My work has been performed all over the U.K and across the globe. As a writer I have never been limited to one form meaning that I have a unique way of telling drama. I love the sound of words, which why as a poet I have worked mainly in spoken word, theatre and performance. I have been a writer ever since I was seventeen, fresh out of the care system. I was engaged to write a play at Contact Theatre. At that junction in my life I could have taken various roads. I chose the right one and became a Playwright/Poet with my plays produced by Red Ladder (Tagged) Contact/ Arena Theatre company Melbourne/ Sydney Opera House (Skid 180) Manchester Poetry Festival (Low Flying Aircraft) B.B.C Radio 3 The Wire (Dirty White Girl). I have conducted many residencies at Contact and the Royal Exchange Theatre. I was the Poet in Residence of Queensland in 2006. I would love to write a manuscript of my work as part of the residency but equally if that manuscript turned out to be piece for performance then I would roll with that. My writers voice can best be described as Northern. I am a Mancunian, and that voice can best be described as defiant, funny, revolutionary and strives to find the beauty in the ugly.
University of Salford BA Hons. Contemporary History and Politics 1997
University of Bolton M.A Writing For Television. Completion 2012
Bolton@Home Workshops in Creative engagement with two 2012
Women’s groups in Breightmet.
Men’s Room/Blue Room Writing workshops with young men at risk 2012
of crime, sex work and homelessness
Exploring the theme of Survival. Leading to a
Publication.
Walk the Plank/Cultural Commissioned to write a Poem for the opening 2012
Olympiad of Olympics in the North, which was blasted
Out over Salford Quays.
Contact Theatre/Burnage Media Lead a series of workshops with Year Nine Pupils 2012
College. Resulting in short plays for Verbally challenged.
Chanje Kunda/Contact Theatre Dramaturge and Director of Amsterdam 2012
A major new one-woman show by Chanje Kunda.
Royal Exchange/
Men’s Room/Blue Room I led a series of writing workshops with young men 2012
who are Homeless, sex workers and at risk of crime.
We wrote a play, which was professionally produced
and performed at the Royal Exchange.
Royal Exchange
Cultural Olympiad. Writing workshops with the Booth Centre, 2012
an arts project for Manchester Homeless people
culminating in a performance at the With One Voice
event at the Royal Opera House.
We Face Forward/Manchester Museum Explored the Anansi stories with young men 2012
Royal Exchange/Men’s Room who then wrote and performed a short play
Blue Room for the African Caribbean Elders Group
and for young audiences for the
We Face Forward Festival.
Royal Exchange/Truth About Youth A series of workshops with Outlook 2012
A collection of recorded writing and installation,
With people in recovery from Drug and alcohol
Addiction.
The Edge Arts Centre Jump writing workshops for the unemployed 2012
Bolton@Home Film made with Young unemployed Men 2012
From Breightmet.
Royal Exchange/Creative Partnerships Various projects and taster workshops Present.
University Central Lancashire Consultant working with students and 2010/11
young people from Irish Traveller community
Lancaster Farms young Mens Prison.
Curious Minds Storyboarding workshops 2010
Balshaw Lane Primary Chorley animation exploring space
Curious Minds Storyboarding workshops 2010
Claremont Primary Blackpool
Centre for Urban Education Storyboarding workshops 2010
St John’s Primary animation exploring magnets
Centre for Urban Education Storyboarding workshops KS2 2010
St Mary’s Bosley animation exploring Chinese Monkey myth
Creative Partnerships Performance poetry and music enquiry 1960s 2010
Tottington primary School Bury KS2
Royal Exchange Theatre Play commission for pub event
Waiting for the Baccy Man 2009/10
Stepping Stones Rochdale Writing workshops with homeless adults
Oldham Council Adult writing classes 2009/10
Lees Hub Library
Creative Partnerships Poet in residence St Ambrose Barlow School 2009
Salford
St Columba’s School Bolton
Royal Exchange Theatre Writer working with young People of Wythenshawe 2009
produce poetry performance/installation/animation
BBC Radio drama North Writer to engage with Salford community to 2009
BBC Philharmonic produce radio drama Salford Stories
Creative Partnerships Artist in residence in science focusing on the 2008
Solar System with year sevens. Poetry animation.
