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MANDALA PEOPLE
STAFF
Yasmin Sidhwa
Artistic Director
Yasmin is founder and Artistic Director of Mandala Theatre Company. She has toured with the Royal National Theatre Company, Tara Arts and Aquila Theatre Company, and worked in repertory theatre, television and radio as actor and director.
Yasmin is founder and Artistic Director of Mandala Theatre Company. She has toured with the Royal National Theatre Company, Tara Arts and Aquila Theatre Company, and worked in repertory theatre, television and radio as actor and director.
Ryan Clune
Company Administrator
Since 2020, Ryan has been working with Mandala to support the delivery of all activity across the company.
Since 2020, Ryan has been working with Mandala to support the delivery of all activity across the company.
Sherrell Perkin
Fundraiser
Sherrell has worked in the arts and theatre for more decades than she cares to remember. Starting out in venue management, she quickly discovered a passion for arts education and community work, and spent around 20 years working in this field for venues in London, Essex and Hertfordshire. She also helped set up Box Clever Theatre Company with its extensive schools touring programme, and grew the education work at Trestle Theatre Company, fundraising to set up the Trestle Youth Theatre. She later returned to venue management working for many years as General Manager at the North Wall in Oxford, where she helped raise funds towards various festivals, programmes and productions, before heading off to the charity sector for a few years to work within Oxfam's Philanthropy and Partnerships team. Sherrell is delighted to have joined Mandala Theatre Company at such an exciting time, and is looking forward to helping the company realise its plans and ambitions as it embarks on its NPO journey.
Sherrell has worked in the arts and theatre for more decades than she cares to remember. Starting out in venue management, she quickly discovered a passion for arts education and community work, and spent around 20 years working in this field for venues in London, Essex and Hertfordshire. She also helped set up Box Clever Theatre Company with its extensive schools touring programme, and grew the education work at Trestle Theatre Company, fundraising to set up the Trestle Youth Theatre. She later returned to venue management working for many years as General Manager at the North Wall in Oxford, where she helped raise funds towards various festivals, programmes and productions, before heading off to the charity sector for a few years to work within Oxfam's Philanthropy and Partnerships team. Sherrell is delighted to have joined Mandala Theatre Company at such an exciting time, and is looking forward to helping the company realise its plans and ambitions as it embarks on its NPO journey.
Sasha East
Finance Officer
BOARD
Beverley Harry
Chair
Adanna Onuekwusi
Trustee
Adanna is a coach, a writer and an educator.
She runs programmes and workshops through her business, Invicta Writers, focused on how Therapeutic Writing can be used as a powerful catalyst for social change.
Adanna has over two decades of experience specialising in the relationship between language, literature and identity.
She is passionate about working with individuals and organisations to share how identifying, challenging and rewriting personal and collective narratives can create greater personal and professional fulfilment, deeper social impact and long- lasting collective wellbeing.
A school governor and charity trustee, Adanna is committed to supporting organisations seeking to create greater social equity.
Born in Nigeria with Nigerian-Jamaican heritage and raised in Manchester, Adanna now lives in London with her husband and two children.
Adanna is a coach, a writer and an educator.
She runs programmes and workshops through her business, Invicta Writers, focused on how Therapeutic Writing can be used as a powerful catalyst for social change.
Adanna has over two decades of experience specialising in the relationship between language, literature and identity.
She is passionate about working with individuals and organisations to share how identifying, challenging and rewriting personal and collective narratives can create greater personal and professional fulfilment, deeper social impact and long- lasting collective wellbeing.
A school governor and charity trustee, Adanna is committed to supporting organisations seeking to create greater social equity.
Born in Nigeria with Nigerian-Jamaican heritage and raised in Manchester, Adanna now lives in London with her husband and two children.
Dina Desai
Trustee
Dina is a yoga teacher, Sanskrit student and an IT professional.
Through practice and teaching yoga Dina main interest is the in benefits of yoga physical and meditative practice on neural health. This informs her teaching practice. Following her passion for language and linguistics she has been learning Sanskrit. Aside from the grammar there is a new world of stories from ancient Hindu texts to explore.
Dina believes that performing arts gives individuals and communities opportunities for self expression. Stories are a way of expressing experiences without having to divulge one’s own story. Theatre can be a powerful tool in helping to overcome adverse experiences.
Dina has worked in IT since the 1990s in various development and customer facing roles. Currently, she works as an Integration Specialist in Digital Services at Oxford University Hospitals.
Dina is a yoga teacher, Sanskrit student and an IT professional.
Through practice and teaching yoga Dina main interest is the in benefits of yoga physical and meditative practice on neural health. This informs her teaching practice. Following her passion for language and linguistics she has been learning Sanskrit. Aside from the grammar there is a new world of stories from ancient Hindu texts to explore.
Dina believes that performing arts gives individuals and communities opportunities for self expression. Stories are a way of expressing experiences without having to divulge one’s own story. Theatre can be a powerful tool in helping to overcome adverse experiences.
Dina has worked in IT since the 1990s in various development and customer facing roles. Currently, she works as an Integration Specialist in Digital Services at Oxford University Hospitals.
