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Mission & Values

We empower children to navigate their world through inspirational theatre and creative experiences. 

We improve children’s lives, bringing communities together, and creating ground-breaking theatre.
Our Values are:

Child-centred – placing children at the heart of everything Polka does
Community – engaging our diverse communities of children, families, educationalists and artists
Excellent – pioneering, adventurous, offering the highest quality
Memorable – creating magical, meaningful experiences
Inclusive – welcoming, accessible, nurturing, supportive, representative

Our Building

We have re-imagined what a dedicated children’s theatre could and should be for young audiences and their families. Our state-of the-art building is a vibrant hub for future generations, right at the heart of our community. 

Designed by architects Foster Wilson Size, our building is both a centre for play and a world-class theatre facility. 

Features include: 

  • Adventure Theatre for Early Years audiences
  • Main Theatre for young audiences 
  • Clore Learning Studio
  • Y C Chan Play Den
  • The Nest – our rehearsal and community space
  • Outdoor play area 
  • Multi-sensory garden 
  • Family friendly café
  • Dressing up and book corner

We can’t wait to welcome a whole new generation to our theatre. 

Greening Our Building

Our recent redevelopment has included a range of environmental improvements including solar panels on the roof, improved thermal efficiency and LED lights throughout. Following our reopening we are continuing to improve the sustainability of the older parts of the building that did not form part of our redevelopment project – most recently installing 30kWp more solar PV on our main roof in June 2022.

We are fundraising for our ‘phase 2’ capital project which will include electrical upgrades to improve energy usage, a new electric van and advanced heating technologies that increase thermal efficiency.

Child Protection Policy

As a venue dedicated to children, the safety and protection of children are paramount. Our Board of Trustees and all staff employed by Polka Theatre have a duty of care to children and young people who visit our theatre and attend our activities. We recognise our commitment to safeguard and promote children’s welfare and follow a policy of best practice that protects them.

Full Child Protection Policy

People

The Team

Helen Matravers – Artistic Director / Joint CEO

Helen was appointed as Polka Theatre’s Artistic Director and joint Chief Executive in January 2023. Helen has over 12 years experience working across new writing, devised performance and artist development. Helen originally trained as an actor, eventually moving into creative producing and theatre programming. Helen has previously worked at The Drayton Arms Theatre as Artistic Director and Programmer and has made work as a Creative Producer at Theatre503, New Diorama Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and LAMDA.

Lynette Shanbury – Executive Director / Joint CEO

Lynette was appointed as Polka Theatre’s Executive Director and joint Chief Executive in August 2018. Prior to this, Lynette spent four years as Executive Director of inclusive theatre company Spare Tyre, guiding the organization as it approached its 40th anniversary. Prior to joining Spare Tyre, Lynette spent eight years with Little Angel Theatre – initially as General Manager and later as Executive Director. She is a Trustee of VocalEyes, who enable blind and visually impaired people to access theatre and culture.

Adam Crosthwaite – Head of Production

Amy Sherlock – Development Assistant

Annie James – Wardrobe Manager

Bernadette Cava – Head of Finance

Bruno Fawzi Izem – Cafe Manager

Chris Hoare – Senior Duty Manager

Ellen Delbourgo – Trusts Manager

Ellie Standeven – Volunteer & Visitor Services Coordinator

Elysia Wells – Schools Relationship Officer

Fran Chabrel – Community Engagement Manager

Heidi Pointet – Participation Officer

Jemima Deboo-Sands – Creative Learning Assistant

Jess Brown – Commercial & Hires Officer

Julia Canavan – Marketing Manager

Julia Yelland – Sales & Ticketing Manager

Katie Neame – Membership and Events Manager

Laura Perry – Sales & Ticketing Supervisor

Leah Taylor – Producing Assistant

Lesley Talbot – Theatre Technician

Polly Simmonds – Head of Creative Learning

Rebecca Short – Marketing Assistant

Sara Greenwood – Head of Sales & Marketing

Sarah Ruff – Head of Development 

Stefania Fiore – Finance & Admin Officer

Victoria Dowding – Marketing Officer

Will McLeod – Building & Operations Manager

Woonie Chan – Head of Operations and Visitor Services

Dominic Hedges – Freefalling Director

Matthew Crowfoot – Access Consultant

Rachel Barker – HR Consultant

Roman Stefanski – Associate Director

Board of Trustees

Dominic Proctor (2022) Chair. 

