introduction Archives

The closer we creep to the end of 2020, the busier we get. We’re hoping to launch a whole host of new projects to spice up 2021 in effort to make this next decade a productive one. Yet, our social media teams are not islands. We recognised that we needed support too. We needed organised individuals to help us coordinate our projects and guide them towards their release. These teammates are here to provide insight and assistance in creating the safe and healthy space that we want Be Extra to provide for our community. With talents and experience of their own, we are thrilled to have new team players on board and we want you to be as excited about having them as part of our team as we are. We want you to know all of our teammates so that we can be as open as possible to provide the best network of support that we can for each other. So, this week, we want to introduce to you our Arts Administration Team, our Outreach and Development Team and our Wellbeing Officer. Outreach and Development: David Born in South London to Caribbean parents, David was raised a Christian and has synaesthesia (the colour grapheme). He loves sports, reading and superhero movies but don’t ask him to eat a yellow skittle – he’s not a fan of those! After facing his own battles with wellbeing and previously studying Psychology and Criminology at University, David has become a strong advocate for mental health, so his assistance with the Be Extra team is massively appreciated. Mary History-graduate and twin Mary is from Cambridge and is one of Be Extra’s longest running volunteers. Prior to lockdown, Mary began learning salsa dancing and hopes to dance her way out of lockdown and back into classes. When Mary’s not reading fantasy novels or sipping on different cups of tea, she’s exercising her vocals for her new folk-music A Cappella group. Her practice is clearly working because she’s hitting all the high notes with the Be Extra team! Hollie Hollie has a BA in History of Art from the University of Manchester and interns at Whitworth Art gallery. Her background in working with multiple communities in curating community-led projects means that she is fully equipped to cater to the needs of many in our arts community. Her collaborative nature and ability to reach out to different networks of people are highly valued and appreciated as part of our team. Arts Administrators: Rachel Avid cook and Tangled fan, Rachel is from Kent and has worked in West End Theatre for nearly five years as an usher and supervisor. She also has experience in working as a performing arts teacher to kids but don’t let her Disney aura fool you, however. Rachel loves the dark side of telly too with shows like American Horror Story and Dead To Me as some of her favourites. Rachel dreams of living in New Zealand and using its dramatic landscape for beautiful walks. Minjing Minjing is our in-house powerhouse – a freelance copywriter, writing tutor and start-up entrepreneur based in London. Having studied MA Creative Producing and BA Arts Management, she has a wealth of experience in project coordination, events management and theatre production. When she’s not busy with the performing arts, Minjing loves taking the time to host dinner parties and cook for friends. If you need her at all, just follow the sound of her shower-singing. Pianpian After completing a BA in Musicology, Pianpian worked as a teacher and Musical Project Officer in Shanghai last year before moving to the UK. Pianpian is in constant pursuit of passion: her love for the performing arts has also seen her study Art Museum and Gallery Studies at the University of Leicester; and she enjoys exploring the wider world, its cultures and art forms. Her love for life is somewhat contradicted by her obsession with zombie movies but if the apocalypse ever came to fruition, I’m sure Pianpian’s skill at the cello would soothe their sub-human anger. Chloe Full-time-Samoyed-puppy-mum, Chloe, is Essex born but Cardiff based. Currently undergoing a Masters in Music Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Chloe has also studied Neuroscience with Psychology at an Undergraduate level, so working with the team at Be Extra proves to be a solid intersection for her previous experience. Patrick Interested in fine art, Patrick volunteers at the Box Museum in Plymouth and has studied French Literature in Oxford. His love for the arts began in primary school where he sang and played the cello but his love for pasta began in the kitchen. Patrick has found that the support network that the arts community provides has strengthened him in times of struggle and hopes to return the favour to others. He’s also a keen quidditch player and Christmas fanatic and hopes to bring some of his magic to the team at Be Extra! Alexandra Tennis-club-champ, Alexandra has recently moved to the UK from New Zealand but was born and bred in Tasmania, Australia. A person of order and routine, Alexandra finds that organising her time and routine at home helps to keep her memory in check. It’s her concise planning and time management that we love! Her fervent hate for fake fruit flavourings rules her palette and broken promises from her parents regarding chocolate to break her nail-biting habit still haunts her to this day… But her nails have never looked better. Jeanette Jeanette is a gamer with a preference for MMOs like Warcraft; her art often tends to revolve around this part of her world. A cosplay fanatic, Jeanette spends a lot of her time fawning over characters and illustrations on Twitter. However, if you are looking for her, and she’s not gaming or creating art, she’s best found wandering around big, European cities indulging herself with anything strawberry-flavoured. Jade Jade is a freelance illustrator from the West Midlands, who has had an exhibition at

