MEET THE Team
Here are the lovely people that make up Joyful Jams
LOUISA WHITE
Louisa is the founding Director of JAMS and has been leading community movement, dance and voice sessions for 20 years.
Louisa is a dancer and somatic movement practitioner, Developmental Movement Practitioner, International Trainer, Yoga teacher and trainee Somatic Movement and Bodywork therapist. Passionate about the healing relationship between the arts, the individual, and community. Louisa’s professional and personal journeys bring a wealth of experience, sensitivity, and pioneering ideas to the company. Through her Artistic Directorial role within JAMS. Louisa develops and delivers innovative projects in care, hospital and community settings designed to inspire, connect, and uplift.
ROSA KENTWOOD
Rosa is a company director and is responsible for provision in Norfolk. She leads sessions for those living with Dementia, offering regular sessions, workshops and project-based commissions and collaborations. Her delivery to date has taken place in care-homes hospital wards and theatres. Rosa also facilitates training sessions and courses for Artists, Activities co-ordinations hospitals staff.
Rosa is a freelance dance artist, teacher and Person-Centred Dance Movement Psychotherapist (BA, PGCCD, MA). She works with a range of people of all ages and abilities, specialising in dance and disability and early years alongside her work with people living with Dementia. She strives to deliver high quality arts provision to members of the community that may not have as much access and opportunity.
JULIA BRAY
Julia is a community dance artist, Postural Stability Instructor and budding Clown. She has trained with Later Life Training, Green Candle Diploma course and Clown Artists Angela Halvorsen Bogo and Holly Stoppitt.
Julia’s understanding of movement, its construction, effort and performance, together with her imaginative and thematic approach, characterize her engagement with older adults, and provide a joyful and uplifting experience.
Clown training has proved to be a perfect fit for Julia’s talents and her ability to relate and connect, using non-verbal communication and improvisation, to those living with dementia, in as minimal or complete a way as they choose.
NATALIE BRETT
Natalie varied career has involved working as a 6th Form Drama & Performing Arts Teacher, a Youth Theatre Leader, a Community Arts/Drama practitioner and ‘Care Clown’.
Natalie has been working for JAMS since 2015 and is passionate about the work JAMS does within the community. She particularly loves JAMS heart-centered approach with its mix of movement, dance, song, music, and drama, and how these benefits bring together and uplift everyone affected by dementia – not only those living with the condition but also loved-ones, carers and care staff.
Since 2017, Natalie has been an integral part of JAMS ‘Care Clowns’ the ‘JAMMY DODGERS’. Having trained with both renowned clowning company Nose to Nose (UK), and Klokkeklovene’s Angela Halvorsen Bogo (Norway) - Natalie has been using her skills in improvised clowning to interact and connect with care home residents and staff through gentle play, laughter, song and dance.
CHARLIE BROOM
Charlie Broom trained in performance making at Goldsmiths University and completed a PhD at Winchester University on the personal and social effects of making performance work that deploys comedy, satire and playful burlesquing to make humourous socio-political commentary.
Charlie has over 10 years experience of delivering mask, clown and drama workshops with young people using laughter and play to raise confidence and self-esteem. Since 2017 Charlie has been using this expertise as a member of Jammy Dodgers Care Clowns, a team of JAMS artists trained in the playful, improvisational art of European clowning as a way to connect with elders with dementia. Charlie has been moved by the gentle power of care clowning to reach through the isolating effects of dementia to create joyful and meaningful moments of connection.
EVIE GIBBENS
Since 2016 Evie has been working in Care Homes with people living with dementia using movement, music, yoga and clown work. These interactive sessions focus on bringing love, laughter, creativity and deep acceptance to the residents, families and care staff.
Evie's professional background as a Yoga, Meditation and Self-Inquiry teacher provides a solid basis for her to engage lovingly and caringly with individuals, establishing relationships with people in a very natural and spontaneous way. Her passions include clown training, modern dance, life modelling, singing and improvisation work. Evie is eager to serve general well-being in the community, nurturing joy in the hearts of the people she meets.
SAM GILROY
Sam Gilroy holds an MA in Dance Performance from University of Chichester and is artistic director of Nexus Dance Theatre, producer and social media marketer working across the South West.
Sam has been working as a Joyful JAMS practitioner, leading sessions for adults living with dementia since completing the dementia awareness training in 2016. Sam is passionate about the heart-centred JAMS approach and is proud to work as the marketer to showcase the meaningful, impactful one-to-one and group work JAMS offer in homes, hospitals and now online – to support individuals living with the condition as well as carers and care staff to spark moments of joy and love. Sam is passionate about connecting with people through movement and exploring the joy of dance, music, voice, art and poetry.
CLARE SMITH
Clare’s background is in working with young people with special needs. More recently Clare spent a couple of years volunteering with the Winchester Singing for Wellbeing Group. And has been working for Joyful JAMS for nearly 2 years.
With her love of organising and skill with numbers, Clare is now the Finance Manager at Joyful JAMS. But to balance that out, also has the role of designer and maker! making some of the wonderful accessible props we use in the projects.
Clare is very much into her art and crafting and looks forward to providing more groups with various props including giant scrunchies, scarves, beanbags, and felt flowers. Or if you have any ideas of what might be a good prop but don’t know where to start, do get in touch and Clare will do her best to create it for you.
“It’s lovely, it’s beautiful, it passes the afternoon. It makes me feel part of the group. I’ve enjoyed every part of it. It’s something I’ve never experienced before.”