Dominic’s background is mainly in advertising, media and marketing. He spent most of his 38 year career in various roles within the WPP Group including CEO at JWT, Mindshare and GroupM. These were global roles, working with some of the world’s biggest advertisers and gaining extensive experience of different markets and cultures. He helped launch Tommy’s, the Baby Charity, which aims to give all babies a healthy start in life by funding research and education into the causes of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth. He served on the Tommy’s Board for 30 years and also served on the Boards of the RFU for 7 years and Chaired the London Landmarks Half Marathon. Dominic lives in Wimbledon with his wife, dog and parrot. He has four children and five grandchildren…all living locally and all Polka regulars

 

Victoria Aspden (2021) Creative Learning Producer & Project Manager 

Victoria is a Creative Learning Producer and Project Manager with over 17 years’ experience working in the arts and education sectors. Most recently at Eastside Educational Trust as Senior Producer where Victoria was responsible for working with Southwark Council in offering all primary school children in the borough the chance to visit the theatre for free, every year for three years. Prior to this Victoria worked at the Royal Opera House (ROH) for 6 years and was responsible for launching a new daytime events programme as part of the ROH’s capital redevelopment and managing its Insights programme, producing live and broadcast learning events. Before this Victoria worked for 6 years at Society of London Theatre in several audience engagement and partnership roles. Victoria is a qualified secondary school teacher and trained as an actor whilst living in Sydney. A passionate theatregoer, Victoria started visiting Polka with her mum as a child in 1984 and is delighted her 2 daughters are now following in that tradition.

 

Michael Bradley (2019) Head Teacher

Michael is head teacher at Merton Abbey Primary School in South Wimbledon.  He trained to teach in East London, specialising in working in multicultural communities and in teaching children who speak English as an additional language.  Most of his career has been spent in schools with high numbers of disadvantaged pupils.  Michael wants all children – whatever their family background – to benefit from London’s artistic and creative opportunities.  He and his partner are foster carers and live with a very naughty small dog.

 

Alison Harpur (2020) Publishing

Alison has been involved with books all her working life, first in publishing and then as a Children’s Librarian, she now works for a specialist Children’s bookshop.  Alison spent 25 years living and working around the world and returned to south London 8 years ago and was extremely happy to discover that Polka Theatre was still a thriving concern as she remembers many happy visits with her children in the 1990s.  Alison is a keen theatregoer and a passionate believer that children need theatre.

 

Mic Lord (2022) Theatre Maker

Mic is a London born, Texas raised Theatre Maker, MC, recording artist, Teacher, Lecturer and Community Advocate. Since 1993 his Hip hop Freestyle Performance Company Ghetto Gramma has toured extensively across the nation devising theatre in marginalised communities. He’s directed over 100 plays and musicals with his most recent theatre work including Jaberwocky at New Wimbledon Studio and Evita at Epsom Playhouse. Mic is the former Head of Drama at Ursuline High School, Wimbledon. In 2007 he was the recipient of South London Press Hero Teacher Award. Since 2018 he has been the Head Coach at Five ASide Theatre CIC a community theatre training company. He’s also the founder and Artistic Director of The Peoples Writes a community theatre devising company. Mic is a Governor at Ursuline High School working on the Sub Committee on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. He’s a Trustee at Apples and Snakes Poetry and Sutton African Caribbean Cultural Organisation. Mic has chaired Polka’s Community Working Group since 2021.

 

Katy Manuel (2022) Arts Marketing Consultant

Katy is a freelance marketing consultant with over 25 years’ experience in the performing arts sector. She began her career in festivals before being awarded an Arts Council bursary in marketing, specialising in touring. Katy has worked with most large and medium sized theatres around the country, as well as a number of dance or theatre companies, both national and international. She has held positions in several major regional repertory theatres, been a consultant to a range of organisations devising audience development and communications strategies and delivered training courses around the country. She was most recently Head of Marketing at Dance Umbrella and works regularly delivering research and marketing plans. She lives in west London and has two sons who were regular Polka visitors when younger.

 

Fiona Mclaren (2021)  Lawyer 

Fiona is an experienced lawyer with over 25 years’ experience with FTSE 100 companies, combining this with roles as professional disciplinary panel member, chair of governors and charity trustee, reflecting her interest in education, open justice, and commitment to public service. Fiona worked as Director of Legal for Sky UK for 17 years, focusing primarily on employment issues, but latterly was responsible for the delivery of legal advice across a range of areas from news and ad sales to property and construction, all contributing to the broadcasting and creation of content. Her love of theatre began at a young age with visits from touring companies to her local theatre and she is delighted that visits to Polka created the same lifelong interest in her son.

