About Spun Glass Theatre

about spun glass theatre

Spun Glass Theatre are an award-winning production company experimenting with crossing theatre and popular performance forms to create radical, anti-elitist performance. We devise original productions based on classic texts and work directly with communities to bring creativity out of traditional arts spaces.

We have a strong record for creating innovative children’s work including ‘princess charming’ a cabaret for kids exploring gender stereotypes, co-produced by ovalhouse. ‘princess charming’ was described as “pertinent and powerful” (A Younger Theatre), “an absolute gem of a show” (★★★★★ West End Wilma) & “hilarious, touching and truthful” (★★★★ Female Arts).

We work in partnership with independent artists and theatre companies to combine artist-led audience development, fundraising and project management with each artist's vision and form, creating more space for great art to be made.

Jessica Cheetham ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Jessica founded Spun Glass Theatre to create a platform for delicate new devised versions of classic texts. the 'spun glass' ethos was born from the Tennessee Williams quote:

"When you look at a piece of delicately spun glass you think of two things: how beautiful it is and how easily it can be broken.”

Jessica directed Spun Glass Theatre's inaugural production 'Laura' on this basis creating a distillation of the original Glass Menagerie text infusing the story of Laura with film, dance and visual storytelling.

She has led Spun Glass Theatre to critical success as both a director and producer and now oversees the development of the company's creative programme and partnerships with independent artists and theatre companies.

Jessica has worked locally and nationally with companies including always possible, Root Experience and as regional co-director of Bigfoot Arts Education South. She is a freelance funding access support worker for disabled and neurodiverse artists.

Image by studiomishfit.com

meet the team

Fleur mellor project producer

Trained at the London Studio Centre (BA Hons Theatre Dance), Fleur’s life as a professional dancer working in the commercial, corporate and theatrical sectors has informed her career as a Choreographer and Producer to date.

Fleur creates live work with a strong dance/theatre element with experience in musical, fashion, and corporate events. She is passionate about visual arts and excited by every aspect from lighting to wardrobe and how all these elements come together to create an overall presentation that's exciting to an audience or client.

Fleur is a co-producer and choreographer for Peter Corry Productions who produce shows, theatre and corporate entertainment.

Fleur is also a board member for Theatre & Dance NI who provide a much needed hub of information to the dance & theatre communities of Northern Ireland.

Fleur is the Theatre Search Regional Lead for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

sarah crompton-howes project producer

Sarah studied Drama at Manchester University and began producing work during her time there. She has over 10 years of experience as a leader in the arts, working with British and
International theatre companies and venues.

She is currently Senior Producer at award-winning international theatre company New International Encounter (NIE) based in Cambridge, where she has coordinated and produced I Will Be Everything, a transeuropean collaborative show workshopped in 6 European countries, and toured their multi-award winning productions around the world. Sarah’s own ventures include producing for renowned clowning company, All In Theatre, a long-standing relationship working with Shon Dale-Jone’s HoiPolloi Theatre and ACE bid writing for various theatre companies and individual artists.

In 2017, alongside Creative Director Daniel Pitt, Sarah formed Other Ways Productions, in the role of Executive Producer. Their inaugural programme of outdoor arts interruption In Your Way debuted in Cambridge in September 2018 in partnership with ACE and the Dutch Performing Arts agency.
Since November 2019 Sarah has been a board member of The Garage Performing Arts Hub in Norwich.

Sarah is the Theatre Search Regional Lead for South East England and London.

sarah sayeed project producer

Sarah Sayeed is a Producer and Artist who has worked across professional live performance, education delivery and leading programmes of work for theatre and education sector. She has been Education and Outreach Director for Peshkar Productions, developed award winning digital youth programme Livewire for Cornerhouse Cinema and Art Gallery (now HOME) and produced Karaoke 146 for LIFT.

As a musical artist, Sarah's practice focuses around contemporary works that influence Western classical choral works, orchestral ideas, Indian and Bengali classical vocals & instrumental works and Western contemporary jazz and hip hop. She can play instruments tanpura and shruti, and is the lead vocalist in international duet Myth of Her with violin and electronic artist Anne Eltard (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Sarah's credits include Composer and Sound Designer for Santi and Naz (The Thelmas), Composer and Sound Designer for We Are Shadows (Tamasha), Principle Musician in Richard 2nd at Shakespeare's Globe (2019, Composer & Musical Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company adaption of Moliere's Tartuffe (2019/2018) and Sound Designer for Contact Theatre's production on Suffragette Movement, She Bangs The Drums (2018).

Sarah is the Theatre Search Regional Lead for North England and The Midlands

steven atkinson project producer

Steven Atkinson is an award-winning producer currently working on projects in film, theatre, and television.
In 2019 he founded Long Acre Arts, a UK production company dedicated to commissioning exceptional diverse storytellers and producing their innovative work, and he founded Roots, a national touring company that stages classic plays featuring neighbourhood ensembles.

Steven co-founded HighTide, one of UK's leading theatre production companies, and led it for twelve years. He commissioned and produced over eighty new plays in theatres including the National Theatre, The Old Vic, Royal Court Theatre, Young Vic, in the West End, and Off-Broadway. He produced fourteen HighTide festivals in Suffolk and London.

Steven is the Theatre Search Regional Lead for South West England and Wales.

the spark factory

a festival of bold, risky ideas | Brighton Fringe

The Spark Factory was a curated festival of experimental performance at Brighton Fringe.

Spun Glass Theatre created a co-operative of artists to reduce the financial burden on
presenting risky, experimental ideas at Brighton Fringe.

The festival ran for two years (2017 & 2018) and we are currently looking for new opportunities to
improve and expand the offer to artists looking for a safe space to experiment with new ideas.

read our article on the spark factory in arts pro