Alongside Dani, Amelia works as an Arts Administrator and Marketing Officer for Vita Nova. 

Amelia is a spirited creative, interested in a plethora of artistic mediums, including singing, physical theatre, voice-over, and devised theatre. 

‘I feel like Vita Nova filled a place in my heart that I didn’t know needed filling. Being part of a community that provides a safe, creative space for those that society is often too quick to disregard, and abandon is the most heart-warming part of the job for me; I’ve connected with some incredible personalities and have seen some of the most vulnerable individuals flourish into beautiful souls after coming to Vita Nova. That’s what it’s all about really, giving everyone a chance to live the life they truly deserve’.

Dani is the Arts Administrator and Marketing Officer for Vita Nova, responsible for providing administrative and marketing assistance to the Artistic Director. 

A long-term resident of Boscombe, joining Vita Nova in May 2021. 

Dani is also an artist, performer, and storyteller, creating work around themes of social justice, culture, and mythology. 

‘I am very proud of my community, the care and solidarity that exists within it. Nobody deserves to be left behind. Vita Nova is a vital service that prevents the ‘revolving door’ of addiction. It is a form of restorative harm reduction that answers the challenges faced by society, contributing to the safety, security, and well-being of all. I’m proud to be a part of an organisation that supports individual lives, reduces stigma around addiction, and helps to empower our community as a whole’.  

Martin is an award-winning artist, film maker and photographer. Having begun his practice learning mechanical and chemical based processes he went on to be an early adopter of digital technology. This breadth and depth of knowledge has led him to value the creation of virtual art works but also to have a deep respect for the talismanic nature of the singular, created object and the alchemical qualities of the ephemeral and performative. In his role as Senior Lecturer at Arts University Bournemouth he keeps students in formed on the evolutions within contemporary practice at both technical and conceptual levels. He sees his own work as a form of divination, using its processes to navigate inner and outer territories and encourages others to do the same.

Mark David Lloyd is a British contemporary artist who exhibits internationally. He works predominantly in painting but also in other disciplines. His career began as a graffiti artist in the mid 1980s. He went on to study fine art at Falmouth School of Art, the Slade School of Fine Art, and Winchester School of Art. His work has been described as: meta-modernist, post post-modernist, and nascent. He is a lecturer in Research & Fine Art at Bournemouth University. He’s had a connection with Vita Nova for many years, producing artwork and mentoring participants. 

Maike originally trained as a picture and sound editor within the BBC’s film department in London. She was actively engaged in programme-making processes across the corporation’s film and television output, working on dramas, documentaries, current affairs, community programmes as well as music & arts projects. After a decade at the BBC, she decided to re-locate to the south coast, joining the academic staff at the Media School within Bournemouth University. Maike was instrumental in setting up the highly innovative specialist post-graduate degree in sound design, the first of its kind at MA level. Her PhD thesis engaged with the narrative and emotive potential of sound design, within the context of a medium in transition. After over two decades as a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader, Maike left the university in order to re-focus on her own creative practice and she is excited to be able to share her enthusiasm and experience in sound design within Vita Nova.

Jon studied Psychology at The University of South Wales and Acting at The Webber Douglas Academy in London. In 1995 he joined Geese Theatre UK who provide interactive creative performance work with and for offenders. Following on from this he further developed a career as a community theatre facilitator and worked with groups and individuals exploring issues around personal and group conflict. He has been engaged as a freelance facilitator to design and deliver interactive conflict management training for NGOs and community development organisations including, Save The Children, Wolf and Water Arts Company in Devon, the Centre For Conflict Management in Oslo, The Nansen Dialogue Network in Norway and The former Yugoslavia, The Danish refugee Council and Cardboard Citizen. He is currently a senior associate at The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation.

Jon is a guest director at The Jellicoe Theatre and divides his time between theatre and community development work frequently combining the two.

Ted Street has wide-ranging experience in corporate communications as a freelance  writer, producer and director working on a diverse range of subjects for national and  international companies. He has worked in higher education providing technical support  and supervision to undergraduates on location drama and documentary, also location  filming and post production for the RSC and educational programmes for the Consortium  for Drama and Media in Higher Education. Audio-visual experience includes location  sound recording, theatre sound and lighting, and music recording studio installation. He  was co-founding director and former Executive Producer of new-writing theatre company  Doppelganger Productions. He now works in theatre in education with Surya Arts as tour  manager and lighting, sound and digital projection technician on tour. In 2014, Sharon  (Muiruri) Coyne invited him to work with people in recovery from alcohol and drug misuse  at Action on Addiction then Vita Nova.