 

Vince O’Brien (2022) Non-Executive Director

Vince is a Chartered Accountant and lives in Wimbledon where his three grown-up children were regular Polka attendees. He qualified with Coopers and Lybrand (now PWC), before becoming a director of a private equity firm, Montagu, where he spent 24 years, originally as Finance Director. In 2005/6 he served as Chairman of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA). His past experience as a trustee includes eight years with a major children’s charity, and two years with a public arts organisation dedicated to illustration. He retired in 2016 and now works as a Non-Executive Director and board advisor. His posts have included serving as Senior NED for a listed asset management group specialising in the sustainable economy, chairing a private equity fundraising business, and chairing the investment committee of a business specialising in impact investing. His interests include the arts, music of all kinds, and keeping fit through walking, running and golf.

 

Arif Saad (2021) Investment Strategist 

Arif is a Senior Investment Strategist at Kempen responsible for designing, executing and managing multi-asset solutions for institutional clients. He began his career as an investment consultant at Mercer, and then spent 8 years at Legal & General Investment Management. Arif has always enjoyed varied experiences having grown up in Wiltshire and Qatar in the Middle East. He has a passion for driving diversity and inclusion and equality of opportunity, particularly for the next generation. He has two young children who love spending time at Polka.

 

Emily Vaughan-Barratt (2019) Theatre Producer

Emily is a theatre producer who runs theatre production company Wessex Grove alongside Ben Lowy, which they set up together in 2020, recent productions include Constellations (Vaudeville Theatre) and The New Tomorrow (co-production with The Young Vic). Prior to this, Emily was a Producer for Ambassador Theatre Group for 8 years, producing shows for the West End and for Broadway. Recent productions include; Cyrano de Bergerac and The Seagull (Playhouse Theatre), Pretty Woman(Piccadilly Theatre), Betrayal (Harold Pinter Theatre and Bernard B.Jacobs Theatre), and The Pinter at the Pinter Season (Harold Pinter Theatre). She has also worked at Fiery Angel, Chichester Festival Theatre and The Print Room. Emily grew up in Wimbledon, where her parents still live and spent a lot of time with her mum at Polka all through her childhood, which is clearly where the beginning of her love and commitment to theatre started. 

 

Kellie Williams-Jauvel (2021) Solicitor 

Kellie is a solicitor of over 20 years’ experience in trusts and probate dispute resolution. She has represented and advised Charites, corporations, and individuals on the legal duties of trustees and personal representatives, and in relation to claims within the sector. Kellie is currently a partner at Morrisons Solicitors LLP, having previously trained and worked at a firm based in The City. Kellie has built a significant network in the business community in and around the South West London and Surrey area. Originally from Manchester, but living locally to Polka Theatre, she has a young son, and both have been enjoying theatre at Polka for many years. A keen and long-time supporter, Kellie is passionate about the work Polka undertakes and the enjoyment that theatre brings to children. Kellie is extremely pleased to be able to serve Polka and its users in this position.

Advisory Council

Adam Cross

Brad Taylor

Caleb Lee

Claire Zammit

Daniel Naddafy

Daryl Beeton

David Shriver

Despo Stevens

Ed Bampfylde

Edward Benzecry

Elizabeth Tullett-McGowan

Hayley Ormrod

Helen Clark Bell

Jan Blake

Jane Crawshaw

Jane Moorman

Jo Belloli

Kumiko Brocklebank

Lotte Wakeham

Lynette Goddard

Madeline Knights

Nick Robertson

Nicola Anderson

Oonagh Moulton

Piers Barclay

Punita Hossain

Rebecca Reeder

Sarah Argent

Sue Buckmaster

Susie Briant

Ted Lougher

Patrons

Sir Alan Ayckbourn

Malorie Blackman OBE

Sir Kenneth Branagh

Gyles Brandreth

Cerrie Burnell

Dame Judi Dench

Omid Djalili

Amanda Holden

Vicky Ireland MBE

Dame Joanna Lumley

Sadiq Khan

Kevin O’Hare

Michael Rosen

Lady Vereker

Jamael Westman

David Wood OBE

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride

   

Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB

Box office 020 8543 4888

[email protected]

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