We are proud of our New Associates programme and continue to be overwhelmed with interest. This makes for a tough selection process and as a result, we offered individual feedback to over 70 applicants. 

In memory of Leah Chillery (15.12.1978 – 05.6.2025), selected for this year's cohort. A talented actor, writer and dramatist whose vibrant contributions to British television, radio, and theatre were tragically cut short.

This year's artists demonstrate an impressive range of creative skills. We are lucky to play a part in their professional development and look forward to an adventurous year ahead.

New Associates for 2025/26:

Stevie Cairns

Stevie Cairns is a visually impaired writer, theatre maker and stand-up comedian based in the North of Nottinghamshire. She performs all around the UK and works with various theatres and organisations including National Theatre and Cast in Doncaster. Stevie received a DYCP Grant from Arts Council England in 2023 toured Bee Kind, a commission for Barnsley Libraries as writer and performer. Stevie has also recently completed Graeae’s Beyond Programme for disabled artists.

“I’m very grateful and excited for the opportunity to work with New Perspectives! It’s going to be a fantastic way of developing my creative practice to finish my current writing projects”.

Tom Heath

Tom Heath is a producer and theatre practitioner based in the East Midlands and London, specialising in sound and poetry fusions with live performance and digital art in industrial spaces. He has had work published in Fahmidan Journal, Red Rover Journal, Journeys Festival Gazette and Blossoms Magazine, with work performed at Nottingham Poetry Festival, VAULT Festival, Brave New Word Festival, Jermyn Street Theatre, The Old Red Lion Theatre and Brighton New Venture Theatre. He was nominated for the Creative Futures Award in 2021 and won the East Midlands prize for Derby Poetry Festival 2024 - as well as being a member of Writing East Midlands Momentum Cohort 2023/24. He has led projects for Arts Council England and the Royal Society of Literature in researching accessible creative practice, as well as a co-editor of the St Ghosty Creatives resource forum, and a trustee of WORD! Poetry Leicester.

"Being able to be surrounded by new, local artists and voices is a privilege, and one that thoroughly excites me. I can't wait to start this journey with New Perspectives and the other East Midlands associates".

Daljinder Johal

Daljinder Johal is a creative producer, primarily in film and theatre, as well as live events, audio and now, new technologies. Recently 5 BFI NETWORK funded shorts have screened at Tribeca Film Festival, London Film Festival, Aesthetica, Galway Film Fleadh. Fairview Park, based on the homophobic murder of Declan Flynn in 1980s Dublin, was one of the runners up for the Iris Prize’s Best British Short and screened on Channel 4. She has also worked in TV, audio and theatre: working in development for Hat Trick Productions, as a Digital Producer for Tamasha Theatre and she has shared her theatre work at VAULT Festival and Arcola Theatre and her audio work on BBC Sounds. Her work platforms global majority and LGBT+ stories, often from the working-class and disabled communities. She works across the UK with a particular passion for regional storytelling, from being raised in both the East and West Midlands. 

“I'm honoured to be part of New Associates and grateful for this opportunity to work with the team. I look forward to learning new skills to further my personal development and making new connections with my fellow Midlands creatives”.

Annis McGee

Annis McGee is a freelance creative, building new worlds and blending audio into site specific environments. As a theatre maker, they focus on telling human stories in inhuman ways. Their immersive work explores the use of headphones, and how sound can be experienced on stage. Their writing has been nominated for Audioverse Best New Production award, and they’ve been awarded an Explore Grant from the first round of Immersive Arts UK, to grow and develop their immersive theatre making skills.

They work as a freelance creative in the Midlands as a theatre maker, producer, illustrator, and working with In Good Company; the Midlands Artist Development Network. They love books, ghost stories, and can be occasionally found in a field pretending they know how to garden.

“I’m really excited to be joining this new cohort of New Associates. I’ve really admired the work New Perspectives does both in their own producing work, and in helping the next wave of creatives. It’s really an honour to be selected and I’m buzzing to see what’s in store!”.

 Amelia Michaels

Amelia Michaels is a British-Bajan actor, director, theatre-maker and facilitator born and bred between London and the Midlands. She is a hybrid in many forms which has been her superpower, allowing her to work across many forms, disciplines and communities. In 2024, she solo produced 6 shows across 4 festivals of her debut play MANDEM for which she is also the writer and co-director. She also completed the China Plate Optimist course and as an actor recently wrapped on a Disney+ series due for release in 2025. She's just finished working as the Assistant Director on Romeo & Juliet, a co-production between the Belgrade Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and Hackney Empire.

