Meet the team

I work in the arts because I believe brilliant theatre-makers and artists can open doors into worlds both real and imagined beyond our lived experience. The arts can connect us, teach us and inspire us to think bigger and more deeply about the world we live in and the people around us. I work at Fuel because the programme speaks to issues I think should be explored and addresses them in bold, playful ways. Each project is created and delivered uniquely making each one a different challenge and joy.

Before joining Fuel I was Creative Producer at Emergency Exit Arts working on a programme of outdoor shows and participatory events. Working for EEA could include anything from parades of thousands of people, to human catherine-wheels, illuminated gardens, giant mechanical puppets or developing new multi-disciplinary touring projects. Previously I have worked at the Donmar Warehouse and Battersea Arts Centre on event and project management and as a freelance stage manager in venues across the UK.

The arts give access points to different worlds and points of view, and at a time when our world seems so divided, working in an industry which values the importance of shared experience, empathy and fun feels important.

I work in the arts because of the incredible people who become colleagues, collaborators and friends. I am inspired everyday by the extraordinary minds of the people around me, and by the communities created both amongst theatre makers and audiences.

I work at Fuel because of the opportunity to work so closely with artists, to champion their individual journeys and to connect their stories with communities across the world. Fuel is responsive to the needs of artists and an ever-changing industry, and
allows producers to really engage with the creative process. I find that super exciting.

Also, you can wear anything you want to the office.

Before Fuel, I was Assistant Producer at the Lyric Hammersmith, working across all mainstage shows and touring productions. I also produced the Lyric’s outdoor theatre strand, and Little Lyric, a Studio season for ages 2-11.

I was a Producer on attachment to the Old Vic Theatre as part of Old Vic 12, and found a real passion for developing new work alongside emerging and established artists.

As an independent producer, I worked across a range of projects, particularly those focused on joining theatre with activism and social change.

I have also worked for the National Student Drama Festival, Paines Plough and Festival Republic.

I have worked as a cross arts producer and programmer for the last eight years supporting artists to create work and push their practice across a number of schemes that he has delivered in different organisations. As a trained classical singer who has worked in organisations such as the Royal Opera House, Barbican Centre and The Lowry in Salford, my career to date has primarily been about making the sector as accessible to as many unheard voices as possible.

As the Senior Producer (maternity cover) within the Programming department, I lead on the strategic approach to artist development and delivered The Lowry’s programme of in-house schemes. These programmes helped to identify artists and companies that fit with the artistic vision of The Lowry and enabled me to commission them to create new work. This post was focused on the delivery of an ambitious and nationally visible model of artist development that sits within the heart of The Lowry’s creative and artistic ambition. Previous to this role I worked as a Producer at the Barbican Centre for their Creative Learning department where my main responsibilities were the strategic overview, management and delivery of two main programmes; Creative Careers and Development of Emerging and Practising Artists.

I’ve been at Fuel for quite a while. The past is a foreign country. I can’t explain or justify any of it. I can only apologise. Does that sound a little jaded? Well, I’m still facing a lot of the same challenges as I was 11 years ago. The odds remain stacked pretty much as they were back then, and I’m showing no sign of winning. Yet despite being pretty average at production management I remain somehow messianic when it comes to enlisting newcomers and retaining old hands to the cause. All of whom are much cleverer and kinder. You need a mess of help to stand alone.

Working in the arts is something I always thought I would do. Having artistic parents I always felt comfortable in this world and I find it extremely rewarding to now be apart of the great team at Fuel.

After finishing school in Harrogate, I moved to Prague and worked for an events company for 3 years before returning to London to pursue my career in Theatre. I graduated from the production course at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and then went on to work as a freelance stage manager on a big scale production which toured the world. In addition, I have also worked on events and shows in London and across the UK.

I work in the arts because the arts raise everyone’s quality of life and the people who work in the arts tend to be passionate about what they do and very nice. This particularly applies to Fuel.

