Sally-Anne Donaldson
Creative Director
Sally is a multi-tasking mum of two who comes from a varied performance background including circus, dance and choreography. She also has a background in education, having taught dance to young people in prison as well as training practitioners in community dance outreach and education.
In 2009 Sally completed an MA in Dance Anthropology, at Roehampton where she focused her research on creative movement practise in 0-2 year olds. In 2010 she set up Tea Dance for Little People to promote the health, wellbeing and development of children through theatre and movement.
Sally’s belief in the importance of creativity and movement in all aspects of young children’s lives lead her to start Creative Homes in order to explore these things with families directly in their own homes where they need it most.
Lucy Shaw
Musical Director
Lucy Shaw plays both the double bass and the bass guitar and enjoys an eclectic musical life playing and collaborating with a variety of musicians and genres. She plays freelance classical double bass with orchestras including English Chamber Orchestra and records for many pop artists and film scores.
Lucy enjoys adding that touch of magic to a piece of music or story to give children an experience that inspires them and encourages them to find their own adventure.
Becky Overton
Writing Director
After studying at The Purcell School, Becky decided to pack away her flute and pick up a pen instead. Since then she has been a freelance writer on children’s tv shows such as Thomas and Friends, Justin’s House and Something Special.
Becky writes each TDLP story as an experience to be explored, with lots of opportunities for families to join in and help bring it to life.
Sarah Walkerdown
Visual Co-ordinator
Sarah manages “the cave” otherwise known as our working studio. Here, everything is designed and made, from costumes, props and sets to craft packs that are delivered to families.
Sarah originally worked as a dancer before a diverse circus career was born: performing, choreographing and teaching, with a particular interest of working with those with additional and special needs.
Marit Vestby
Lead Artist
Marit is a dancer and performing artist specialising in performance for family events and teaching dance for children.
She loves helping children and their families explore their space in new ways though movement, rhythm, and dance.
Marit also works on or Creative Homes project as Hub Manager, running one of our community hubs to provide support and play to local families at weekly group sessions and through creative home visits.
Jay Harris
Lead Composer
Jay is a soundscape composer whose interests lie in exploring the use of music, sound, and speech to create immersive experiences.
Through his work with TDLP and out Creative Homes project, Jay is discovering new ways to engage very young children with sound and interaction using atmosphere, emotional cues, rhythm, cause-and-effect relationships and sensorial exploration.
Francesca Grassi
Designer
Francesca is an Italian designer with 10+ years of experience. After having worked for 6 years in a creative studio in Milan, she moved to London to expand her horizon. Francesca works for Creative Homes and TDLP, taking care of the graphic projects and helping to communicate the work to families, housing, children’s services, nurseries, and other partners.
Elena Juzulenaite
Illustrator
Elena is a visual artist specialising in painting and cross-media art. She has a vast background in art thanks to her international experience and eagerness to engage with the surrounding environment through the universal language of creativity. Starting her path as an artist in her home country, Lithuania, Elena studied Oil Painting and Academic Drawing.
She continued her studies in the Netherlands, focusing on film and installation. After immigrating to the UK she found a new passion- working with community and making socially engaged art projects.
Elena dedicates her art to the community and people that surround her. She seeks to communicate her experience through creativity and inspire other people to think from another angle.
Elena is passionate about facilitating workshops and bringing people from different paths of life closer to one another.
