Youth Board

Simeon is an actor and writer from Coventry, now living in London. Having completed the first year as a board member he has seen the positive change its impact has had on the building. This is in itself has been a learning experience, however it hasn't deterred him from making further strides with the team when it comes to the influence the board can have at the Almeida. He is looking forward to building on this in his second and final year with members both new and old. Simeon hopes to cement the Almeida's reputation, not only as a standard-bearer for the highest quality work but as a building truly for all.

Chloe is now in the 2nd year of her two-year term on the Youth Board, and hoping to continue to learn and grow whilst in her final year. She has found her first year extremely insightful and looks forward to the year ahead and is excited about what the Youth Board has on its agenda. Chloe is particularly interested in working more with the other young companies and helping to create a young community at the Almeida. Chloe works in HR at a charity which helps homeless young people around the UK.

Kripa holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Drama. She has worked in Development at the National Theatre and is currently Corporate Partnerships Manager at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Before devoting herself full time to the arts, she worked for the Embassy of Nepal on the Earthquake relief efforts in 2015. Kripa is a supporter of BAME representation in the arts, both on and off stage. She is now serving her second term on the Youth Board and is looking forward to the year ahead and tackling new challenges.

Sarisha is a Creative Producer at arts charity Poet in the City and holds a BA (Hons) in Drama and Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway University. She runs youth talent development programme Poet in the City Producers and leads on fundraising, corporate, and diversity & inclusion events. Sarisha is passionate about youth voice, creative career pathways and increasing access to the arts, and works regularly with The RISE Collective, a charity that inspires young people to amplify their voices and determine their own futures through creativity.

Azan is an actor and poet who graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London with a degree in English & Drama in 2018. He is also an alumnus of the Almeida Young Company, performing in Cacophony (The Yard) and (This Isn't) A True Story. Recent acting credits include CONSPIRACY (Underbelly Edinburgh & New Diorama) and BBC Doctors. As a poet, Azan's work focuses on navigating cultural identity. He has performed at Battersea Arts Centre, Orange Tree Theatre and RichMix. He is very passionate about BAME representation in the arts, and looks forward to learning from as well affecting change to the Almeida, a theatre that has nurtured him from the start of his career.

Originally from Dorset, Rohan studied Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia and is currently training to become a theatre director at Birkbeck. Often inspired and challenged by the Almeida’s productions, he hopes to similarly engage wider audiences in the future. As joint artistic director of Coast to Coast, productions include: Play Before Birth (Garage / Edinburgh Fringe Festival); Last Night in Europe (Norwich Arts Centre); About Lester (UEA). As an actor, credits include: Slaughterhouse Rulez; Casualty; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Chifa is currently studying Arabic and Turkish at the University of SOAS. She has been involved with various theatres such as the Royal Court, Hackney Empire and Bush Theatre. Fusing spoken word and theatre, she has recently written and performed her first solo show, Cheerleaders, as part of the Last Word Festival at the Roundhouse. As a Languages student, Chifa is interested in the various mediums of art and their relationship with cross-cultural dialogues throughout history.

Felicity is a HR Policy Advisor for the Ministry of Justice where she writes and interprets People Policies for staff working within the criminal justice system. She graduated from the University of Nottingham with an MA in English Literature, and was president of the Nottingham New Theatre, the only entirely student-run theatre in the country. She is eager to see greater BAME representation in senior leadership and champions inclusivity within the workplace. She is also interested in theatre outreach work and volunteers for Founders4Schools, an organisation whose mission is to improve the employability of young people from across the UK.

Holly is currently a Research and Database Assistant at Audience Agency, who help the cultural sector to build reach, relevance and resilience. In this role she assists organisations in understanding and growing their audiences, through the use of surveys and undertaking sector analysis. In 2017 she graduated from the University of Chester with a First Class Honors degree in Events Management. This is where she developed her passion for youth engagement, through volunteering and undertaking research into this field. In addition to being part of the Board, Holly is also a member of the Kids in Museums Youth Panel. She is looking forward to learning more about how the theatre industry operates and how she can help to make a difference to the Almeida and its audiences.