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Staff

OETC’s staff are recruited from a variety of backgrounds in theatre and the arts. Wherever possible, the company employs people with lived experience of addiction and recovery.

Artistic Director / CEO – Matt Steinberg

Matt Steinberg is an imaginative, values-driven, authentic leader who is passionate about intersections between professional and community arts, building evidence for arts-based health and wellbeing interventions and the development of early career artists. With over 20 years of international experience in the arts and cultural sector, he is an award-winning artistic director, stage director and performer. 

Matt was a New Generation Artist at Iford Arts, and was awarded Equity Charitable Trust’s John Fernald Award for Emerging Directors, the Tyrone Guthrie Award from the Stratford Festival and the Christopher Plummer Award from Shakespeare’s Globe Centre Canada. Directing credits include Soho Theatre, Shoreditch Town Hall, the VAULT Festival, Southwark Playhouse, Theatre503, Iford Arts, New Diorama and Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre. His work as an actor includes productions at the Finborough Theatre, the Stratford Festival of Canada, New York’s Ensemble Studio Theatre and Classic Stage Company. 

Matt is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Clore Leadership short course, for which he received a Leaders Bursary. He also recently completed a sustainability and income diversification course with the School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Participation and Operations Manager – Naomi Hopkins

Credit: Helen Murray

Naomi studied French and Russian at The University of Manchester, and has always been passionate about theatre. She performed in amateur musicals and stage productions from a young age, then has worked professionally in theatre and voiceover since 2016.

She is a member of the Young Vic’s Neighbourhood Theatre Company and has recently done voiceover work for the BBC.

Naomi was the General Manager of The Mono Box from April 2022 to September 2023, having first volunteered, then freelanced for this theatre organisation.

Naomi is passionate about making the arts more accessible and champions underrepresented voices and the stories they have to tell. 

Outreach and Administration Assistant – Samuel Jordan

Sam studied Film & TV at New York University, graduating in 2019. Since then, he has worked for Turning Point in Westminster, as a Volunteer and Recovery Worker during the pandemic, before becoming Groupwork Manager and Assessment Team Manager in 2023. 

Also in 2023, Sam worked with Actor East as a Writer, to develop his play ‘Frank’, as part of an Arts Council England project. His passion is writing. 

Associate Theatre Facilitator – Christopher Holt

Christopher Albert Holt is an actor, a theatre director, a lecturer, a voice coach and a disability arts practitioner.

He has worked for 30 years in professional theatre, beginning with the National Youth Theatre at the age of 15. He has worked all over Europe, appearing in shows nationally and internationally. He has performed in venues as disparate as the Moscow Arts Theatre, the National Theatre, Wembley Stadium, Royal Albert Hall and the Hen and Chickens pub in Islington.

As an actor, Christopher has worked across musical theatre, straight theatre, opera and film. He has appeared in the three largest musicals in the world: Les Misérables (West End), CATS (Hamburg) and The Lion King (Original Cast, London).  He has worked with Trevor Nunn, Sam Mendes, Julie Taymor, Matthew Warchus and Matthew Bourne.   He has played the Olivier, the Donmar Warehouse, the Palace and the Lyceum (West End), as well as the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Barbican, the BAC, Bath Theatre Royal, the Watermill, Newbury, the Tristan Bates, and Southwark Playhouse.

Workshop Facilitators

Charon Bourke

Julia Couto

Tunde Euba

Shiv Sharma

Hannah Hauer-King

Stewart Melton

Grace Stotesbury

Chloe Bradbury

Lydia Fleming

Araminta Wraith

Hannah Rudd

Hannah Williams

Cheryl McChesney

Peer Support Facilitators

Emmer

Jim

Daniel

Errol

Phil

Liam

Sue

Billie

Ian

Nicci

Jo

Jacob

Racheal

Board of Trustees

Tom Robertson (Chair), Director of Marketing & Audiences at Somerset House

Tom is currently the Director of Marketing & Audiences at Somerset House and previously Marketing Director for the Donmar Warehouse. Tom is passionate about connecting audiences to culture and at both Somerset House and the Donmar Warehouse he delivered record-breaking sales and audiences through collaboration, creative thinking and his dedication to excellence.

Mary Ballard, Internal Audit Professional

Mary is an internal audit professional, having held leadership positions at Barclays, JPMorgan, Bank of America and most recently RBS. When she attended her first Outside Edge production, she was inspired and captivated by the work being done and the real transformations being achieved, not to mention the moving stories being told. She has followed the group’s work since then and was invited to join as a Board Member in July 2016.

Pippa Campbell, Business Manager Ambassador Theatre Group

Pippa works in the commercial theatre sector as Business Manager for a cluster of West End Theatres. Her primary experience in venue operations, encompassing Finance, HR Management, F&B, and theatre administration. Pippa completed a Clore Short Course in 2018, and is passionate about using her leadership skills to have a broader positive impact in the cultural sector.

Anu Maakan, Change Manager/Financial Services

Anu is a change manager, experienced NED & advisor to UK charities. With over 20 years’ experience in financial Services, she has been responsible for driving strategic change, managing risks and improving governance while driving innovation in the conduct of business. Anu is passionate about working with the non profit sector and enabling them for sustainable growth. She started her career with ABN AMRO Bank and has continued to work with banks ever since. She now lives in Surrey with her family. She draws inspiration from nature and values beauty and freedom in all its forms. She is a keen blogger, swimmer and hiker. She publishes her work on www.anumaakan.wordpress.com/.

Michael Angus, Charity Director

Michael is the Director of The Barons Court Project, a local Hammersmith and Fulham charity who work with those vulnerable to mental ill health or homelessness. He has over 20 years of experience working in the charity sector. His experience is invaluable in nurturing and growing Outside Edge. Michael was invited to join as a Board Member in May 2019.

Teresa Wirz, Head of Addictions CNWL (NHS)

Teresa is highly passionate about the field of addictions where she has worked within a wide range of roles for the past 20 years. Teresa is currently the Head of Addictions for CNWL (NHS).

She attended Michael Hall Rudolf Steiner School, is trained as an RMN and has a MSc in addictive behavioural medicine.Teresa has a real passion for innovation and her special interests include developing enhanced opiate detoxification programs, understanding of emerging psychoactive substances, service user involvement and building lasting recovery communities.

Poppy Reindorp, Head of Development Union Chapel

After graduating from SOAS with a degree in Politics, Poppy has spent her career in the arts, culture and not for profit sector. She has over 6 years of experience in fundraising and following early roles at The British Museum and Sadler’s Wells Poppy spent three years specialising in Partnerships and Events working for Common Vision and then Cardboard Citizens. It was during this time she was introduced to Outside Edge and has been captivated by their work ever and their ability to use the arts to positively impact individuals recovery journey ever since. She is currently Head of Development for Union Chapel.

Service User Board Representatives

Ian

Liam

Carmen

Anthony

Past Trustees

Patricia Herbig

Catherine Fox

Dr James Reynolds

Dr Yvonne Robinson

John Gordon-Smith

Shereen Sadiq

Glyn Smithson

Emily Doherty

Friends

Howard Silver

Stephen Nussey – Company Photographer

Lily Fox

River Fox

Catherine Fox

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