Introducing our Bearwood to Dzorwulu (And Back Again!) Artists…
Accra Theatre Workshop
Theatre / Lab / New work / New voices
Accra Theatre Workshop seeks to present Ghanaian stories in new and interesting ways by putting special emphasis on new work and new voices. The organisation is also open to working with international groups and artists. It exists to support artists at different stages of their careers by providing opportunities for training, experimentation, showcase and performance. It strives to create a community of artists who can support each other, creating a forum where artists can receive critical and useful feedback in a supportive environment.
Black Country Touring
Black Country Touring is a creative arts charity now in its 24th year. It is part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio. The organisation has a remit for working in Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall; with some projects reaching further afield through partnerships, touring and digital (Birmingham, London, national).
As well as programming professional touring shows in community venues with local partners, Black Country Touring also produces its own creative projects often born out of conversations with Black Country communities. The organisation has created and presented artistic work in disused buildings, historic houses, empty shops to working-shops, rented houses to real homes, caravans and Black Country Living Museum. During 2020 Black Country Touring successfully trialled many new ways of creating socially distanced content for remote audiences: Zoom theatre; a podcast series; one-to-one telephone based performances targeting isolated communities. The organisation also supports artists at varying stages of their practice through commissioning them to work on projects which stretch their current capacity and through informal surgeries.
Bearwood to Dzorwulu Project Team
Managed by Black Country Touring
Jake Oldershaw – Writer/Performer (British Artist)
Since leaving Dartington College of Arts in 1995 Jake has devised and performed with some of the Midlands most highly regarded independent companies. His solo work has toured internationally and his company, Untied Artists have toured nationally, won several R&D awards and an Edinburgh Fringe First 2013.
David Addo Gyan – Sound Design/Music (Ghanaian Artist)
David has worked in the graphic design, fiction & non-fiction film, animation, motion graphics, music, creative writing, television and events industries for well over a decade. David works in a range of areas spanning, song writing, music making and video production. David learnt to play the drums at seven years old as part of a church band, which also included his twin brother and older brother. He dallied with music through his teenage years, setting up audio equipment for church services, until he developed a sustained interest in playing guitar whilst in film school. From there, he started to pen lyrics, driven by a desire to tell stories in his songs. His music is influenced by folk, soul, jazz and gospel as well as his love for film. David is the creator and co-founder of Post Hangout, a forum for digital filmmakers with a focus on post-production, and the Closed Sessions- a workshop and incubator series for singer-songwriters.
Michael Ellis – Filmmaker (British Artist)
Michael graduated in Visual Communication – Moving image from Birmingham City University. He works as a writer, director and editor. He has won awards for his shorts films including Best Short Film, Best Thriller Short Film and Award of Excellence.
Dzorwulu to Bearwood Project Team
Managed by Accra Theatre Workshop
Emelia Pinamang Asiedu – Writer/Performer (Ghanaian Artist)
Emelia is an actor, educator, and co-director of Accra Theatre Workshop in Accra, Ghana where she was born and raised. She has special interests in live theatre, filmed media and artistic collaborations across music and dance. She has performed on various stages across the United States and in Accra, Ghana. Emelia holds a BA in Theatre from Pomona College (Claremont, CA) where she was a two-time recipient of the Virginia Princehouse Allen award in Theatre. She also holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA) where she was awarded an Iowa Arts Fellowship.
Annie Mahtani – Sound Artist (British Artist)
Annie is an electroacoustic composer, sound artist and performer working and living in Birmingham. Her output encompasses electronic music composition from acousmatic music to free improvisation. As a collaborator, Annie Mahtani has worked extensively with dance and theatre, and on site-specific installations. With a strong interest in field recording, her work often explores the inherent sonic nature and identity of environmental sound, amplifying sonic characteristics that are not normally audible to the naked ear. Her music explores abstract and recognisable sound worlds and all the spaces in between. Annie works extensively with multichannel audio both in fixed medium works and in live performance. Annie has worked extensively in concerts and festivals internationally. Annie’s also a Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Birmingham; Co-director of SOUNDkitchen, a Birmingham-based collective of curators, producers and performers of live electronic music and sound art.
Andrew Dartey – Filmmaker (Ghanaian Artist)
Andrew is a Ghanaian-based videographer. His work experience spans filmmaking, photography, 3D motion graphics and editing. He runs 3 media companies: Fotodepot Ghana – a wedding photography and videography company, Red Dot Multimedia – an event live streaming service, and Boundless Creative – an advertising company. Some of his past clients include: The Ministry of Finance (Ghana), The British Council, Ghana, Uber Ghana and Ghana’s Volta River Authority. He holds a BA in Geography and Archeology from the University of Ghana and a Diploma in Strategic Management from the Institute of Commercial Management.