Janet Alexander

 

I have over 30 years of experience working in community theatre, arts management and theatre in education. 

In my early career I trained with companies in West Yorkshire including Red Ladder, Major Road and Opera North before studying Drama at the University of Northumbria.

I became deaf in my early 20's, gradually making my way into the Deaf community. I developed a number of projects in the 90's with the Newcastle Deaf Drama as a writer/director, receiving awards from the British Deaf Association and BBC See Hear. I also developed a Deaf Youth Theatre initiative working in partnership with North Tyneside Youth Theatre's and Headway Theatre Blyth. In addition I was director of Invisible Cabaret, a disabled women's comedy and Cabaret group.

I went on to run my own company Sign Theatre in West Yorkshire, working to increase awareness of d/Deaf issues through drama and the arts, developing work with a number of groups including Leeds Deaf Service; Rotherham College of Arts and Technology; Artlink West Yorkshire; Mind the Gap Performing Arts; Yorkshire Women's Theatre and Opera North.

I have also worked in arts management including: Development Worker for Northern Disability Arts Forum; Arts Officer Scotland for National Deaf Children's Society  and Arts Officer for Caldredale Council where I helped to establish Enabling Theatre providing training for disabled people with the late, Internationally acclaimed Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal. I have also worked in education to develop artistic packages to support  d/Deaf children in schools. .

I currently freelance and developing work in partnership with Sign Dance Collective International on a project exploring reference to Deaf and disabled people in thirteenth centaury Icelandic Poetic Edda (funded by Arts Council England). I am also working in collaboration with Leeds based black writer Sheila Freeman to develop a piece exploring Leeds Rock Against Racism movement.

In 2019 I returned to study on a part time Masters degree at Leeds University developing work relating to climate change adaptation with Scientist Liese Coulter. Due to Pandemic, I put my studies on hold. I plan to return in the autumn and continue to develop workshops and performance relating to Climate Change Issues.