I have worked in the not for profit sector for over 25 years including 16 years in the arts, leading the finances (and occasionally other bits) of Battersea Arts Centre, The Albany Deptford, Rich Mix and LIFT. I currently sit on the Boards of Camden People’s Theatre and performance company Uninvited Guests.

I work in the arts because I believe brilliant artists give us a new way of looking at the world around us and everyone in it. The best moments in my job are when I see people in the audience connecting with the shows we make – couples watching 'Love Letters Straight From Your Heart' and falling in love all over again; toddlers speechless with wonder watching conkers fall from the sky in 'The Forest'; passers-by being drawn towards 'Electric Hotel' and becoming engrossed. I am incredibly lucky to work with artists who constantly surprise and amaze me, and I’m passionate about reaching as wide an audience as we possibly can.

I studied English and French at Oxford University, and went on to work as a journalist for the Scotsman in Edinburgh. After that, I took the plunge into producing and started working freelance, making shows in pubs and warehouses. I got a job as trainee producer at Battersea Arts Centre in 2002 where I learnt a huge amount about making theatre and met brilliant artists, many of whom I still work with. And I met Louise there and in 2004 we decided to set up Fuel. I have loved (almost) every moment since and can’t wait for what’s next around the corner...

Artists are thinkers with unrestricted imaginations, the solution-finders for impossible times. I like joining the dots between arts, science, activism and community.

I’ve always experienced Fuel’s work to be participatory, empathetic and intelligent. Fuel works with artists to find homes for brilliant ideas, and amplify their potential to reach people across UK and beyond. I’m excited to join a team that works with artists beyond individual projects, looking ahead together to see the bigger picture.

I specialise in developing and producing new contexts for art, digital culture & public engagement. I work with a multi-disciplinary approach: in theatre, I produced 2017’s offie-award winning production, punkplay as part of the 50th anniversary of punk movement in London, I worked in the development of new work at the National Theatre, annual seasons of contemporary plays for Silo Theatre in New Zealand along with supporting independent companies and practitioners. I have a keen interest in reimagining cinema, from coordinating Southbank Centre’s film and live touring music productions 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Brief Encounter and Planet of the Apes, to creating new live cinema experiences with experimental ethnographic filmmaker, Vincent Moon. My passion for music and performance led me to producing Convergence Festival, being a member of PEOPLE collective and creator of NYX: female electronic drone choir.

I work in theatre because it brings me joy and makes me feel connected to the world and the people in it. I’m interested in people and their stories and I believe in the power of theatre as a place to start conversations and inspire change, to encourage empathy and collective humanity.

At Fuel I’m continually challenged and inspired by the people I work with. It’s a privilege to support extraordinary artists to explore new ideas and take risks and feel the impact of this work on audiences and communities across the UK and internationally.

I have worked as a producer at Leeds Playhouse, Hull Truck Theatre, Transform festival and RashDash. As an independent producer I have worked with artists across Yorkshire to make work in pubs, car parks, disused factories, fish & chip shops, and a bath full of polystyrene balls.

I work in the arts because I am passionate about enabling unheard voices to be heard. I believe the arts enable us to rehearse new ways of living in this world, and feel that now more than ever we need to explore different possible ways forward.

I am from Lisbon, Portugal. I came to London in 2003 to study Media Arts with Film and Video Production and then undertook a postgraduate degree in Arts Criticism and Management at City University.

I have worked in the arts for over 15 years. Before joining Fuel in Sept 2018 I have worked with organisations like Percursos (a multidisciplinary arts festival held in Portugal), TAPP (the Teacher Artist Partnership Programme), LIFT, Phakama UK and Greenwich & Lewisham Young People's Theatre. I have also worked freelance as an arts consultant, curator and producer with companies such as Nour Festival, Clayground Collective and Freddie Opoku-Addaie.

I have also travelled to China as part of the China-UK 400 Cultural Leaders programme led by the British Council. In 2010 I joined City University’s mentoring scheme to help current graduates find their way into the arts and creative industries. From 2014 - 2017 I sat on the board of CASA Latin American Theatre Festival.

