Meet The Team | The Gap

Core Team

Ceri Townsend - Artistic Director

My role as Artistic Director is to lead the creative strategy and development of The GAP, its team and the creative and cultural provision it offers young people.

The GAP has had a unique and varied journey over the years and it’s been a real privilege to have been on it and enjoyed it from the start. Having said that, with my background in theatre, I get a particular high from using drama with young people to explore challenging questions and human dilemmas. With my experience as a designer, on the other hand, I’ve loved the process of creating The GAP’s spaces, and I enjoy supporting learning and a sense of belonging by making our spaces inclusive, comfortable, inspiring and surprising. I’ve had a ball running the café in bygone years, hosting live music nights and community quizzes, befriending and supporting young people new to our city and country, and becoming part of the very special Balsall Heath community. I have even been known to enjoy writing funding applications from time to time – you don’t have to be an artist to use your creativity successfully! But the thing that’s the most rewarding and enjoyable for me is seeing how meaningful, quality, creative engagement can transform young lives and, by doing so, make a better future for all of us.

Before I founded The GAP, I worked for Big Brum Theatre in Education Company, where I was theatre designer and youth theatre director. Highlights from my 16 years with Big Brum included designing all 10 plays we commissioned from major British playwright, Edward Bond, and training to use a special drama methodology with some of the best young people’s theatre practitioners that there are, both in Big Brum and internationally. It is on the foundations of this methodology that The GAP is built. (In fact, ‘The GAP’ gets its name from one of its key concepts…) Before Big Brum I was a Drama teacher, but it wasn’t for me. More recently, I’ve revived my teenage passion for sculpting, and I’m currently enjoying getting my hands dirty with clay again.

John Bloomfield - Executive Director

I support the artistic and programming side of the organisation through fundraising, managing operations and finances and looking after the team’s wellbeing and culture.
After living in Birmingham for 3 years, I really wanted to have an active role in a community. The Gap is embedded in multiple communities—residents of Balsall Heath, arts workers in the Old Print Works and arts organisations in the region—which is why I love working here.

I joined the gap in Autumn 2024, after over a decade working closely with artists and developing programmes. Previous to joining the Gap I was Director (Maternity Cover) at Peer, London, and Senior Curator of Programmes at Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridgeshire. At Wysing, I led the Syllabus artist development programme, securing the programme’s future until 2034 through a landmark funding agreement.
I have also worked at Black Dog Publishing, developed independent projects with Arcadia Missa, BFI, Flat Time House, Tate Film and MOT and have worked for artist Isaac Julien.
I am a trustee of Arts Catalyst, Sheffield.

Ella Marshall - Programme Director

I collaborate with young people, artists and other GAP team members to design, plan, produce and deliver our programme of activities.

The hope and inspiration that comes from learning alongside and co-creating with young people; developing creative strategies for freeing the imagination and critically engaging with society; witnessing the transformational impacts of this work upon young people; getting to experience many different cultural activities and events; the joy of holding space for community to gather and flourish.

My journey with The GAP began back in 2015 when I was a young person myself participating in some of its earliest projects. Over the past ten years I’ve moved from project participant, to volunteer, to freelance worker, to full-time team member.

Alongside this, I have worked with Craftspace, Ikon Gallery and Place Prospectors, and have taken part in various programmes to develop my own creative practice, the most recent being an MA in Arts & Education Practices from BCU.

Arron Gill - Youth and Community Researcher and Artist

My role at The GAP is Youth & Community Researcher and Artist. I'm working to explore how the cultural space can be a strong resource in the community, and how it interacts with young people's lives.

I enjoy many things about my role, including developing meaningful relationships in this neighbourhood, and working in a value driven organisation.

I (re) joined The GAP in early November 2024, and for a couple of years before that I was in Cardiff working in community engagement in a cultural centre.

Isra Kausar - Curator

The biggest and best part of my job is to make exhibitions happen and make them fun for everyone. This involves a mixture of things, including research, writing, talking with people, physical work with installing and de-installing exhibitions, generating ideas, setting out dates and timelines, and a bunch more.

My first exhibition in this role was the Open Call to Birmingham artists, on the theme of Cycles. With this, I really enjoyed seeing people come together to celebrate themselves, others, and creativity. It was a real pleasure to be a part of the atmosphere that was the opening night, which was a room full of joy, celebration and togetherness.

I began with The GAP as a volunteer in the café, which gave me the experience to find paid work, as well as access to an artistic community that has been incredibly fulfilling and helpful. I curated a solo exhibition during the winter of 2023/24 on a voluntary basis, which helped me to decide that curating was something I wanted to explore further.

I began as a paid Curator during the summer of 2024, after completing my undergraduate in History of Art and Classical Studies. I also work full time at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, as a member of the front of house team. In both of these roles, I have enjoyed interacting with a variety of people, giving them joyful and peaceful moments in their day. Access to art is limited, and it can be intimidating and hard to get into. I want to break down those barriers, and to continue to use my abilities and resources to make art accessible and enjoyable to as many people as possible.