“I'm really looking forward to collaborating with New Perspectives over the next year to deepen my practice in the midlands and have the space to bring some brewing ideas to life”.

Sneya Rajani

Sneya Rajani is a British Indian actor, dancer, voice artist, and drama practitioner with over 16 years’ international experience across the UK, India, and Dubai. Her work includes theatre, TV, film, immersive performance, music videos, commercials, and community engagement.

Her stage credits include the international Bollywood musical Jaan-E-Jigar (Bollywood Parks Dubai), and leading roles as Geeta in Finding Home and Suvi in Bollywood Jane at Curve Theatre. Other theatre work includes Pick N Mix (Belgrade Theatre), Echo (Tara Theatre), Patel’s Millions (UK tour) as Lakshmi Devi, and The Valley of the Queens (Curl Girl Productions).

On screen, she appeared in the UK TV series PREMature (Kiran), and as a dancer in Marvel’s Eternals and Bollywood films such as Street Dancer 3, Pagalpanti, and Jawaani Jaaneman. She also features in music videos for the Jonas Brothers and Abi Sampa, and exclusive content for Sainsbury’s, National Rail, and upcoming commercial of FEARS watches.

Her voice work includes the video game Just Cause (Sharvi Data), BBC’s Doctors (Indira Chaudry), and the immersive show Ancient Giants (Shanti). Sneya is also a credited actor/author in the Hear Me Now Monologue book, Volume 2, produced in collaboration with Tamasha and Derby Theatre.

Beyond performing, Sneya is an accomplished choreographer and dance teacher, sharing Bollywood, semi-classical, and Indian folk dance across the UK and internationally online. She was a Rifco Theatre Dance Associate in 2023–2024, currently works as an Assistant Drama Practitioner at Curve Theatre and is freelance teacher with Nupur Arts Dance academy and the Centre for Indian Classical Dance UK. Her practice blends Indian heritage with physical theatre, movement, and multilingual expression, focusing on inclusive storytelling that celebrates cultural identity, empowerment, and accessibility. 

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of the New Associates programme. I’m looking forward to connecting with other artists, sharing my practice, and creating bold, movement-driven work that celebrates identity, heritage, and the power of storytelling to unite communities”.

Anna Sharpe-Jones

Anna is a clown & other serious artsy things. She's been doing lots of things for quite a while now, like performing, writing, directing, teaching, singing, dancing, laughing, faffing & healing. Current projects include transitioning to barefoot shoes, arriving on time for things & taking radical rest. Her debut solo show, The Hat of Many Hats, premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024, played at The Pen Theatre (London) in November (2024) & at Dubrek Studios (Derby) in April (2025). She is a survivor of Ecole Philippe Gaulier, a fancy Clown school in France where they bang a drum & insult you if you're not funny. She has also worked a lot in the care sector & has a dream to open her own Clown Care Home (minus the drum and insults). Her muses include language, liminality and absurdism.

“I’m delighted to have been accepted onto this development opportunity at what feels like just the right time. As I emerge from a long hiatus & endeavour to reestablish myself, I will approach what is arising with playfulness & curiosity”. 

Ioney Smallhorne

Ioney is a writer, poet, performer and educator from Nottingham. Her craft is ignited by her Jamaican heritage, fueled by the tapestry of the Black British experience, and smoulders with the essence of womanhood. 

Ioney is an alumni of Goldsmith College’s MA in Creative Writing & Education, Obisidan 2023, and is an Inscribe writer. Shortlisted for the Caribbean Small-Axe prize 2016, and for the Sky Arts/Royal Society of Literature Fiction Award 2021. Winner of the Writing East Midlands/Serendipity Black Ink Writing Competition 2021 and longlisted for the Moniak Mhor, Emerging Writer award 2024. She was the 2022 New Art Exchange resident artist.

Find her writing in anthologies, Glimpse, (Peepal Tree Press, 2019) a Black British speculative fiction anthology, In The Middle (Dhalia Press, 2025) Spin, (Ottar Barry Books 2024), children’s poetry anthology. Ioney is currently working on her debut short story collection and is a part time English teacher in Nottingham FE.

