Stella Barnes

Background

About Stella Barnes

2023-24 Simon Industry Research Fellow at University of Manchester 2019-2023 Creative Director of Community Arts North West. Leading CAN’s creative team in the development and delivery of artistically diverse, socially engaged arts programme; responding to the ambitions and cultural aspirations of Greater Manchester’s diverse communities and connecting programmes to wider cultural sector initiatives. The role involved brokering dynamic partnerships bringing communities, artists, mainstream, independent and voluntary arts sectors together with third sector agencies, charities and public bodies. 2017-19: Artistic Director at Longfield Hall Trust and freelance socially engaged artist and consultant. Worked with A New Direction, developing/researching Looked After Children and arts and cultural education. Associate Artist with Counterpoints Arts in Clapham and Halifax. 2010 Jointly set up Platforma – a national network for refugee related arts with Counterpoints Arts. 2004-2017: Director of Participation at Brixton House Theatre, developing partnerships with non arts sector to deliver projects with excluded communities. Before this spent five years pioneering participatory arts work with young exiles in Greenwich and Lewisham. Founder member and Chair of The Refugee and Arts Initiative, a London-wide network for exiled artists. Expertise is in Participatory Arts, Arts Education and Theatre in Education. Experienced trainer and arts facilitator and presented work at conferences and seminars in the UK and internationally. Delivered national training in using the arts with young refugees and asylum seekers for Artswork, the national youth arts development agency. Was also commissioned by Artswork to write their guidance document for using the arts with young refugees and asylum seekers. In 2002 created Flight Paths, a London-wide arts-in-education training programme for exiled artists to provide training in arts education practice for exiled artists. Produced two award winning short films with young refugees and in 2004 organised New Beginnings the first youth-led conference about young people, the arts and exile. Has worked with the British Council in four Southern African countries to train young people to be social action facilitators using the arts. Special areas of interest: Co-creation Socially engaged arts Ethics Wellbeing Arts and Migration