I work in the arts because I believe live performance and creative experiences can make the world a better, kinder and more interesting place to be. I work at Fuel because I believe in the art, artists and future which we want to create and support. In particular, I am inspired by Fuel’s ambition to engage audiences nationally and internationally whilst being at the cutting edge of producing practice as a producer-led and founded organisation.

Prior to joining Fuel, I worked as Producer for Farnham Maltings, delivering work nationally for Little Bulb Theatre, Victoria Melody, Up In Arms, and Jess and Joe Forever in co-production with the Orange Tree Theatre. Alongside Farnham Maltings I worked independently with artists such as Jammy Voo, and as Company Producer for Home Live Art. I’ve previously worked with organisations including The Old Vic, Camden People’s Theatre, Blind Summit, touring initiative House, and in 2015 I created the digital touring resource tour-finder.org. Outside Fuel I am a regular visiting lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and a proud Trustee of New Diorama Theatre and physical theatre company Rhum and Clay.

Sean is a specialist arts and media lawyer with over 25 years of experience - working with theatre, dance and other arts companies, and in film and tv. His areas of expertise include copyright, charity law, financing, creative team agreements and contractual issues, advising organisations in both the subsidised and commercial sectors. Sean has served as a trustee of a number of arts organisations over the years.

Lilli Geissendorfer is Director of Jerwood Arts (www.jerwoodarts.org), an independent grant-making foundation and charity dedicated to imaginative and responsible funding and development of artists and the arts. She has a background as a theatre producer with an interest in creating definitive new work with outstanding artists. Previous roles include Producer at Almeida Theatre under Rupert Goold, and Relationship Manager for Theatre at Arts Council England where she managed an NPO portfolio and developed national environmental sustainability policies. Lilli also co-produced the first HighTide Festival in 2007, ran the film and theatre producing company Strawberry Vale Productions 2006-2011, co-founded Londoners on Bikes, a pop-up cycle safety campaign for the London 2012 Mayoral election and volunteers for The Breastfeeding Network. She studied social and political sciences at Goldsmiths and Cambridge University.

Joe previously worked at the RSA as Director of the Creative Learning and Development team, focussing on policy research and practical innovations to the close the creativity gap in learning. He also helped grow the RSA’s presence and impact around the world as RSA Global Interim Director, through a range of exciting partnerships.

Joe taught in urban primary schools for five years, before moving into policy analysis and programme leadership – first for IPPR, then as Learning Director for Creative Partnerships. Joe has also worked as a consultant to the Department of Education’s Innovation Unit, the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, and London 2012. Joe has written and presented on many education issues, including on creativity, curriculum, teacher quality, and school admissions.

Sue Hoyle works independently as a consultant, adviser and researcher, specialising in performing arts, cultural leadership and interdisciplinary projects. She is a Cultural Fellow of King’s College London, a Trustee of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, a member of the core group for the What Next? movement and Chair of the Funding Committee for the Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellowships.

Leadership roles have included Director of the Clore Leadership Programme, Programme Adviser to the Advanced Cultural Leadership Programme at Hong Kong University, Executive Director of The Place, Head of Arts for the British Council in France and Deputy chief executive of Arts Council England. As a non-executive, she has been on the Boards of the British Council, DV8 Physical Theatre, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Shobana Jeyasingh Dance.

Shail leads the Northern European hub of McKinsey’s Pharmaceuticals & Medical Products Practice. He also coleads the European Organization Practice and the firm’s cross-sector work on enterprise agility.

Since joining McKinsey, Shail has worked with organisations around the globe on driving innovation, productivity, and growth; supporting major postmerger integrations, carve outs, and asset transfers; leading important performance transformations and restructurings; launching numerous medical devices and pharmaceutical products; and bringing about commercial and product-development excellence.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Shail gained experience in research science, business development, and project finance.