SHEILA MANDER AGSM (Hons) LGSM (Hons)

After qualifying from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Sheila worked as a professional actress before her most challenging production- 6 children! She taught Drama and Theatre studies in Gloucestershire for many years before returning to theatre. She was Associate director and Head of Reach Out at the Everyman Theatre where she founded and took the Everyman Youth Theatre to 4 award-winning appearances at The National Theatre.

Since leaving the Everyman Sheila has worked as a free-lance director specialising in Community and issue based work for young people.
One of her most enjoyable projects was to work with the community of Hester’s Way in Cheltenham helping them to express their feeling about their town. This led to a hundred people, old and young, performing an original musical play called “ Our Town” at the Millennium Dome.

Her work through Focus Theatre Company helps to provide performance opportunities for local young professionals.
Sheila runs a series of Master Classes in Theatre Skills for teachers, and assesses Youth Theatre productions for the Royal National theatre.

During the past four years the students from the University of Gloucestershire have worked on the annual musical with theatre professionals led by Sheila. Under her professional direction they have gained the skills and confidence to produce excellent Musical theatre performances throughout the County’s Theatres and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In November 2003 Sheila was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of Gloucester University for “raising the expectations of young people and using theatre to develop confidence throughout the community of Gloucestershire”