Who we are
Many Minds was founded by Olivia Ware (Executive Director) and Viki Browne (Artistic Director) in 2017. We are registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and are governed by a Board of Trustees. Our trustees are Sandy Masters, Tom Newman, Tabatha Rodney, M Blaydes and Angelina McClelland.
Meet the team
Viki Browne | Artistic Director
Get in touch with me about artistic projects and collaborations: viki@many-minds.org / 07732 291 248
I am Viki and I use she/her pronouns. I am the Artistic Director and co-founder of Many Minds. I facilitate workshops with members, direct performances, work with artistic teams, staff, volunteers and the board to try and make our dreams a reality and have an overall eye on the artistic direction of the organisation. I work four days a week.
I am an independent performance artist. You can read more about my work here: https://vikibrowne.com In my spare time I like to jump into cold bodies of water, stroke my cat Cyndi Clawpurr and ingest ART in all its forms.
Olivia Ware | Executive Director
Contact me if you want to discuss fundraising, partnerships, strategies and policies or anything else: olivia@many-minds.org / 07843 210 272
I’m Olivia. My pronouns are she/her. I am the co-founder and Exec Director at Many Minds. I oversee the support, production, fundraising and all other organisational sides of the charity and lead on safeguarding.
I liaise with funders, partners and potential collaborators to discuss our members’ ideas and make them a reality.
Outside of work, you might find me dancing, hula hooping, skipping, swimming, climbing up trees or making and playing songs.
Laura Singer | Access Support Worker and Volunteer Coordinator
Get in touch with me about becoming a member or volunteer and any support needs: laura@many-minds.org / 07732 291 250
Hello! I’m Laura and I use the pronouns she/her. My role at Many Minds is to support new and existing members to join our workshops and performances. I’m available to talk through member’s needs and how they can dismantle barriers to their participation. I also support our wonderful team of volunteers. I work part-time including Mondays and Tuesdays.
When I’m not at Many Minds I’m often found attending or facilitating a creative workshop – anything from Theatre of the Oppressed, to art journaling to nature observation. On other days I’ll be out exploring the countryside with my dog, a flask of tea and a picnic, especially if there’s some water to jump into!
Ru Brooks | Freelance Company Administrator
Contact me at ru@many-minds.org / 07845 178 865
I’m Ru and I use the pronouns he/him. As the Company Administrator at Many Minds, I’m here to provide support to the team for anything needed to keep the organisational wheels of the charity turning. With a background in event production and project coordination, I work backstage to help bring Many Minds’ vision to life.
When I’m not with Many Minds, I’m either coordinating events for various charities in the South West, producing music/soundscapes, or out cycling somewhere.
Gill Davies | Workshop Assistant Volunteer
Hi, I’m Gill and use the pronouns she/her. As a volunteer with Many Minds I support the delivery of the weekly workshops, performances and any other bits and bobs that I can get involved with! My role includes meeting and greeting members, offering a listening ear and support when needed. I help to set up and pack away with the rest of the brilliant team and participate in the workshops alongside our wonderful members.
Outside of Many Minds I can be found parenting, gardening, cooking or with my head in a sketchbook – often all at once. I have a background in social work, education, art and design.
Georgina Whitcombe | Workshop Assistant Volunteer
I’m Georgina, and I use she/her pronouns. I am a Workshop Assistant volunteer. I help with workshop set-up and support members in any way I can! I joined Many Minds in April because I know from my own experiences that theatre and performance can have an immensely positive impact on mental health, and I wanted to get involved with an organisation that embodies this.
When not at Many Minds, I can be found immersing myself in anything film or theatre-related!
Tom O'Shea | Workshop Assistant Volunteer
Hi, I’m Tom, I use he/him pronouns and I’m a Workshop Assistant Volunteer at Many Minds. Attending the weekly workshops is one of the highlights of my week, and I always try to be as helpful as I can with setting up, packing down, and supporting members to get the best out of the sessions, whilst also getting stuck in myself! It feels great to be a part of something with such a positive impact on mental health and the arts.
All of us at MM were thrilled to have Tom as one of our visiting artists for our Bloombox show
What we do
We work with individuals to engage with their creativity, improve confidence, self-esteem and build social skills and networks. We run weekly workshops in theatre making skills to devise and create high quality contemporary performance.
Workshops
Our current workshop series runs every Tuesday evening at Arnos Vale Cemetary.
Our performance-making workshops are open to anyone aged 16+ years. It is easy to join. You just need to get in touch with Laura, our Access Support Worker and fill out a simple membership form.
WHEN: Tuesdays 5:30 – 7 pm
WHERE: Arnos Vale Cemetary
New members are welcome. No experience is necessary. For more information contact laura@many-minds.org
Facilitator Training
We are dedicated to making the arts more accessible for people who experience mental ill-health and providing opportunities to progress into careers in performance. We support and mentor a small number of members each year through mentoring and bespoke training in facilitation. Two of our members who have taken part in the training have both gone onto paid facilitation positions.
Training and Consultancy
Workplace workshops Mental ill-health costs employers between £33 billion and £42 billion annually in the UK. Three quarters of people feel like they cannot talk to anyone at work about their mental health.
We provide bespoke creative workshops that explore issues around mental health to help break down stigma and create a better sense of wellbeing in the workplace.
Our participatory approach allows employees to explore mental health together in a safe, accessible and fun environment that helps facilitate open conversations in an exciting way.
We offer training in:
- Mental health and facilitating workshops (for facilitators and workers)
- Mental health and engaging the public (for staff with public facing roles)
- Mental health and organisations (For staff, managers and boards of trustees)
We have worked as consultants with The Watershed, Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Bristol.
For bookings and enquiries contact:
Olivia Ware: 07843210272 / olivia@many-minds.org
