THE TEAM
Susanna Howard (she/her)
Susanna is the founder and artistic director of Living Words.
Susanna fell into working with people with dementia after a period of personal displacement when flow writing saved her. Living Words emerged out of the darkness of this period. All of a sudden the journey that took her into that first hospital ward, to work with people who were struggling with their own personal displacement, made sense.
As founder of Living Words Susanna has led workshops and performed one-woman shows at events across the world promoting our work, including National Theatre of Taiwan; British Council; Tate; Wellcome; British Library; Stratford Lit Fest; BMJ Dementia conference at Excel; National Care Forum; UK Dementia Congress; RSPH; Quarterhouse, Folkestone; Cockpit Theatre, London; Tabernacle, London; Resonance Fm. Susanna is an international speaker and chair of dementia and mental health conferences and events. She regularly appears and chairs at book festivals across the UK.
Her writing on Living Words has appeared in Journal of Dementia Care; Aging Care; BBC Culture; Wasafari; NAWE special edition Writing and Dementia, which she co-edited. For 5 years. Susanna has written research papers in collaboration with partners at Created Out of Mind.
Susanna worked one-to-one with the acclaimed poet James Berry OBE and is very proud of the work they did together – enabling James to continue to define himself as a writer, whilst living with advancing dementia. In 2017 Susanna made the performance film Shutnell, exploring what it means to have worked with people with advanced dementia for over a decade and acts as director, dramaturg and actor in Living Words performance pieces.
Susanna studied Drama at Bristol University (BA Hons), followed by Advanced Theatre Practice: Performance (Postgrad, Distinction) at Central School of Speech and Drama. In addition to running Living Words - when she can - Susanna works as an actor; behind the camera, directing TV/Film; writing for theatre and radio, and working in collaborative theatre-making.
Philip Cowell (he/him)
Philip Cowell is the author of This Is Me, Full Stop. (Penguin, Nov 2017); Keeping A Journal and Stress (Sheldon Press). His writing has appeared in Poetry Review, The Philosophy Shop and BBC Culture. He has run workshops at the Southbank Centre, Wilderness, and Normal? Festival of the Brain. He is especially interested in making words and people stand out.
Philip has been trained by Susanna in the Living Words method and has worked in residencies in London. He became an Associate of Living Words in 2013.
www.philipcowell.co.uk
Shazea Quraishi (she/her)
Shazea Quraishi is a Pakistani-born Canadian poet and translator. Her poems have appeared in UK and US anthologies and publications including The Guardian, The Financial Times, Modern Poetry in Translation, The Poetry Review and The Hudson Review. Her books include The Courtesans Reply (flipped eye publishing, 2012), The Art of Scratching (Bloodaxe Books, 2015) and The Taxidermist (Verve Poetry Press, forthcoming in October 2020).
Shazea has been the recipient of grants and awards from The Royal Society of Literature, The British Council, and Arts Council England. She teaches with The Poetry School and Translators in Schools, and is a trustee of English PEN.
Shazea has been an artist in residence with Living Words since 2015.
Pippa Wildwood (she/her)
Pippa Wildwood is a theatre maker, actor and writer.
She has a BA degree in Acting from The Royal Central School Of Speech And Drama and has trained in clowning with Angela de Castro, Spymonkey and John Wright. She has worked in film and theatre with companies including Secret Cinema, Inspector Sands, Shams Theatre, Filter Theatre and Foursight Theatre.
Pippa writes and performs comedy with her comedy duo Killer and Gorilla and is co-artistic director of the United Nations Association for the Playfulness Of People (UNAPOOP) with whom she has devised and produced two sell-out shows.
She tours with Clowns Without Borders UK working with women and children affected by Human Trafficking; is an artist leader for Playing Up at TATE Modern (LADA); and has worked since 2015 as an artist in residence with Living Words.
Julia Miranda (she/her)
Julia Miranda is an Anglo-Brazilian artist, illustrator and art teacher. She studied design and went on to work as an art director producing arts documentaries. Since spending three years in Rio working alongside her father, the painter Luiz Aquila, her paintings have been exhibited extensively in London and Brazil as well as in Europe and the US, most recently at the Sluice Art Fair in Bermondsey and Animamus, New York.
The intuitive process of her abstract paintings differs from illustrating for poetry, NGOs and childrens’ books, always borne of careful interpretation of the text. They share a preoccupation with the subtle highs and lows of human emotions, as well as a distinctive simple line.
Julia illustrated Living Words' anthology The Things Between Us and Living Warriors films.
Astrid Goldsmith (she/her)
Astrid Goldsmith is an artist, animator and model maker specialising in puppet stop motion. After training in puppet theatre, she gained an MA in Animation from Norwich University of Arts. She has spent the last decade supporting her own practice with commercial model making – making all sorts of things from vibrating monster slugs for *Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy *to the Duracell Bunny.