The countdown to the end of 2020 begins. It’s safe to say that all of us eagerly await its end, but it’s important not to forget the positives of this whirlwind of a year. Here at Be Extra, our silver lining has been our new teammates. Driven, talented, and caring, they all share our beliefs of providing for the arts communities and nurturing each other’s wellbeing. Current pandemic aside, we know that the arts industry puts high stressors on its individuals and demands a considerable amount of self-sacrifice. We share your concerns, and we want to help. Over the past couple of months, we’ve been dedicating as much time as possible conceptualising new ideas and events to cover as much ground over wellbeing as we can. We are creating new online courses, sharing Wellbeing Live weekly, and providing a digital community for you to feel safe and supported. So, we thought that we would take the time to get to know our new recruits a little better so that you can too. Over the next couple of weeks we’re going to introduce each member of Be Extra to you; share their quirks and their experience. We want you to know the team who wants to support you and share in your experiences. So, let’s start by meeting our Social Media and Marketing team. Marketing and PR Katie-Jayne Originally from the Forest of Dean, Katie-Jayne loves cooking and her speciality is cheesecakes, but don’t ask her to include fruit – she only likes fruit in her smoothies. Katie-Jayne volunteers at a cat rescue centre in her spare time and is a sucker for a good crime documentary. After placing third in the UK for the Pitch at the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s excellence awards, Katie-Jayne is a one-to-watch in the world of Marketing. Nicole Bridgend-born and Bristol-based, Nicole’s background in the arts began with drawing. After spending three years in Spain, Nicole moved back to the UK to study a Masters in Curating to marry her love of sharing and celebrating creativity with storytelling and engaging audiences. She has swum in the Dead Sea but rest-assured, Nicole’s career is alive and kicking and we’re ecstatic to be working with her. Charlotte Hoping to embark on a career in PR, Charlotte is a massive believer in using creativity to release bouts of stress. After struggling with her mental wellbeing during her teenage years, poetry, painting and meditation are her weapons of choice in combating stress. When Charlotte’s not engrossed in her studies, she’s a magnet for animals: walking neighbourhood dogs, stroking cats and helping injured pigeons. Her ambition and nurturing attitude is why she’s a great addition to our team. Natasha A rugby fanatic and self-coined cake-connoisseur, Natasha is a classic Swansea girl with a dash of sass and a strong desire to support the wellbeing of others. With her working experience built in customer service, Natasha recognises the importance of the individual and how art helps to explore and assist a healthy mental wellbeing. Outreach Chloe Cardiff born and bred; Chloe has a BA in Drama from the University of South Wales. Her main interests are in physical theatre, avant-garde and screen acting; and when she’s not at poetry slam, Chloe is probably practicing her yoga or trying out new instruments. Her love of which, you might say, came from her uncanny ability to play the recorder with her nose! Fun fact: she was offered a spot on the French ping-pong team. We’re just happy that she chose to bat for the Be Extra team. Michael Having studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Michael lives in Cardiff and works as a Freelance Orchestral Musician, traipsing around the UK on his two-webbed-toes. Recently, he’s been trying to teach himself the piano, but he also loves cycling and football and his cat (who tries to sabotage his team meetings by knocking over his internet router). We’re truly grateful to have his committed work ethic on the team. Design and Content Hannah With an MA in Ceramics and currently undergoing a PCET teacher training course, Hannah is from Cardiff and works part-time as a gardener. She’s interested in painting, pole gymnastics and spicing up her meals with chilli, and ideally hopes to set up her own pottery company. This proud plant mama and her nurturing nature is crucial in creating the right environment to promote wellbeing! Alice Kent resident Alice is mesmerised by the process of creating. With a previous job as a visual merchandiser, Alice is all about styling, curating and constructing. Crafty Alice’s favourite activities include what she likes to describe as “abstract mess” including painting old furniture, making handmade cards and commissioned artwork. We think her hands-on approach is vital in making Be Extra the best it can be! Jordan South Walian, Jordan, is an artist otherwise known as MsBlackInk online. Using organic materials and Pagan influences she has created her own online art company that displays her connection to the natural world. With the help from her two pet Asiatic toads, Pacman and Tabitha, Jordan loves to tie-dye her clothes to match her colourful make-up. Her bright vivacity for life is evident in her work ethic and we’re so excited to have it reflected in our work. Declan Declan is a journalist by trade but occasionally dabbles in creative writing and likes to use his skills to help charities wherever he can. He grew up in the North of Ireland, studied and worked in Scotland, and now lives in Wales. Alongside traipsing up and down the breadth of the UK, he’s also been to the Arctic Circle twice! We’re just thrilled he discovered us on his wanderings: driven by his passion for creating a safe and healthy platform for mental health and disabilities, he’s a great addition to any team. Rachel Ex-competitive Welsh sea rower, Rachel, likes painting and drawing and hopes to go back to university at some point to pursue a masters in