Who We Are
Who We Are
Matipo Arts was founded by sisters Sally and Georgia Hardcastle. In April 2021 we formally registered as a Community Interest Company and brought on board three amazing Non-Executive Directors. We strive to create work that subverts the norms of theatre, while keeping it accessible and entertaining. We are dedicated to new material and to having fun. Come and join the family.
Georgia Hardcastle
Co-director
Georgia works across disciplines including but not limited to film, theatre, photography and spoken word. Within theatre, she specialises in Directing and Writing.
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She recently finished studying Film and Moving Image Production at Norwich University of the Arts, and is based between London and Norwich.
Sally Hardcastle
Co-director
Sally is a performance designer based between Essex and London. Since graduating with a degree in Theatre Design from Rose Bruford College she has worked with organisations including Wild Rumpus, The Bread and Roses and The Gate Theatre. Sally has a particular interest in new writing and community based theatre and art.
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Andrea Blades
Non-Executive Director
Having studied ceramics and metalwork at Staffordshire university and exhibited my work in London, I soon realised London was the place I had to be. For the last 8 years, I have worked in international schools in the city. At one school I had the opportunity to develop a Design department from scratch (as Head Of Design).
One of my greatest achievements has been to complete an MA in Creative Arts Education as I feel it continues to guide my development as an outstanding teacher. Education is key, not only for the students but for teachers as well.
In my spare time, I support Black Lives Matter and try to educate people about the importance of the movement using my online platforms. I love to stay creative by visiting different art galleries around London, sewing, baking cakes, and cycling. I tend to bake cakes and create toys for family and friends and I am a member of the Women of Colour Cycle Group in London.
Nikki Cooke
Non-Executive Director
Nikki is the chief executive of Lincolnshire-based charity LIVES, an emergency response organisation with hundreds of volunteers attending thousands of medical emergencies every year. She has a diverse business background, having worked in both the private sector and in senior roles in the NHS before joining the third sector. Nikki lives in a village in rural Lincolnshire where she is also involved in a number of community events including a key role in organising a Festival that attracts more than 40,000 visitors each year. When not working, Nikki enjoys swing jive, golf and powerlifting.
Steph Hartland
Non-Executive Director
Steph Hartland discovered her passion for Producing when in her final year of her degree in Drama and Theatre Studies with English Language and Linguistics. She went on to gain a first class MA in Creative Producing from the same University before taking on the theatre industry.
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So far, Steph has enjoyed working with the wonderful Bread and Roses Theatre, Fusion Theatre Company, SPID Theatre Company and currently works for Red Entertainment alongside maintaining her own company, SHP.