Astrid's film *Squirrel Island* has played at film festivals across the globe, including: Tampere; Warsaw; Portland and Clermont-Ferrand. It is a stop motion sci-fi action thriller about squirrel apartheid, a short film shot on 16mm in her garage in Folkestone. Seven years in the making, *Squirrel Island* explores the consequences of human policy on the natural world, interrogating choices surrounding invasive species. Astrid’s work sets out to present these interrogations in an accessible, populist context.
Recently Astrid has been illustrating her father's forthcoming poetry anthology; making two new animations; and creating a unique art/recycling project Fanplastic. Astrid began working on Living Words in 2016.
Charlotte Forfieh (she/her)
Charlotte Forfieh is an emerging writer who enjoys combining writing with projects that harness the power of literature for social good. Her focus is primarily on short forms (short stories and novellas); and themes she returns to in her work include the nature of reality, fantastical beings and the experience of time.
Charlotte is also our administrative officer and project manager with Living Words and work don our Nepalese elders project.
Anil Sebastian (they/them)
Anil Sebastian is a multifaceted artist, producer and vocalist producing some of the most unique and other-wordly music to emerge from the UK in recent years. As well as their solo identity Anil Sebastian is also in Hrím, their band with Icelandic singer Ösp and Japanese producer Cherif Hashizume.
Already a familiar face to many in the industry as founder and director of the legendary London Contemporary Voices Choir, Anil’s work has seen them regularly working on arrangements for and appearing alongside the likes of Alt-J, Manu Delago, Imogen Heap, Elena Tonra (Daughter), Kelly Lee Owens, Eivor, Eska, Nitin Sawhney, Laura Mvula, Sam Smith and U2. The choir has performed at several Burberry fashion shows, The British Fashion Awards, the 2020 Tommy Hilfiger show, two BBC Proms and also features on the Harry Potter Play soundtrack. Anil’s choral version of Amber Run’s ‘I Found’ (which LCV performed with the band for Mahogany) has had over 4 million.
Having released their debut album “Mesonoxian”, co-produced by Ingmar Kamalagharan and Cherif Hashizume (Jon Hopkins, Brian Eno, David Byrne) in late 2016, collecting support on the way from i-D, Stereogum, Clash and Line of Best Fit online as well as radio support across Radio 2, 3, 6Music, BBC London and the Asian Network, the album campaign culminated in a sold out show at London’s legendary ICA.
“A gorgeous listen from start to finish...brave at every turn” Album Review, Line of Best Fit
Since then Anil has immersed themself once again in the creative process, contributing co-writes/features the debut album of legendary producer Guy Sigsworth (Björk, Imogen Heap, Robyn), Björk percussionist Manu Delago’s Silver Kobalt album as well as taking on several bespoke commissions for sync, contributing choral arrangements to queer artist and activist Nakhane’s debut album, and co-writing tracks for The Cinematic Orchestra side-project Hunrosa.
In 2017 Sebastian was awarded Momentum Funding by PRS to create a short film with an accompanying soundtrack The resulting film, Daffodil, due for release during lockdown in summer 2020, is a surreal examination of the moral implications of artificial intelligence through the lens of Anil’s imagination. Beautiful animation is paired seamlessly with film and archive footage with Sebastian’s music providing the perfect backdrop and primary narrative to this beautiful piece of cinema. The film was shown at Normal? Festival of the Brain as well as at a private screening underground at The Brunel Shaft in London.
The film’s subject matter is no stab in the dark either, considering the personnel involved in its creation. Anil has a degree in Physics & Philosophy and his brother Ingmar, also co-producer and live drummer, works part-time at the UK Space Agency, whilst co-producer and long-time collaborator Cherif Hashizume is at the forefront of music technology in the UK developing interactive music installations, innovative software patches and utilising machine-learning in several projects. Together, they come from a position of authority to explore the issues surrounding the technology that will, one day soon, be a big part of day to day life for us all.
Oliver Senton (he/him)
Oliver Senton is an actor, an improviser, a teacher and director.
After joining the National Youth Theatre in 1984, he studied English at The University of York and Acting at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, 1990-92. Since then Oliver has appeared in mainstream work (RSC, Chichester, Mamma Mia!, BBC Radio, TV staples like EastEnders, Casualty and Hollyoaks) to the highly alternative (work with Helen Chadwick, Nigel Charnock and Joseph Alford; as a founder member of performance trio IROQIM; with Ken Campbell - from the 24-hour play cycle The Warp to esoteric impro troupe The School Of Night; and most extensively in recent years with Alan Lane and Slung Low).
He is a founding member of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, and has taught drama students, primary schoolchildren, prisoners and the long-term unemployed; whilst performing in the West End, for the RSC and all over the world.
After many years and many plays, Oliver joined Living Words in 2018, aiming to do more to make sure art is for all and accessible for all.
GOVERNANCE
Founded in 2007, we became a charity in 2014. We are also a company limited by guarantee. The directors of the company are also our trustees.
