The Current staff team are:

Ruth Gould CEO

"Deaf and Disability Arts are important because they allow us to make others think in a different way, breaking through perceptions and stereotypes in order to affirm our place in society."

Ruth trained in performance arts, speech & drama, dance and mime at Liverpool Theatre School. Ruth has led workshops in Mime, Movement and Drama, and developed full-scale theatre productions.

From 1992 Ruth has worked in arts administration and management including; business development for artists in the Creative Industries sector, managing start-up funds for artists, developing Disability Arts projects, and now, CEO of DaDa.

Ruth is passionate about Disability and Deaf arts being celebrated as cultural diversities in their own right.

Ruth is also a board member of Liverpool 2008 Culture Company, Vice Chair of The Bluecoat Arts Centre, a council member with Arts Council England North West and co-opted Member of National Liverpool Museums Public Services Committee.

Alison Jones V Inspired Coordinator

Alison Jones, is a practicing visual artist with a successful career, exhibiting her work over the past seventeen years across the UK and Europe. She studied at the London Institute of Art and Design where she graduated from Camberwell College of Art with a B.A.(Hons) in Fine Art, and from Chelsea College of Art with an M.A.. She has received several prizes and awards.

Achieving immediate success, her first major exhibition was at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London, in 1989, where her work was shown alongside that of Damien Hurst. Later, her work was seen in curated exhibitions with that of Anish Kapoor, Cathy de Monchaux, and Shirazeh Houshiary. In 1995 she was the overall prizewinner of the first, 'Bayer Earth Art Prize' (judged by Julia Peyton-Jones, David Mach and Sandie Nairne). She was invited to take part in, 'Senseless/Sinnlos', an exhibition which was part of Graz's Capital of Culture celebrations, in Austria. Alison's work features in the book 'Shelf Life', her image illustrating the work of Cate Jacobs, and published by National Disability Arts Forum. In 2004, 'Silent Rhythm', a collaboration between Alison (visual artist), Kaite O'Reilly (writer) and Denise Armstrong (dancer), was featured as part of 'Liverpool Live', the Bluecoat's live art programme for the Liverpool Biennial, 2004.

Alison was also the subject of a Channel 4 documentary series, 'Natural Born Talent'. Her work has explored multi-sensory installations, using the sense of smell to involuntarily trigger the memory and invoke reverie. She is currently developing ideas for sound installations; this new work was started during a residency in Vienna, Austria, in 2006.

Alison has been a Board member for Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art since 2002, and was recently invited onto the Board of FACT, (Foundation of Art and Creative Technology), in Liverpool.

Alison has worked in many settings as an educator and consultant (including, Tate Liverpool, Leeds City Art Gallery, Worcester Museum and Art Gallery, Norwich Castle Museum and Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool); demonstrating a multi-sensory approach to the arts and learning.

Alison has two Communications Assistant's, to assist her with the delivery of the Artistic Programme- promoting Disability/Deaf Arts and Culture and the work of Disabled/Deaf artists. These are Aleyna Ellis and Charlie Johnson.

Barry Avison Bookkeeper and Administrator

"Deaf and Disability Arts is important because we are simply Artists who want to show our work"

A true Geordie, born within the sound of the Armstrong Factory Hooter but being Deaf, never heard it!

While working in Information Technology for the NHS, he devoted much of his spare time within Newcastle Deaf Community. He set up a Deaf Theatre Group that became a feature on Channel 4 TV and won awards. He acted as an Extra on Brookside!

He volunteered for redundancy to head off to London to work as an Outreach Worker with Common Ground Sign Dance Theatre. He ended up co-managing the company.

As well as being the Finance and Office Manager for DaDa, Barry is also developing opportunities for Deaf Artists.

He is Co-Chair of the Sign Dance Theatre Trust, Treasurer of Merseyside Society for Deaf People and a member of MerseySign Deaf Theatre

Faye Christiansen PA to CEO

" Deaf and Disability arts is important because by their recognition we move one step closer to an inclusive society"

Faye has been in post as Ruth's assistant since May 2007. Faye takes an active role in DaDa and has also performed at DaDaFest 06 and 07. She is a writer and she is also a member of the Nasty Girls and is a part of Liverpool Network Theatre whom she has performed with on several occasions.

Shaun Curtis Young Peoples Arts Officer

Shaun trained in Music Production at the University of Manchester going on to study Music Theory and Music Business before deciding upon a career managing projects involving broader multi-disciplinary art forms. Shaun has a varied background having previously worked a range of arts based roles, working in film, the visual arts and the music industry. Recent work experience includes roles with Liverpool Biennial, the Bluecoat, the Walker Art Gallery and Frakture.

Mark Wilcox Operations Director

Ruth Adams Marketing Officer  

We regularly employ arts throughout the year and will be advertising any new positions on our website