Royal Exchange Theatre Facilitator community outreach 2008
Contact Theatre Research and manager for cultural offer 2008
project manager: community outreach
engaged as artist mentor for At Home programme.
B.B.C Commissioned to write radio script for 2007
Radio3. Dirty White Girl
Judith Wright Centre Poet in residence for Queensland 2006
for Contemporary Art leading various performances and workshops
permanent installation and short animation.
Skid 180 has a season in Manchester,
Melbourne and Sydney Opera House
Royal Court/ B.B.C 50th anniversary writer 2006
B.B.C Internet writing project 2005
Cardboard Citizens Film director 2005/6
Manchester and Liverpool
Contact Theatre Project manager 2005
creative development
various projects
The People Show etc
Contact Theatre Lead artist 2005
Creative Partnerships scriptwriting sessions
with a group of emotionally
fragile young people
26 participants
support and development of
assistant artist
Burnley Youth Theatre
European Union To plan and deliver a series of devising 2004/5
workshops for 20 young people to investigate
Issues around drugs: Spiked
supporting cast of 300 at Burnley Mechanics
Contact Theatre Commission to write a play called Skid 180 2002/6
to collaborate with Arena Theatre company
Melbourne and associate artists
to visit Australia as an ambassador for Contact
Burnley Youth Theatre Film Director 2004
The Dark Side of Fun
To engage, plan and deliver project
To train other artists
Red ladder Theatre Company To write a play called Tagged 2004
play opened 2004 3 month tour
Community Arts Northwest Film director
to plan deliver and evaluate film
workshops for young asylum seekers.
to collaborate with artists and train and support
their development
Ali Melling Film director 2003
University Of Central Lancashire The Which Opportunity
Project.
plan, deliver workshops to
create a film
Christy Evans Film Director Kendal 2003
University of Central Lancashire FreeFall to work with group
around issues of teenage pregnancy
plan, deliver workshops to
create a Film
Christy Evans Film director Bacup 2003
University of Central Lancashire This Is My Soul
work with at risk young people
plan, deliver workshops to
create a film
Christy Evans Film director Kendal 2002
University of Central Lancashire Eyes Wide Open
work with young people of
Asian origin in Nelson around
issues arising from BNP elections
plan, deliver workshops to
create a film
Ali Melling Film director 2002
University of Central Lancashire to work with Asian and
white youth from Burnley
Burnley Youth theatre in response to riots and BNP
plan, deliver workshops to
create a film
Bolton Percent for Art Residency 2002
To research, plan and deliver
workshops to create a CD Book
Sunnyside
with former mill workers
to document a disappearing oral
history.
Groundwork Openshawe To work in collaboration 2001
With Sara Domville Maguire
to plan deliver evaluate workshops
for young people in Openshawe
to create a film and site specific
installation
Arts Council of England Artist Poet 2001
Contact Theatre Year of the Artist
Wind Up Radio
created a shed with sound
Installation For Contacts foyer
with Trevor Baylis creator of the
wind up radio
Nancy Barrett To work as a writer with 2001
Trafford Borough Council Trafford Young Writers to
devise a play performed by
participants on Walk The Plank
Whalley Range Youth Arts Festival Poet in Residence 2001
To plan deliver workshops
to primary school children to
create a massive poetry installation
Salford Borough Council Co director community 2001
performance for regeneration
Salford Borough Council Writer director 2001
to plan and deliver workshops
for a participatory play in
a site specific performance
with pyrotechnic for Walk
The Plank at Black Leech Country Park
The Greenroom Manchester Dramaturgy for Sonia Hughes 2001 2002
Weeding Cane
John McGrath Young emerging artist 2000
Contact Theatre residency creation of
test transmission
text messaging installation
and film poem
Wythenshawe Regeneration Poet in Residence 2000
Partnership creation of community play
development of writers groups
Trafford Young Writers To plan deliver workshops 2000
to develop and facilitate writing
for young writers
to prepare the group to perform
Partington Regeneration Partnership Poet in residence 1999 2000
to plan deliver create networks
of workshops
creation of a children’s book
directed and devised a play
supported Partington Online
A local radio station
Radio Regen Poet in residence for 1999
Radio Space
created a radio play with young people
Arts Council Writers Bursary To develop physical poetry 1998
performance
Manchester Poetry Festival Won Manchester Poetry Festival 1998
Writers Commission
wrote, directed and performed
Low Flying Aircraft
site specific physical poetry
experience on the wing of a
Shackleton Aircraft in Museum of
Science and Industry in Manchester.