Sanah Iqbal - Arts Administration Assistant

I joined The GAP in October 2024, combining my passion for the arts, community engagement, and photography.

With a background in creative roles, I have honed my skills in content creation, event coordination and administrative support. As a Fine Art Photographer, I bring a keen eye for design and a deep appreciation for visual storytelling to my work at The GAP.

I’m excited by the opportunity to combine my organisational skills with my passion for the arts, especially in a role that directly supports the creative development of young people. I enjoy the variety of tasks, from handling administrative duties to contributing creatively to projects.

Cafe Team

Hussien Ibrahim - Manager

My role at the cafe is all about creating a welcoming atmosphere for our customers. I prepare and serve delicious drinks, ensure everything runs smoothly, and love adding a personal touch to each interaction. It's not just about coffee, it's about making someone's day a little brighter!

I truly enjoy the connections I make with people every day. There's something special about seeing a customer's face light up after their first sip of coffee or a friendly conversation. The fast-paced, lively environment keeps things exciting, and I love being part of a team that feels like family.

I joined the MIX Cafe in July 2024 and it's been such a journey since then! Before this, I worked in coffee roaster as a roaster technician part-time. I previously had a job in the education industry but I have always had a passion for hospitality and making people feel at home.

Trustees

Maria Wells - Chair

As Chair of the board of trustees, I ensure we are all working together to achieve the purposes of the organisation. This involves setting agendas, facilitating meetings, leading strategy and supporting the core team. Alongside this, I also have the usual collective trustee duties of overseeing the activities, resources, risks and financial position of the organisation.

I have experienced the benefit of the work of The GAP firsthand so it is an honour to be able to give back. A lot of my leadership style and way of thinking comes from the practical exploration I engaged with as a young person so I enjoy being able to put this into practice in what may typically be considered 'less creative' contexts. I'm really proud to see the organisation continue to grow and develop and I'm excited to see where each year will take us.

I joined as a young person in 2009, wanting to be an actress. The organisation was so much more than a theatre group and I was taught how to budget, market, network, plan and organise. Through drama, we explored what it is to be a human and how to explore the world around us. This was fundamental to me navigating life, so much so that I spent the first three years of my career supporting Ceri to set the organisation up as a charity, applying for funding, running artistic projects and managing the day-to-day bookkeeping. I now work full time in charity governance but I've never really left The GAP, nor has it left me.

Adewuyi Alabi - Treasurer

I joined The GAP in June 2023 as Board Treasurer/Trustee. My role entails the implementation of the financial strategy and ensuring financial compliance.

I enjoy the role as it requires me to put on my thinking cap every time. Prior to joining The GAP, I had won the academic award and prize for the best overall performance at Aston Business School, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Professionally, I am a chartered accountant and certified financial and management consultant with quality experience from the banking industry in the United Kingdom and Nigeria where I meritoriously led corporate, commercial and retail banking groups.

Currently, I work full-time as a lecturer in accounting at the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. My recent research investigated what and how leading retail companies in the United Kingdom reported the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in their annual reports to the stakeholders under the theoretical lens of the stakeholder theory. I am a strong admirer of the use of the arts as a weapon for positive change.

Anna Himali Howard

I'm a Trustee on the board, which means I help to champion the GAP's work and support its future plans.

I'm excited to use my role to shout about how brilliant the GAP is, and it's great to be part of a team of such interesting and inspiring fellow trustees.

I first became part of the GAP when I was a teenager, back when it was called Theatre Ark. I was introduced to their ways of working, and their philosophy around drama and art for young people, and it had a profound influence on me. I'm now a theatre director, and I also work at Birmingham Hippodrome supporting the development of new work and artists. I use the methods I learned from the GAP often in my work, and I'm inspired by the way they make people and art matter.

Laura Clarke

I’m a curator and cultural organiser originally from Birmingham. I currently work as Head of Programme at Site Gallery, a visual arts organisation and charity based in Sheffield.

Through my work, I collaborate with artists to explore how art can be a tool for political education and social action. I’ve worked in arts organisations for over a decade, including Arts Catalyst, Hayward Gallery, the Barbican Centre and Nottingham Contemporary, so I've spent a long time thinking about different models and ways of working.

The GAP continues to be an inspiration for me, as a brave and brilliant organisation led by its values and a deep commitment to imagining more equitable and liveable worlds.

Uma Lanka

As an education specialist, I am a big believer in lifelong learning. Since joining The GAP family as a student in Birmingham, I have gone on to work with various non-profit organisations in science communication, global health and disability education, bringing my passion and commitment for social justice to The GAP.

In my spare time, I am almost always found in the kitchen, experimenting with plant-based ingredients.

Damian J. Hursey

I am undertaking a doctorate in practical theology looking at medieval maps, and the way we conceptualise our relationship to the land has changed since the middle ages. I am interested in the interplay of ideas with activism, community, contemplation and creativity, so The GAP arts project fits wonderfully with my range of interests. I have previously worked in the charitable, pastoral and creative sectors.