"I'm honoured to be joining New Perspectives as an Associate Artist. Artists thrive not in isolation, but in the richness of community, where support, learning, and collaboration are vital for growth. I'm excited to grow my practice in this vibrant ecosystem of creatives, where we nurture one another and draw strength from our shared artistic roots”

 Noor Sobka

Noor is a Libyan, theatre-maker and screen-maker. Noor has a particular interest in Comedy and telling MENA stories. Noor's previous work includes writing Comedy pieces for Festivals including Migration Matters for which she wrote her Comedy piece Nutella and Harissa. Noor has also written a piece for the Fresh Ink Festival. Noor also enjoys writing sketch comedy. Most recently Noor co-wrote Delulu with fellow Northern artists. Noor is a supported artist at Sheffield Theatres as well as a trained Dramaturg and Script reader.

“I’m really excited to be a part of the New Associates programme this year. It’s an invaluable opportunity and programme. I’m really looking forward to working with the New Associates team and cohort for this year”. 

 Ione Vaughan

Ione is a  theatre and event producer and creative programmer, with her heart firmly planted in mid-scale regional touring and community focused and socially relevant work. She believes in truly accessible creativity, from bringing high quality theatre to rural areas to producing creative events with accessibility at the heart of their design.

She graduated with a first-class Theatre degree from the University of York, and her skills lie in getting projects on their feet and corralling brilliant creative ideas into achievable goals.

Ione is dedicated to alternative mediums, including puppetry, spoken word, mask performance and physical storytelling, most recently working as Associate Producer for adult-focused puppetry company theOBJECTproject, touring their newly devised work to 9 regional venues (so far!). Alongside producing this work she has also honed her own writing, designing, fabrication and puppeteering skills, being selected as one of Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival's Emerging Artists for 2024.

"I am such a sponge and am so ready to soak up this New Associate experience. I’m eager to connect with my fellow Midlands creatives and learn from each other and New Perspectives, who are a personal inspiration of mine".

Ben Weatherill

Ben is an award-winning playwright. His plays include Chicken Dust (Finborough Theatre), Jellyfish (Bush Theatre/National Theatre), Frank and Percy (Theatre Royal Windsor/West End), and Motorhome Marilyn, which premieres at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. He is currently developing original television projects and writes on Death in Paradise (BBC). Alongside his writing, Ben works as an educator, supporting emerging talent across stage and screen. He is passionate about regional storytelling, nurturing new voices, and creating work that connects across communities.

"I'm thrilled to join New Perspectives as an Artistic Associate. As a proud East Midlander, it means a lot to be part of this cohort”.

Conor Wilkinson

Conor is a multi-talented artist who has worked for nearly two decades as an actor and workshop practitioner, with experience in writing and directing for the stage. He trained in Applied Theatre Studies at Create Theatre West Nottinghamshire College before completing an MA in Theatre Writing, Directing, And Performance at University of York in 2017. He currently is working on the Human Artist programme with Unanima Theatre helping develop performance making skills for learning disabled and/or autistic artists. He also works as a children’s entertainer to keep the performance muscles flexing.
Conor is enthusiastic about bringing new audiences to theatre, through relevant content and captivating performances. He wants to tell stories that explore the human condition, and the lessons we can learn from our shared experiences as people. He is also passionate about highlighting the class divide and how it affects individual lives along with the collective progression of society.

"I feel incredibly privileged about becoming a New Associate. I can’t wait to explore my creative journey further with the support and resources from New Perspectives. I am excited about utilising the professional feedback and support to explore my own ideas further through my own craft".

Banner image: [Left-Right, Top-Bottom]  Stevie Cairns (Theatre Maker/Stand-up Comedian, Leah Chillery (Writer/Ator/Theatre Maker), Tom Heath (Writer/Theatre Practitioner), Daljinder Johal (Multi-disciplinary Producer), Annis McGee (Writer/Director/Producer), Amelia Michaels (Performer/Director/Theatre Maker), Sneya Rajani (Actor/Dancer/Practitioner), Anna Sharpe-Jones (Actor/Clown/Theatre Maker), Ioney Smallhorne (Writer/Performance Poet), Noor Sobka (Theatre Maker), Ione Vaughan (Creative Facilitator), Ben Weatherill (Playwright), Conor Wilkinson (Performer)