The Company

The company is a charity and a company limited by guarantee. Founded by artistic director Jonathan Young in 2001, Shams has a Board of Trustees who oversees the company’s administration and development. We are currently working with creative producer Sarah Sansom of Time Won’t Wait

A new production is usually initiated by Jonathan young, who then recruits a creative team based on its requirements. A list of past and current collaborators can be found below, many of whom we have worked with repeatedly.

Jonathan Young (artistic director)

A theatre-maker, performer and director, Jonathan is currently writing and directing Thin Ice for production in early 2012. He has performed in and co-created all seven of the company’s productions to date, which have toured extensively across the UK and North America – see Productions for details. He trained in theatre with Jacques Lecoq, and in clowning with Sue Morrison and Philippe Gaulier, and last year took part as a director in one of Tamasha's acting/directing labs.

He has worked as a performer/devisor with other acclaimed theatre companies, including theatre O, Stamping Ground’s A Quiet Afternoon and as dramaturg on the award-winning Hysteria with Inspector Sands; in directing Tamsin Shasha of aod in the solo aerial show, Bacchic, which he also co-wrote. 

Other directing work includes This Child (Company of Angels/The Junction) and Tomorrow is Today for the Wysing Arts Centre. He has also devised interdisciplinary and site-specific work with Janice Perry and Switch Performance;  an outdoor dance-theatre piece, Love in Idleness with choreographer Rachel Dean; and The Multi-Storey in collaboration with Nic Fryer of Small Change.

He is a workshop facilitator and teacher of many years’ experience with both adults and young people, including teaching performance at Guildford School of Acting, London Metropolitan University, Northampton University, Birmingham School of Acting, LIMF and BAC.

Board of Trustees

Simon Bedford
Helen Freshwater
Celine Gagnon 
John Luther
Nic Fryer 

Creative collaborators

Toni Arteaga (performer)
Paul Burgess (set & video designer)
Paul Dinnen (performer/co-creator)
Suncana Dulic (costume designer)
Laura Eades (performer)
Thomas Eccleshare (performer)
Lucinka Eisler (director and performer)
Nicola Fox (performer)
Arnim Friess (video and lighting designer)
Helen Freshwater (dramaturg)
Caroline Horton (performer)
Mark Huhnen (performer)
Sinikka Kyllönen (performer)
Steve Loader (performer)
Oogoo Maia (video designer)
Esther McAuley (performer)
Sue Morrison (director/co-creator)

Simon McCorry (sound designer)
Adrienne Quartly (sound designer)

Dorothée Ruge (set designer)
Sarah Sansom (creative producer)
Beccy Smith (dramaturg)
Nick Underwood (performer)
Carolina Valdés (director)
Anna Watson (lighting designer)
Christoph Wagner (lighting designer)
Katharine Williams (lighting designer)
Calum Witney (performer) 

Shams is a limited company in England & Wales no 05086924 and registered charity no 1132190