Eleanor Shaw

Artistic Director

I have worked in education and community arts for the last 20 years. Founder and Artistic Director of PeopleSpeakUp; A social arts, health & well-being enterprise based at The Ffwrnes Fach, Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli that connects communities through storytelling, spoken word, creative writing and the Participatory arts. My passion is telling my story and helping others to tell theirs!

Ioan Hefin

Chair - Board of Directors

Ioan has been self-employed as an actor for 35 years and is delighted to see the recent growth of creative companies and individuals in West Wales. 'People Speak Up are at the forefront of that growth and have already embedded themselves in the local creative landscape. You also get the feeling that there’s so much more to come - and that’s truly invigorating.”

Summar Ackery

Board of Director

Summar is an agency support worker, working in many projects around Carmarthenshire. ' I do this job because I want to help those who need it most, I'm on the board of PSU because I love the community involvement that has and will come from this project. I strongly believe that any form of creative outlet can be tremendously healing for all ages and backgrounds.'

Kate Williams

Business and Fundraising Support

Kate originally trained as a musician playing clarinet, saxophone and piano, although nowadays tends to stick to teaching herself the ukulele.

Having worked in the arts for 20 years Kate has moved round the UK working in a number of venues as a programmer, commercial and sales manager, run a rural touring scheme was previously General Manager for Neath based Theatr Na Nog.

In her spare time she is a reiki practitioner and particularly enjoys treating animals.

http://linkedin.com/in/katemariewilliams

Carole Ann Smith

Board of Director

Carole Ann writes short stories and poetry, and also articles on local history. She has had work published in a number of literary journals and magazines. She is the founding secretary of Llanelli Writers' Circle and was appointed editor of the annual periodical Amrywiaeth Llanelli Miscellany, in 2011, by the Llanelli Branch of the WEA (Affiliate of Addysg Oedolion Cymru / Adult Learning Wales). As an amateur photographer she also loves to combine words with pictures.

Stuart Harries

Board of Director

Stuart is a Director at Swansea Accountancy firm Carr, Jenkins & Hood. He has owned and run practices in South Wales for the past 25 years, acting as an auditor and independent examiner to many charitable organisations. These skills, couple with commercial acumen, can translate to helping PeopleSpeakUp on its continuing journey.

Mark Montinaro

Board of Director

( Mark sadly passed away in August 2019, he will be remebered for all the amazing work he did for us and the spoken word Community)

Mark originally trained as a classical actor and has done just about everything from west end to street theatre and performance art. Nowadays he lives in the township of Laugharne in Carmarthenshire and divides work between his twin passions of gardening and performing. He is a regular feature on the West Wales spoken word scene and a keen supporter of the aims and objectives of PeopleSpeakUp within the community.

Rufus Mufasa

Poet on Prescription

Rufus  is a pioneering participatory artist, literary activist, poet, rapper, singer-songwriter, theatre maker, and last but not least, Mother. From Barbican Fellow to the first Future Generations Act Poet in Residence, Rufus also works internationally, securing literary residencies from Hay Literature Festival to Sweden, Finland, Indonesia and Zimbabwe. A Hull '19 artist in conjunction with BBC Contains Strong Language,  poet in residence with the British Association of Social Workers 2020. Rufus has developed huge personal resilience through her artistry and she is working with our communities to develop a new tonic of poetry, so we can heal as individuals and as a community.

Alun Gibbard

Welsh Language & Media

Alun Gibbard is an award winning broadcaster and author. He has published 31 books to date, mostly non-fiction, but also one novel. Worked in Broadcasting, lives in llanelli, has a passion for the welsh language and is working towards a bilingual Wales.

David Pitt

Associate Artist

David Pitt is a sound artist, musician, maker and storyteller living in Swansea and currently working as a creative practitioner for ACW Lead Creative Schools.

Linkedin Profile

Carys Phillips

Projects Coordinator

Carys graduated from the BA Applied Drama course in July, 2019 from UWTSD. During this time, she began to volunteer with People Speak Up which enhanced her interest in using creativity for well-being. She then started to work with PSU through facilitating.

"I have a passion for learning about other people’s lives and using the creative arts as a form of expression and healing"

Donna Lee Jordan

Administrator

Curious weirdo. Conveniently cuddly. Quixotic. Constant reader. Comedically inclined. Caffiene powered. Can play well with others. 

Ffion Weston

YPSU Facilitator and Inclusion Officer

Ffion began volunteering on the Young People Speak Up project during the final year of her BA Applied Drama degree at UWTSD and became a co facilitator on the Young People Speak Up project upon graduating from her degree in 2020. Working with the young people on this project, enhanced Ffion’s interest in creating and facilitating creative well-being workshops for people of all ages, along with making workshops accessible for all as she herself is living with ADHD.

Kris Grogan

Facilitator

Kris started life as a participant and has gone through different stages in his People Speak Up journey - from participant to volunteer to facilitator. He has also graduated in 2022 with a bachelors degree in Applied Drama from UWTSD. His real passions are singing and the work he now does.

Steffan Thomas

Facilitator

Steffan began his journey with PSU as a participant in the Arty Afternoon programme. Having then done some volunteer work at PSU, when a position became available to join the team as a Welsh Language Facilitator he applied and was successful in getting the role. Steffan has a degree in Fine Art from Aberystwyth University and enjoys playing music and reading comics in his spare time.

Ceri John Phillips

Storyteller

Ceri John Phillips is a storyteller and Cyfarwydd for Bro Dinefwr - he has previously been an actor, comedian and writer, working for S4C, BBC, ITV in films, TV shows and on stage. His areas of interest include Welsh mythology, heritage and folklore.