Sabah Heydon
Trustee
Rhaea Russell-Cartwright
Trustee
YOUTH VOICE
Ramy Hassan
I'm a filmmaker and musician currently studying at Bristol School of Acting. I've been part of Mandal for two years now, and in that time I've travelled to Grenoble, Paris, and Ramallah where I've performed in Paradise Lost, Rhinoceros, and more.
Nelvin Kiratu
Nelvin is a theatre trained actor who most recently performed the role of
Rafeal in a critically acclaimed production of Seed Guardians, and the role of Solomon Salah in the film production of Small Hours. He is currently
involved in the writing of a feature length film, where he will play the role
of a forensic investigator.
Rafeal in a critically acclaimed production of Seed Guardians, and the role of Solomon Salah in the film production of Small Hours. He is currently
involved in the writing of a feature length film, where he will play the role
of a forensic investigator.
Mya Fraser
I've been part of Mandala for two years now. During that time I've been to Paris, Grenoble, and Ramallah performing in all of the Mandala Young Company productions - most recently as Satan in Paradise Lost.
Away from Mandala, I write poetry, and I have recently written a book raising awareness of male mental health.
Away from Mandala, I write poetry, and I have recently written a book raising awareness of male mental health.
Anushka Kar
I have always enjoyed acting performing and storytelling it is an important aspect to me to bring acting and awareness for global issues into the same format into an art to make people think and ask questions, acting with mandala makes a great community for this and to take creative freedom and encourage each other, in parallel to this I am a student midwife where my passion for empowering women also intertwines with involving that with performing, and to inspire others.
PATRONS
Cait Morrison
Patron
Calt Morrison is a co-director of Finn Black, a production company, and a trustee of ChiPS, a charity supporting children through art and education. She originally trained and worked as a journalist, and subsequently worked in local television, media production and marketing communications. She later qualified as a fine artist. She is a former trustee of the Undercurrents charity, which provides video production training for social justice activists. Cait grew up in South London and Leicester, where she attended her local youth theatre. She is committed to supporting Mandala Theatre’s core aim of being a diversity-led company with social justice at its heart.
Calt Morrison is a co-director of Finn Black, a production company, and a trustee of ChiPS, a charity supporting children through art and education. She originally trained and worked as a journalist, and subsequently worked in local television, media production and marketing communications. She later qualified as a fine artist. She is a former trustee of the Undercurrents charity, which provides video production training for social justice activists. Cait grew up in South London and Leicester, where she attended her local youth theatre. She is committed to supporting Mandala Theatre’s core aim of being a diversity-led company with social justice at its heart.
Philip Selway
Patron
Philip Selway is a member of the Oxford-based band, Radiohead, a solo artist and a composer for film and dance. Through his involvement with arts organisations in Oxford such as Arts at the Old Fire Station, Pegasus Theatre, and now Mandala Theatre Company, he recognises and supports the potential of the arts as a force for positive change in the
local community and beyond.
“I’m proud to become a Patron of Mandala Theatre Company. With the wealth of talent amongst the young performers and the inspiring leadership of Yasmin Sidhwa, the company creates not only great original drama, but also nurtures confident, informed and individual voices. These are the voices that will bring about change, social justice and greater connection”.
Philip Selway is a member of the Oxford-based band, Radiohead, a solo artist and a composer for film and dance. Through his involvement with arts organisations in Oxford such as Arts at the Old Fire Station, Pegasus Theatre, and now Mandala Theatre Company, he recognises and supports the potential of the arts as a force for positive change in the
local community and beyond.
“I’m proud to become a Patron of Mandala Theatre Company. With the wealth of talent amongst the young performers and the inspiring leadership of Yasmin Sidhwa, the company creates not only great original drama, but also nurtures confident, informed and individual voices. These are the voices that will bring about change, social justice and greater connection”.
Rosie Pearson
Patron
Rosie was a journalist and teacher during the 1980s, then ran away to Jamaica,
returned in 1998, and rather to her own surprise bought and moved in to Asthall
Manor, where she has brought up two daughters, tried to complete a novel, and allowed extraordinary shapes in stone to perch in her garden, as creative director of on form sculpture.
She is currently a West Oxfordshire district councillor, for the
Green Party.
An optimist by nature, Rosie believes that human beings are capable of
finding a more generous and harmonious way to live on the earth than that which is currently considered normal. “I believe in the power of theatre to transcend the
differences between people and to make connections.”
Rosie was a journalist and teacher during the 1980s, then ran away to Jamaica,
returned in 1998, and rather to her own surprise bought and moved in to Asthall
Manor, where she has brought up two daughters, tried to complete a novel, and allowed extraordinary shapes in stone to perch in her garden, as creative director of on form sculpture.
She is currently a West Oxfordshire district councillor, for the
Green Party.
An optimist by nature, Rosie believes that human beings are capable of
finding a more generous and harmonious way to live on the earth than that which is currently considered normal. “I believe in the power of theatre to transcend the
differences between people and to make connections.”
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