Streams Learning Hub
Our Collaborators, Learning Guides & Workshop Leads
There are so many amazing people in our city who have a heart come alongside young people and see them flourish. Our team of collaborators, learning guides and workshop leads will keep evolving as we journey, invite others in and see our community grow. If you or someone you know has a skill or passion you would like to share with our young people then reach out and say hello. Below are some mini bios of the team we are working with - read more below to learn about them.
RicardoVentura
Ricardo is an actor and theatre maker originally from Brazil. He has worked in theatre for 20 years across Brazil, Spain, and Portugal, with his work spanning many styles including physical theatre, clowning, stage drama, comedy and musical theatre.
His debut play as a writer, Salvo-Conduto, won the award for best play in the National Theatre contest in 2010, in Portugal. His subsequent production “Mulher é Maquina de Mil Botões” sold out theatres in Brazil and Portugal. Ric moved to Bristol in 2015, and in 2017 he co-wrote and directed physical theatre production Blooming Out which toured the South West and won awards at Swindon and Limerick Fringe festivals. Ric has been working with Vamos Theatre company in Worcester since 2019, acting in full-mask touring productions, leading workshops in schools and training actors.
Ric is an enthusiastic and experienced drama and music facilitator. He has worked across a huge range of settings in Brazil, Portugal and the UK, including clowning in hospitals, devising plays in psychiatric wards, writing music with children in care, training actors in physical theatre technique, and extensive creative workshops in school and community settings.
His decision to home educate his daughter has brought him to the home education community in Bristol where he is looking forward to starting a new creative pathway!
Ric is currently translating his first play for a UK audience, for premiering and touring in 2024, under the title The Inconveniences of Time Travelling and Other Family Issues.
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Mark Upton
Mark first trained as a specialist in Physical Education & Sports Science and Geography at Loughborough University and subsequently specialised in Leadership and the Dynamics of Change for his Masters at Cambridge University.
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Mark came to China in 2005 as the Principal of the British International School, Shanghai; having previously been Headmaster of a number of schools in UK, as well as a school improvement advisor for schools across Europe.
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In 2006 Mark became Director of Education for Nord Anglia, running all their schools in Asia, before establishing in China & UK Upto U services - his own education, experiential learning and sustainability consultancy company. Subsequently, Mark project-managed, designed, or directed more than ten international & bilingual schools within new and regenerative urban renewal development schemes in cities across China.
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Now back in UK, Mark runs experiential sustainable learning courses for ALL. He also provides professional development and sustainability courses for Business Leaders, Schools & Educators, whilst serving as the International Ambassador for SIVA University in Shanghai.
KateByrne
Kate is a passionate, experienced teacher and the founder of Our Creative Community. Her expertise lies within the field of architecture and she received a BArch from Newcastle University before spending time in practice. She has been teaching for over a decade and has led classes within many prominent institutions including the Royal Photographic Society.
Her time in practice has influenced Kate to create the UK's only weekly Architecture Club for students aged 7 - 18. She seeks to define how children’s architectural education can be harnessed to improve the inclusivity of our built environment and its social value, by developing a social awareness of space alongside a feeling of shared responsibility and a critical attitude towards the built environment.
There is an inherent value in architectural education for young people as they are members of, and future adults in, society. Educators and practitioners from a range of disciplines have espoused the ‘manifest value’ in children’s built environment education; regardless of whether they are to go on to work in the built environment. By providing architecture education to children, our future adult citizens will have different expectations of quality regarding their built environments - they would be less likely to perceive architecture as primarily a matter of ‘decoration’, and more likely to take an active role in its development.
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https://ourcreativecommunity.co.uk/
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Sayambrita Mukherjee
Sayambrita is a mixed media artist known for her creative work based on mindfulness. She is also a Project Worker with Changes Bristol and facilitates peer support groups. She is passionate about using the arts as a resource in self expression and also a tool for well being. She lived in India until moving to Hong Kong ten years ago, then on to Bristol in 2017 with her husband and two teenage children.
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Originally a student of Economics graduating from Mumbai University, she was involved with some projects in Akanksha (Mumbai) - a school for slum children and Drug Abuse Rehab and Research Centre (DAIRRC). She later studied Computer Graphics and worked as a Visualiser and Web designer developing her work in print media as well as web. She moved back into teaching in a progressive school in Bangalore developing a new Art curriculum which embedded interdisciplinary learning at the core.
