Creating Imaginative Experiences for Curious Minds
Imaginellie
ELLIE SCAnLAN
Participatory Arts Facilitator
and
Multi-disciplinary Creative
What is a Participatory Arts Facilitator?
Someone who creates and runs arts experiences that invite people to take part, rather than just watch. This could include drama, storytelling, music, poetry, creative writing, drawing, painting, sculpting and more!
The emphasis is on inclusion, co-creation, and engagement—participants are actively involved in making the experience, rather than being passive audiences.
What is a Multi-disciplinary Creative?
Someone whose work spans multiple creative disciplines.
In my case:
Public speaking, Performance and Acting
Drama and Theatre Creation
Singing and Music Making
Illustration and Painting
Creative Writing, Poetry and Storytelling
CURRENT projects
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Roots & Reflections Oral History Project
Thanks to a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Gloucestershire Libraries, in partnership with The Roses Theatre and Gloucestershire Archives are launching Roots and Reflections — a powerful new project capturing personal stories of local life and landscapes.
Ellie Scanlan joins as theatre director for Roses Young Company to create their interpretation of the tales discovered.
10th May 2026
Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury
Hi, I'm Ellie.
For over 15 years, I’ve designed and delivered creative experiences for people of all ages across schools, festivals, theatres, heritage spaces, libraries and healthcare settings.
My background is in theatre, I began as an actor and studied Drama at The University of Manchester.
In between acting roles I took on creative work as a director, illustrator, playwright, singer and storyteller.
I also delivered drama workshops in schools- which then evolved into teaching, directing youth theatre, and both designing and facilitating creative programmes for various organisations and spaces.
about ellie & her work
My goal is to create events, workshops and spaces where people feel welcome, curious and imaginative.
I know everyone is capable of creativity and play- it's just a matter of time and space!
I’m increasingly interested in how spaces and experiences shape how people feel — how design, atmosphere and invitation can support curiosity, connection and a sense of ease.
This interest has grown from years of directing participatory theatre, facilitating creative workshops, immersive theatre, and producing community-facing events — where the way a space is set up, held and invited into often shapes the experience as much as the activity itself.
I’m currently exploring placemaking and experience design as a developing strand of my practice.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Education and Learning
Drama Facilitation & Creative Workshops
Festival & Event Management
Engagement & Participation
Theatre Making & Performing
Education & Learning
I’ve worked across nurseries, primary and secondary schools, colleges, designing and delivering creative learning experiences for children, young people and adult learners.
My roles have included visiting drama lecturer, guest speaker, LAMDA teacher, school play director, curriculum and workshop designer, student mentor, SEN teaching support, and theatre-in-education facilitator.
Alongside live delivery, I co-designed an English learning curriculum and creative content for a digital education app (Langlo), and have created learning resources in drama, poetry and creative writing for home-educated children and families.
Drama Facilitation & Creative Workshops
As well as schools, I’ve delivered drama facilitation and creative workshops in festivals, theatres, community centres, heritage spaces, libraries and healthcare settings.
The common thread across this work is play, curiosity, experimentation and empowerment. The workshops themselves vary widely — from Make a Play in a Week projects, to improvisation adventure games, Shakespeare workshops and story-exchange programmes — but each is designed to create a welcoming space for creative exploration and shared experience.
Participants have ranged widely in age, ability, culture and language, and I aim to keep my practice both inclusive and adaptable to different access needs, group dynamics and environments. Thanks to Clowns Without Borders, I’ve also been developing a more trauma-aware approach to participatory arts practice, particularly when working with people who may be navigating vulnerability or change.
Alongside group work, I offer 1:1 creative mentoring for adults aged 18–80, supporting people to build confidence, skills and momentum in their creative lives — including book writing and publishing, magazine making, acting, music production, poetry, stage performance and journalism.
Festival & Event Management
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I’ve worked across community venues, theatres and festivals, supporting the planning and delivery of live cultural events for diverse public audiences.
My roles have included co-producer of The Unfinished Things Festival, Venue Managers for Ledbury Poetry Festival and Shakespeare Schools Festival, and Stage Management at events including Croydonites Festival.
Engagement & Participation
My community engagement work centres on creating meaningful ways for people to take part in arts, culture and heritage — particularly those who may feel unsure how to access these spaces.
As Volunteer Coordinator for Creative Pathways, I worked with heritage, arts and cultural organisations to design accessible volunteer roles, support pathways into creative industries, and reduce barriers to participation. I recruited, trained and supported volunteers, created placements across partner organisations, and delivered forums, talks and workshops on inclusive engagement and good practice.
I also founded Young Reviewers in the Shire, creating supported opportunities for young people to engage with cultural events as reviewers — designing the programme, mentoring participants, building partnerships with venues, and creating the website and branding to showcase their work.
Alongside this, my work as a Schools Outreach Officer with Shakespeare Schools Foundation focused on relationship-building with schools and teachers, widening access to cultural participation and supporting young people to take part in large-scale creative events.
Theatre Making & Performing
Alongside participatory arts and engagement work, I have a background in theatre-making and performance across youth, community and professional contexts.
My work includes directing devised and scripted theatre with young people and community groups — including as Youth Theatre Director at Omnibus Theatre — and directing a youth production for the National Theatre Connections Festival at Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre).
I’ve created and performed work at festivals including Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Red Lion Theatre Festival, Camden Fringe Festival, Malvern Feast Festival, Not Quite Light Festival and Croydonites Festival.
More recently, I directed a youth theatre piece as part of the Roots & Reflections project with The Roses Theatre, Gloucestershire Archives and Gloucestershire Libraries, as well as an intergenerational theatre project with Malvern Spa Association.
As a performer, I’ve worked in immersive and site-responsive productions with companies including Les Enfants Terribles and Gingerline.
This practice continues to inform how I think about atmosphere, storytelling and audience experience — shaping how I design creative spaces and participatory encounters beyond traditional theatre settings.
