As an Assistant Director at Breaking Barriers, I worked across several projects in and around Greater Manchester. I supported the creation of work in Rochdale, Salford, Manchester, and Nelson (in Lancashire). 

'Elevation' – an audio walk through the moors overlooking Rochdale – was the largest project that I worked on with Breaking Barriers and the one that I spent the most time on. It was a fantastic project that brought people from all corners of the county into the rugged countryside of Blackstone Edge for a contemplative group walk. The walk itself was gentle, and the audio was designed to encourage listeners to reflect on Rochdale's history in addition to the mental health benefits of the outdoors. The walk leaders and I battled the harsh Manchester weather to deliver nine performances a week for six weeks. It was totally worth it, with countless audience members sharing that they felt relaxed and peaceful after the walk. My favourite performances were the sunrise and sunset performances, truly unique events that will live on in all of our memories (audience and walk leaders).

I also worked on 'What About Me?' in Salford, a project focused on creating art with young people in the borough. Working with the creative team Parvez, Jodie, and Ella was a lot of fun, especially when it came to visiting young people from different youth clubs brainstorming ideas together. Running workshops with different artists was also fantastic. My favourite was the filmmaking workshop where the young people created films in small groups, which were totally original and fun.

I learned so much from Parvez, the Artistic Director, and Jodie, the Executive Producer during my time as an Assistant Director. It was amazing to experience the end-to-end production of large-scale arts events, and the experience working with young people was invaluable to my facilitation skills. I am so grateful for all their support.​​​​​​​

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