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Sayambrita has supported art activity at the Refugee Women of Bristol (RWOB) as well as run creative sessions during the Bristol Refugee Festival (BRF). She has introduced Mindful Art making as a part of the ‘Keep Growing Keep Going’ (KGKG) project at Changes Bristol. She has worked as a Freelance Artist with Creativity Works (Bath) and facilitated some of their Co-Create programs.
She continues her exploration of Folk Art through different mediums, while basing her work on 5 ways of wellbeing. Working with people is a source of energy and joy and she takes special interest in facilitating creative thinking and making for young learners.
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Elena Haywood
Elena is a multimedia Artist with a BA Hons in illustration and runs her own business selling her artwork. Her artwork is playful and energetic with a focus on character, colour and humour, she is influenced by nature, pop culture, science fiction and history – the odder the better! Her illustrations have been published in Honest History magazine, Stir magazine and featured on Association of Illustrators website.
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She has 3+ years' experience facilitating a wide range of art workshops, including working with RWA and Our Creative Community. She has worked with ages 8-80 (with a few years either side) and loves working with kids, adults and teens. She has taught workshops in ceramics, painting, textiles, drawing and currently co-facilitates an architecture course for 7-18 year olds. She is always amazed and inspired by the incredible creativity the students show and feel enthusiastic about meeting new people with a passion for art.
https://www.elenahaywardillustration.com/
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Charlie Proctor
After completing her degree in Early Years Education, Charlie began her career as a Primary School Teacher in Bristol before moving into Educational Consultancy, working with schools across the city.
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In 2016 she was part of the founding team of Science Creates and it was during this time that she realised how little hands-on inspiration there is for young people within the field of science and entrepreneurship. In response to this, she founded Science Creates Outreach, a charity offering workshops in the specifically designed Learning Lab, Q&As with real scientists and tours of working labs for students of all ages.
Charlie designs and facilitates these workshops along with some of the amazing members at Science Creates, helping learns to see the practical application of science in cutting edge technology here in the heart of Bristol.
In her spare time, Charlie enjoys hiking, camping and spending time outdoors. She can also often be found trying new crafts or cooking (usually around a campfire!).
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Tanith Gould
Tanith is a Bristol based artist originally from rural Mid-Devon. Her mural work focuses on community, humanity, spirituality, mental health and the natural world. Her work is notably bright and bold. She believes in 'colour for the soul' and hopes that her work has a positive impact on those viewing it.
Tanith is part of the Bristol Mural Collective who bring colour and creative expression to many walls around our city.
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Emily Doe
Emily has been teaching Pilates since 2010 and has gained a wealth of experience working alongside Osteopaths, Physiotherapists and other Movement Professionals in London, Bristol and beyond. Emily is excited by natural movement and what works for an individual and is inspired by experimentation, playfulness, and fascia informed anatomy research. Emily is an eternal optimist and strives to inspire the people around her to feel good and enjoy moving their bodies! Anything that boosts and maintains her health and energy levels both mentally and physically are essential to her lifestyle as she has two young daughters at home.
Through her previous work with Jeannie Di Bon who has created Zebra Club, Emily realised the potential for a gentle approach to teaching movement 'as a foundation' and how providing heightened awareness of breath in the body allows for movement without tension or pain. This led Emily onto studying with Evolve Movement Education and The British Fascia Symposium and now regularly studies Fascia, Breath and the Nervous System and keeps herself informed about practices for increased mobility and reduction of chronic stress and pain.
Emily is now Bristol based and is excited to bring her courses, workshops, coaching, talks and classes to the South West.
https://movementfoundations.co.uk/
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Gaz Lawrence
In Bristol, Gaz embarked on a unique journey, choosing science and music at a London university over traditional art school. Discovering parallels between music and science, he later became a science teacher in London and Bristol, realizing his passion for blending diverse subjects.
Despite having a limited art background in school, Gaz began painting as a hobby in 2017, gaining recognition for his work. By 2022, his art has been displayed in galleries in London and Bristol, reflecting his varied interests: science, music, poetry, and personal stories about his family and the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2023, Gaz transitioned to full-time artistry, spearheading "The MoSAIC," a project using art to teach science to youth. Art sales contribute to supporting The MoSAIC. Gaz, adept with oil, acrylic, and ink, crafts paintings that simplify scientific concepts for children while fostering creativity. His art, laced with humour, is not just for serious contemplation—he encourages a lighthearted approach to his work.
Gaz has run one off workshops for the Streams Learning Hub - stay connected via our newsletter for when the next one is.
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