The legacy of this was the creation of
festival commissions to which other
poets have benefited.
Commonword First poem published 1997
The dropkick from God
MCR fm Created a Radio show 1996
The Spoken Word
40 poets giving airtime for the first time
Expression Company Co Founder of Expression club nights
international platform for artists 1996
staging of open stage nights
Engine Room writer and Co director of
Manchester Festival Seven Deadly Sins performed by
20 young women from Hulme
On leaving School and after doing a Youth Training Scheme, my other experiences were as an activist for various political campaigns, such as anti clause 28, Viraj Mendis defence campaign. These were full time commitments over several years. In addition to this I won the 1989 Young Writers Festival at Contact for my play Melting Ice. I was also a member of Contact Youth Theatre. I worked variously as a cleaner, club promoter and dancer at the Hacienda.
I am writing in support of Louise Wallwein's application for the position of Writer/Storyteller-in-Residence at the University of Manitoba's Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture.
Louise is a writer of considerable accomplishment. While I was artistic director of Contact Theatre in Manchester, and commissioned her play Skid 180, which was an extraordinary piece of new theatre, pulling off the very rare feat of combining poetry with stage action in an exciting, dynamic way (the play was about BMX riders, and the production also involved state-of-the art digital projection and world-class BMX riding!) As a poet, Louise has an earthy rhythmic voice, which draws on 'spoken word' traditions. Her use of, and joy in, her native Manchester dialect informs her work - bringing music and humour to her language. She is a great performer of her work.
Louise is also one of the best teachers/workshop leaders I have come across (and I have employed hundreds). She knows exactly how to relate to each individual in a group - finding a way to make them comfortable with language, and excited about self-expression, and bringing really good work out of everyone. Working individually writers as a tutor, mentor or dramaturge, she is able to inspire while always focusing on the unique characteristics of the people she is working with.
I would recommend her most highly.
Artistic Director, National Theatre Wales
I have worked with Louise in two contexts, as part of the community programme for the Royal Exchange Theatre and in schools as part of the Creative Partnerships programme. We have worked together on projects since 2008 and I have been consistently impressed and delighted by the outcome of that work – as have all the delivery partners and participants involved in them.
In both of these contexts, Louise has always delivered sessions, projects and work of the highest quality, and informal discussions and formal evaluations have always highlighted the suitability of her approach and the immediate impact and benefit of her portfolio of skills and talents.
She is a great collaborator – with both artists and non professionals – and is adept at working with individuals or large groups. Her use of technology to support writing, storytelling and literacy is particularly interesting and is an instant access point for engagement.
Louise is particularly skilled at worked with hard to reach individuals, and reluctant writers, seeming to have a natural affinity with the barriers that might stop them participating and then gently overcoming them. Never patronizing, she has high expectations and works consistently and creatively to support individuals to realize their potential.
This has been most apparent in two projects with adults. The first involved working with adults that were at risk of homelessness to co-create a script for PUB that took place in the studio of the Royal Exchange with the space being transformed into a working pub. The impact of working with Louise, and seeing their work sensitively crafted by her, was profound and remarkable. They absolutely identified with the characters in the performance as something that had been produced from their own imaginations.
The second project – which is underway at the moment – is in partnership with the Men’s Room, an organization that work with young men that are at risk of homeless, have experience of the criminal justice system or are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Despite the chaotic nature of the group, Louise is producing remarkable results and redefining how the participants feel about creativity, themselves and their lives.
She is an effortless facilitator, understanding that everyone has a story to tell and instinctively able to help people develop the skills and structure to share this story with others.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information to support Louise’s application for this position – I believe she is ideally placed to deliver it with consideration, dedication and passion.
Community Co-ordinator and Project Manager