplay, or two.

Ruth Dyer

Design and Illustration Lead

E-mail: Ruth@wearechol.co.uk

Ruth is a multi-disciplinary artist, based in West Yorkshire, who is inspired by the joy of day-to-day life. This could take the shape of any form of visual art, from installations in public spaces to drawing or printing books. Over the last 15 years, Ruth has discovered working in collaboration makes the most interesting work – with people who do, and those who don’t, consider themselves to be artists.

Since becoming part of the Chol team, Ruth has honed her skills in children’s illustration, bringing young people’s ideas to life during countless workshops and in several publications. The clarity of vision and strong direction of young people makes for content that is at the center of her vibrant and wildly imaginative illustrations.

Ruth moved to Yorkshire in 2004 to study Fine Art for Design at Batley School of Art and Design and has gone on to participate in the inaugural Northern Faculty of Socially Engaged Art. She has worked for Amelia’s Magazine, Barnardo’s, Woven Festival, Artychoke, Playful Anywhere and the Children’s Art School to name a few.

Carly-Ann Clarke

Community Theatre and Arts Lead

E-mail: carly@wearechol.co.uk

Carly is an artist and theatre director with a passion for discovering hidden stories and working collaboratively with communities to tell them. With an MA in Acting from Guildford School of Acting, she combined her love for theatre with education when she qualified as a teacher in 2012. Carly’s believes that approaching the curriculum through creativity and innovation helps to ignite and enrich children and young people’s learning experiences.

Carly’s Chol journey began in 2015 whilst working on a Brontë inspired project where she worked with young women to express and unlock their creativity and make their voices heard. Carly enjoys being in the heart of community and working with people to create theatre that opens conversations about important issues in today’s society, bringing deeper connections to people and their communities.

Jess Woodhead

Youth and Social Arts Lead

E-mail: Jess@wearechol.co.uk

Jess is a socially engaged facilitator with over 10 years of experience, specialising in working with young people and communities to drive meaningful social change. With a strong commitment to social justice, Jess integrates this passion into all aspects of her work – professionally, personally, and creatively.

Jess’s journey began at Liverpool John Moores University, where she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Dance Practices in 2015. Since then, she has accumulated extensive experience across the creative industry, working with community arts organisations, educational institutions, and multidisciplinary performance projects. Her expertise in site-specific work, drama, and theatre facilitation allows her to blend diverse art forms into her practice, creating dynamic and impactful experiences.

An advocate for reflective practice, Jess values thoughtful evaluation, design, and delivery to ensure that all projects are meaningful and transformative. She is dedicated to engaging people through play and creativity and with a background in movement and dance, Jess believes in the power of the arts as a tool for mobilising communities and amplifying voices. Her work prioritises accessibility in the arts sector, ensuring that communities play an active role in shaping initiatives that impact them.

Vicky Storey

Evaluation and Learning Lead

E-mail: vicky@wearechol.co.uk

Vicky joined Chol in 2012 as Lead Artist on Imaginary Communities and now works as the Evaluation and Learning Lead. Vicky studied a Masters in Applied Theatre at Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in 2007 building on her background in Youth Work and developing her expertise in community theatre and drama education. Vicky is passionate about using research and evaluation to develop, interrogate and drive good practice in the arts education sector and completed her PhD research in 2020. Vicky now specialises in reflective practice and evaluation in the arts and education sector, with a particular focus on effective forms of continued professional development and learning for artists and teachers through creative collaborations. Her unique position as a practitioner, researcher, and leader of an arts organisation offers nuanced insights into the challenges and possibilities for professional learning in these spaces.