Meet the Artists Advisory Group

*Aerial Mel Stevens, aka Flying Circus The Ranganation Show, is a performer circus, spoken word poet, music and film producer, teacher, consultant and an active member in their Buddhist community.

Assisting on many boards of local, national and international levels, including NASA UK, EYCO, CircusWorks facilitating a clearer understanding of Exclusion and what real inclusion looks like, and the differences that lead to access diversity and equity.

Adam Carver (they/them) is an artist, producer, cultural activist and professional hot mess. They are the founder and Director of Fatt Projects Ltd. a Birmingham based non-profit focusing on advancing queer joy and liberation through arts and culture.

Their recent work has focused on creating PALAVER! pioneering development programme supporting artists, venues, and organisations to create LGBTQ+ inclusive performance for children and family audiences, and MOBILISE creating new models for sober and accessible nightlife spaces for marginalised LGBTQ+ communities culminating in a large scale participatory protest performance for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Anthony Missen is a Clore Fellow, Without Walls Board Director, member of the Greater Manchester Culture Steering Group, Executive Member of Dance Consortia North-West, member of The UK Dance network, and part of the Manchester Cultural Leaders group. He is co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Company Chameleon.

He is a Choreographer, Movement Director, Accredited Coach, facilitator, and teacher.

Nandita Shankardass is a dance artist, choreographer, facilitator and the founder of Welcome Movement®. She is a Clore emerging leader, an artist in residence and faculty at Rambert Dance, an associate artist with English National Ballet and forms part of the EDI working group for Dancers Career Development.

Nandita has performed with Zürcher Ballet, Ballet Black, Scottish Ballet and Compañia Nacional de Danza. She has choreographed for the Zürcher Junior Ballet, Ballet Black, Compañia Nacional de Danza, and tve Global Sustainability Film Awards.

James Macpherson is the Founder and Director of Artizani which specialises in spectacular theatre performed in unconventional spaces. In 30+ years of touring, the company has created over 30 outdoor arts shows and performed thousands of times all over the UK, throughout most of Europe and much of the rest of the world.

James is on the Steering Committee of the National Association of Street Artists (NASA). He is also an academic and holds the only doctorate in Contemporary Outdoor Arts in the UK, has conducted extensive research into the sector and has published a peer reviewed book chapter on the subject.

Jeanefer Jean-Charles is Creative Director and Producer with 20 years’ experience, specialising in large-scale performances, opening ceremonies, stadium events, outdoor spectacles, carnivals, and parades.

For over 20 years Jeanefer has designed and delivered artistic solutions in the outdoors for some of the world’s most iconic events including a section for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace, all four of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, The F.A. Cup Final 2016 Opening Ceremony at Wembley, and the first-ever Big Dance–which broke a world record.

Paschale has worked with a range of outdoor arts organisations in various roles including: performer in Avanti Display’s Crow, director of Ramshacklicious’ Club Supreme and writer for Walk the Plank’s River Stories.

She is Co-Director of Red Herring Productions. Projects include an alternative Punch & Judy show, a guided tour celebrating the art of eccentricity and Whistlers, about a fictitious culture of people who live in a symbiotic relationship with birds. The company was the delivery partner for Walk the Plank’s Green Space Dark Skies in Exmoor.

She is on NASA-UK’s advisory board, which looks to represent the artists’ perspective within the sector.

Vee Smith is a freelance circus and performing artist based in Glasgow. She is a graduate of the National Centre for Circus Arts, a Leverhulme Award recipient and a board member of Articulation, the advocacy body for Circus, Outdoor Arts and Physical Theatre in Scotland.