As we kick off our 40th year we’d like to welcome and introduce you to our two new event coordinators. After receiving over 20 applications and a rigorous selection process we are delighted to announce that Sophie Galton and Helen Abbott have now joined the ISTA staff team.

You can find out a little bit more about them both below…

Helen Abbott
(Pictured above, left)

Having obtained a BA in Acting (RCS) and an MA in Shakespeare and Theatre, I now work as a theatre director, practitioner and dramaturg. I was the 2017 recipient of the John Fernald Award which supported my role as assistant director for Persuasion at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.

I love creating work, whether from scripted material or devised. I am always amazed at how a group of individuals can go from discussing a concept to performing inspirational pieces of drama that can educate and entertain. I am particularly interested in how classical work can be re-imagined for the audience of today.

Sophie Galton
(Pictured above, right)

I have a BA in Theatre Acting and PGCE in Drama. I have worked in schools in the United Kingdom and internationally teaching IGCSE drama and IB Diploma Theatre. My core teaching is a mix of devising work and the exploration of practitioners such as Antonin Artaud and the Theatre of Cruelty.

The movement of change, the ability to explore, imagine and redesign our worlds through theatre is an incredible experience. This is what inspires and drives me as an artist. From Brecht to Butoh, Boal to Bausch – theatre is an avenue of culture, expression and unimaginable possibilities.

I have been a teacher of IB Diploma Theatre for over eight years and I am also an examiner of the Solo theatre section of the exam. Through my own passions for exploring world theatre I am able to lead students through a diverse, challenging and exciting IB programme of study.