I was first impressed by The GAP since I became aware of its presence in the Old Print Works, after losing to them in BrumSoup back in 2017! I was a co-worker at The Print Works, and thought it was great the way they served people coffee and cake through the hatch during the pandemic, as all the people were so friendly.

It brightened up my day buying coffee and cake and having a little chat, and soon I had bought so much cake from them I started to put on weight!

Then after the pandemic, it turned out the whole cafe had been transformed into an awesome bright event and exhibition space, like a chrysalis turning into a beautiful big butterfly! One of the staff asked me what I thought and I said it was amazing! Which it was.

Following that, I got to know the GAP team better through being one of the Community Producers, during their cultural resistance project. This was marvellous for me as I had been involved in Creative campaigning at COP 26, and it was super fun to come up with ideas and explore different themes around cultural resistance in various maverick and marvellous ways, as I love expressing my creative and artistic side, and had plenty of chance to do so on Second Saturdays, when we played in a band, flew home made kites and did a rebellious flash mob dance in the street!

I am an amateur activist, artist, philosopher and poet and I like the idea of being an amateur because it is about exploring the beginnings of things with enthusiasm. Reality begins in the imagination, and everything amazing was once someone’s dream.

I try to live with enough space to have time to truly encounter people, and let my feet guide me into new experiences where I can be present where the Universe wants me to be. Sometimes I feel God guides me to people that need my help when I am able to be open in this way.

As a Trustee I hope to bring my experience in community formation and engagement, pastoral work and amateur pantomime, to assisting the team as it moves into the exciting next phase of its life.

Advisory Board

Aqeel Kapsai

My role at The GAP is serving as a member of the advisory board, with a focus on sustainability matters.

I enjoy assisting The GAP in reducing its impact in various ways.

I joined The GAP as a Trustee in 2020, moving to the advisory board in January 2025. My day job involves working in VAT for an accountancy workers co-operative that focuses on third sector organisations. Before that I worked for an environmental charity.

Associate Artists

Chris Cooper - Drama Practitioner

Chris has worked in TIE and educational theatre and drama since 1988 as an actor, director and playwright. He was the Artistic Director of Big Brum Theatre in Education Company for 17 years (1999-2015) where he directed 35 new TIE programmes and many special projects over the years; including 9 World Premiere productions of new plays by British playwright Edward Bond commissioned by the Company.

In 2008 Cooper set up Accident Time Productions which works mostly in Europe on theatre productions and projects, teaching, training, lecturing and presenting workshops, including ongoing long-term collaborations in Slovenia, Greece, Norway, Hungary, Malta and Ireland. He has written extensively on the theory and practice of educational theatre and drama in a variety of books, journals, and other publications.

Since 2009 Cooper has been working with Drama Rainbow Education (DRE) Company, Beijing training of teachers in drama education and the development of theatre education. He has also created picture books illustrated by Ceri Townsend as part of a Creative Curriculum the Company offers for children aged 3-8 years old in kindergartens and arts centres. Before Covid he was a frequent visitor to mainland China working extensively in the field of drama and theatre education in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Guangzhou and second tier cities.

In January 2017, he became a founder member and the International Director of Jian Xue (See & Learn), which is a research and development NGO in the field of educational drama and theatre with a specific interest in theatre-in-education and international projects, particularly those connecting the Chinese speaking world.
Since 1996, Cooper has been the author of 51 plays that have been performed in the UK, China, Hong Kong, Hungary, Greece and Norway. In 2022 DRE will produce Bag Lady and Rise & Shine for their Youth Theatre, Making Mummy will tour Beijing theatres, and they will stage a TiE tour of You & Me to Kindergartens. Big Brum will tour Along the Silk Road, The GAP Arts Project, Birmingham, will stage Once Upon a Time… and the Wasa Teater, Vaasa, Finland will premiere The Clearing this autumn.

Jane Thakoordin - Participatory Artist

I am a textile artist, educator and participatory artist, which means that the evidence and research informed work I create is always in collaboration with others.

A great fan of the bright, bold and beautiful my practice is rooted in my Guyanese heritage, celebrating colour and texture in the work that I produce with groups and organisations both locally and regionally. I use textiles, found objects and upcycled “stuff” often donated by people who know my penchant for the eclectic and colourful.

I draw on my professional experiences as a mental health practitioner to link creativity and wellbeing in the workshops. I work collaboratively with, amongst others, people seeking asylum, supporting individuals and co-creating work. One of the highlights of the recent Humankindness Project was radical kindness through gift creating for strangers who have made our city their home.

I am a founder/member of MIXED RAGE- a collective of artists of mixed heritages, who recently exhibited at MAC in Birmingham. A recipient of a THRIVE Research bursary, I am currently working with Universities and Youth projects to interrogate the language of mental health and wellbeing, using textiles and zine making as methods of engagement.