MANDY PRECIOUS - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Mandy joined BYT in an interim capacity in December 2008, and is still here! She took up the post full time in April 2011. She leads on core youth theatre activity, strategy and developing networks with the wider cultural sector, fundraising and ensuring that the work of BYT is coherently planned, and executed, meeting the needs of the young people, and the organisation. She is currently seeking to secure BYT’s future and ensuring that its value is recognised and supported by a wide constituency of people. Her background is in writing for theatre, and in education. She is passionate about both. In her spare time, she is completing a PhD, and enjoys triathlon – she closes her eyes during running, because it hurts that much.
mandy.precious@burnleyyouththeatre.org
KAREN BARNES – YOUTH ARTS WORKER
Karen joined BYT in April 2009 as the Youth Arts Worker and has since worked with young people in the community on issue based projects such as Knife Crime, Sexual Health and Body Image. As well as running community projects she has directed various productions at the youth theatre including The Twits, Gregory’s Girl and Holding The Key, a play which looked at preventing violent extremism.
In her spare time, Karen is a keen traveller with Thailand, Rome and New York being amongst her favourite places to visit. She also likes to socialise with friends at weekends either out and about in Manchester or at home with a takeaway and X Factor!
karen.barnes@burnleyyouththeatre.org
MARK LORD – OPERATIONS MANAGER
Mark joined BYT in March 2010 as Operations Manager. Mark lives in Rossendale and has had over 25 years experience owning and operating small businesses. He has been a School Governor for 10 years and helps run a scout group. His spare time passion is trials motorbikes where enthusiasm far outweighs ability. At BYT Mark takes charge of the day to day operations making sure the building itself is functional, overseeing day to day finances and legal matters, taking theatre bookings and co-ordinating volunteers and quite often welcoming visitors and participants coming into the theatre.
mark.lord@burnleyyouththeatre.org
ANTHONY BRIGGS – DANCE DEVELOPMENT
Anthony has been working at BYT for the last two and a half years on developing a strong internal and external dance offer for Burnley’s young people. Anthony has worked with a wide variety of client groups including young people not in education and/or training and young people with special needs.
Bringing to the table a mix of different dance styles and genres, Anthony prefers to work creatively in anything he does, pulling from over 4 years experience delivering in community centres, schools and pupil referral units to name a few. Anthony enjoys working with young people who have a passion for dance and the arts, and strives to help make dance more accessible for everyone.
anthony.briggs@burnleyyouththeatre.org
NIKKI MAILER – ASSISTANT YOUTH ARTS WORKER
Nikki Mailer is our Youth Arts Worker Assistant. She develops and delivers issue-based arts projects at the youth theatre and within the community. She has an Ma in Applied Theatre and has experience working with children and young people deemed vulnerable or 'hard to reach' across the North West and internationally.
She is also interested in puppetry, growing her own vegetables. Her other interests include story-telling, drumming, singing and African dance. She is about to train to volunteer work with the Samaritans.
nikki.mailer@burnleyyouththeatre.org
RACHAEL ASH – RESIDENT DRAMA WORKER
Rachael has always been interested in Drama and performing. She studied Theatre at Lancaster University. After graduation, she decided that she wanted to work with young people in youth theatre; encouraging them to develop their skills and confidence in performing. She joined the BYT team in April 2010. Her work here includes delivering workshops for all ages, directing and devising plays with the participants and working as an Education Worker in selected schools across Burnley.
When she’s not working, Rachael enjoys going to the theatre, catching up with friends and taking trips to Wales and other sunny destinations!
rachael.ash@burnleyyouththeatre.org
PHILIP HINDLE – RESIDENT DRAMA WORKER
Philip joined the Burnley Youth Theatre in April 1984. His first role was that of Eugene in ‘Grease’. As a participant Philip has played a variety of characters for the youth theatre, such as; Major-General Stanley in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’, Ebenezer Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’ and Captain Hook in ‘Peter Pan’.
In 1997 he received his first paid work, devising the Summer Murder Mystery project. This lead to Philip being engaged as a Resident Drama Workshop Leader, a position he holds to the present day.
A keen director, writer and designer, Philip relishes all creative aspects of realising a production. His list of directorial credits includes: ‘The Water Babies’, ‘The Mummy’, ‘Rapunzel’ and ‘Macbeth’.
In his spare time Philip enjoys going to the theatre and enjoying the odd Gin & Tonic!
philip.hindle@burnleyyouththeatre.org
AIDEN KELLY – OPERATIONS ASSISTANT
Aiden joins us courtesy of The Future Jobs Fund and has a six month placement at BYT. Aidens work involves keeping the database and registers up to date, front of house work, meeting participants and parents coming to workshops and helping to set up and maintain operational systems. Aiden is a keen sportsman and follows Burnley Football Club attending as many games as possible.
aiden.kelly@burnleyyouththeatre.org
OLLIE BRIGGS – DIGITAL ARTS PROVIDER
Ollie is the newest member of our team, who joins us as part of the Blaze Ignite 'Alternative Saturday Job Project'. He updates and designs the social media pages such as our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. He also produces animations for projections, codes web pages for us and partakes in general technical work around the theatre.
In his spare time Ollie enjoys doing everything he does at the theatre - web and graphic design, and sitting around on Facebook and Twitter!
ollie.briggs@burnleyyouththeatre.org
