Team Members

 
 
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Akosua Boakye BEM

  • Akosua Boakye BEM is the founder of AkomaAsa Arts, a multi-disciplinary arts education and cultural empowerment organisation. AkomaAsa works with performing arts disciplines through social, cultural, creative, and historical relationships to support young individuals to be open-minded, embrace diverse contemporary dance forms, develop a deeper understanding of dance traditions, their heritage, and different cultures. Akosua has set up and led several small businesses and initiatives and founded AkomaAsa in 2012.

    Overall, she is passionate about working with children and young people (CYP), guiding those of African, Caribbean heritage to develop skills for life, embrace their rich, diverse cultural heritage. Her work supports and mentors young people through empowerment, aspire as future cultural leaders, understand how cultural heritage reflects their past, shapes their present, and builds their future.

    She is the Cub Academy coordinator and Children’s Casting Director for Disney’s West End musical, The Lion King, London and UK tour, an experienced leader, teacher, speaker, and host.

    In 2018, Akosua was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to dance. Akosua also co-founded and is an executive leader on The Thea Barnes Legacy fund, a donor-supported independent fund established in 2019 to offer bursaries to dancers, researchers, and choreographers looking to further their careers in dance and the performing arts. She served on the board of Urdang from 2020 - 2022 and holds a seat on several other boards.

 
 
 
mugshot of Kirsty Cherrett

  • Kirsty is an actress and singer and completed her training at the London School of Musical Theatre. Prior to this she completed a BA Hons in Contemporary Dance at Middlesex University.

    Kirsty is an experienced teacher and has taught performing arts in many different settings, including formal education, performing arts academy’s and within social inclusion projects.

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  • Ukachi Akalawu -BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre from Laban. Director of Akaraaka, (www.akaraaka.com)Ukachi has taught dance extensively in the UK, Europe and Africa.MA Arts Management from the University of the Arts, and PGCE Secondary Dance from the University of BedfordshireB Ukachi currently teaches full time in a primary school. She has worked with the National Theatre, Independent Theatre Council, Badejo Arts, and Collectives Artistes Theatre Company.Her performance credits include the Jiving Lindy Hoppers, Ritual Theatre Arts, Ariya Opera, Step Afrika, Stomp, Badejo Arts, and Movement Angol. In 2005 she was awarded a Trailblazer fellowship from ADAD for her research into dances from Africa, and in 2008 a travel grant from the Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund.She has taught Afro Xplo in a range of educational capacities including INSET at the University of Bedfordshire, Move It! Teachers’ Convention on behalf of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), and in secondary schools on behalf of Step Into Dance.

  • Francis is a Somatic movement educator / therapist, performing artist, choreographer, creative educator, and lecturer in dance. He works extensively in professional practice, higher and further education as well as community practice. Francis’ work is based on the belief that through movement we are able to learn about ourselves and our environment, and how that supports our learning of everything we do and of what we are.

    As an artist, Francis synthesises his accumulated knowledge of dance and the arts with that of his lived experience to help individuals bring about clarity, meaning and understanding to their mental and physical flow through movement and dance. Through his work, he strives to enable people by creating opportunities for intercultural exchange and dialogue. He synthesises cultural traditions with contemporary norms to offer individuals a space for self-actualisation through play, exploration and expression.

    Francis encourages change by influencing the future, through impacting the present with work that is accessible, inclusive and is physical and mentally empowering. His workis deeply rooted in the spiritual of the self, an experiential journey that works through the imagination, taking the individual through a widening field of possibilities, to experience presence with existence, to allow the inner self to prevail.

 
 
 

  • I’m a graduate from the Irish World Academy of music and Dance. With a level 8 degree in Contemporary Dance & Music.

    I’ve undergone training with AkomaAsa performing Arts academy with various roles across the board as dance instructor & administrative assistant.

    Further training includes mentor ship with Mbulelo N’da Dance Company and artistry Youth Dance Company.

    My skills range from contemporary/Modern Dance, Ballet, Hip-hop(freestyle & Krump), Western Traditional African Dance.

    Others include Video/Film editing, Music Production, website design, Screenwriting

  • Sarah began dancing at the age of four and went on to train at London Contemporary Dance School graduating with a First Class Honours Degree. She has worked on projects with Russell Maliphant, Jan de Schynkel and Martin Lawrance. Sarah has eighteen years of teaching experience throughout various dance institutions and regularly teaches dance in primary schools across London. She also regularly delivers Contemporary dance classes at The Place and is a long standing member of the teaching team for the Centre for Advanced Training programme (CAT).

  • After graduating from Oxford University with a BA in Music, Ben completed a PGCE, and began sharing his love for the performing arts in schools and theatre academies across London. His love of singing, dance, and composing/songwriting is something he wears on his sleeve to inspire others to express themselves in as many ways as possible. Ben is Musical Director for the Christmas shows at Theatre Peckham each year, and can be seen performing with his a Capella group on Sky1’s “Sing! Ultimate A Cappella”, where he competed through to the final.

 
 
 

  • Jescinta James aka JahSenta is a singing and 1-2-1 vocal coach, singer, songwriter producer. Born in the UK she has over 30 years of industry experience. Trained in Musical Theatre at the Holborn Centre of Performing Arts and Brook House community College. Vocals training at Soul Experience vocal Academy.

    She made her debut performance at the 21st Annual show of Western Consciousness in Jamaica with the likes of Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Queen Ifrica and Etana. Whilst in Jamaica she recorded her Extended Play (EP) mini album. Productions include various street theatre and community plays, the musical Little Shop of Horrors -the voice of the plant. Performed playing Steel Pans with Pantonic Steel Band at Panarama in Notting Hill Carnival, and also tour the UK and Europe. Jescinta has also toured as a backing vocalist for various artist. In 2022 she launched “I Can Sing Vocal Academy”, a children’s vocal group to train and support children and young people in the community.

  • Natalie Nicole James is a multi-disciplined circus and dance artist. She attended the National Centre for Circus Arts from 2012 to 2015 on a full scholarship, focusing on double bar dance-trapeze. She immediately began working with Metta Theatre on a street dance circus theatre performance after receiving her BA Honours in Circus Arts. She was cast in the main part of Mowgli and ensemble in an adaption of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. From 2007 to 2023, Natalie has been a regular performer in Jonzi D’s Breakin’ Convention programmes alongside many other leading platforms within dance, circus and theatre. She has also recently worked with Tom Dale Dance Company, English National Opera, Cosmopolitan Arts, and Ockham's Razor. At different points in her career she has received mentorship from Irven Lewis, Robert Hylton, Sean Graham, Benji Reid, Jonzi D, Henri Oguike, Hakeem Onibudo, Kenrick Sandy, Louise Katerega, Akosua Boakye, Anthony Ekundayo Lennon and Jasmin Vardimon.