We have continued guidance from our team of individuals living with dementia, as well as senior professionals within the field of dementia care and research.
We are committed to implementing, reviewing and updating our policies and systems. In 2020, we are inviting new trustees to join us - contact us if you are interested and have skills, experience and knowledge that will enhance our work: info@livingwords.org.uk. Thank you.
LIVING WORDS TRUSTEES
Sasha Bruce (she/her)
Sasha Bruce is a customer insight leader.
Sasha’s focus is developing business strategy, aiming to put insight at the heart of what she does. Whilst working at Fintech company Simply Business, she has built a team to represent the needs of customers across the company. Sasha has been praised for her excellent communication, research and empathy in her field.
She joined Living Words as a Trustee in 2018, after seeing our work at Normal? Festival of the Brain (2017). Witnessing the work of Living Words struck a chord, and Sasha became interested in dementia, and more broadly similar conditions where a person’s sense of self is distorted somehow.
Sasha now extends her personal interest in the field, whilst contributing to the charity’s work by bringing her commercial background and strategic thinking to the organisation.
Thomas Ernst - Medical Advisor (she/her)
Dr Thomas A. Ernst is Consultant Physician and Geriatrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London.
He started his career there in May 2006 following Registrar training in Bristol, Australia, the South Coast and London. He specialises in the holistic management of patients with dementia coming into hospital in a state of acute delirium. These patients are confused, their behavior often erratic – and his main interest lies in the influence that the physical and staff environment can have upon them. He employs many unconventional but relevant skills adopted from simulation training such as communication, leadership and situational awareness training and uses mindfulness based approaches in support of these.
He advocates and imparts stress reduction approaches for staff, and a form of meditation known as compassionate mind training – with a view to developing crucial skills such as empathy and kindness in an otherwise very busy and pressured hospital environment. He is a keen believer in the value of the arts in improving physical and mental health among patients.
In summary, Dr Ernst believes in a combination of conventional medical skills, allied with less orthodox competencies from other professions, as a basis for the progressive care of older people both in the community and in hospital. Dr Ernst also has extensive experience in the management of simple faints and blackouts. He is an expert in neurogenic syncope including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, simple faints and functional disorders. And he specialises in the treatment of the disabling symptoms of chronic medical illness using meditation based approaches.
Outside of work, he enjoys cycling, visiting art galleries, and eating endless sous vide meals cooked by his partner.
Reinhard Guss (he/him)
Reinhard Guss has been a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the NHS for over 25 years.
Alongside his practice in Kent and Medway, Reinhard is the Co-Chair of Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) and the Chair of Faculty of the Psychology of Older People. Also, he has been the Dementia Workstream Lead for the British Psychology Society since 2012.
Working in the field for a long time, Reinhard joined Living Words as a Trustee in 2018 after being impressed by our work with people in later stages of dementia. He recognised the authenticity of the Living Words approach and our focus on ensuring that the voices of people are heard.
Reinhard joined LW when we began to think about our next stage of growth, his focus has been ensuring sustainability, faithfulness to the model of working and the ethos of LW, whilst helping us widen the scope and format of our projects.
Douglas Rintoul (he/him)
Douglas is the artistic director of The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch. He also is a freelance theatre director, runs the national touring company Transport, is a longstanding associate of Complicite and a selector for the National Student Drama Festival 2016. He has directed for the Barbican, Unicorn Theatre, Ice&Fire, Upswing, Watermill Theatre, Trafalgar Studios, Dundee Rep Theatre, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, National Theatre Studio, Salisbury Playhouse, New Wolsey Theatre, Creation, Central School of Speech and Drama, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Douglas won a prestigious Channel 4 Theatre Director Scheme bursary and an Esmeé Fairbairn Regional Theatre Initiative award. In 2013 the selection committee for the Contemporary Classic Theatre Commission given by House awarded the commission to Douglas to produce his production of As You Like It. His script for his production Elegy recently won a Royal National Theatre Foundation Playwright’s Award and his devised production of 1001 Nights for the Unicorn theatre and his own company Transport is currently nominated for an Off West End Award for Best production for Young People. Douglas collaborated on the redesign of Liberty of London’s beauty hall and conceived an interactive tour in Vienna’s oldest brewery. He has also taught throughout the UK and in Australia, India, Poland, Belgium, the USA, Spain, France and Luxembourg.
DOING GROUP
We have a growing team of volunteers who make up a crucial part of our work. Volunteers mostly come to us through the route of having been project participants or relatives of project participants. Our Doing Group is a team of people who represent all sides of our work. This group is setting the agenda of how they work with and support our main team and activities. More information on this coming soon.
About us
Arts and literature charity working with people experiencing dementia and isolated people.
Call us: +44 (0)7967 502 506
Call us: +44 (0)7967 502 506
Email: info@livingwords.org.uk
Email: info@livingwords.org.uk
