Andrew Swain - Associate

Andrew Studied at Adam Smith College and The School of Physical Theatre (London). He has over 9 years experience working with many youth theatres including Kinetic, Byre YT, Chicken Shed, WHALE Arts Centre, Promote YT and the Adam Smith College Youth Theatre. He also worked with the Edinburgh International Science Festival and Adam Smith College delivering theatre in education performances and workshops. He has a real passion for physical theatre, specialising in mask, stage combat and acrobatics. He believes in encouraging the best from each young person he works with and creating a safe environment for them to discover their true potential.

Kirsten McCrossan – Founder & Director

Kirsten has been a full-time professional drama workshop director since 2004. Since then she has worked as a drama practitioner for Borderline Theatre Company, Stagecoach Theatre Arts, Bigfoot Educational Arts, The King’s & Festival Theatres, WHALE Arts, East Lothian Youth Theatre Network, The Brunton Youth Theatre and Scottish Youth Theatre. Kirsten works as a visiting lecturer at The University of Sunderland, where she leads sessions on Drama for Young People for the final year degree students. Kirsten has also taught singing and drama in Willoway Day Camp, Michigan, USA and was appointed Director of Drama at Camp Nicolet in Wisconsin, USA. Kirsten has set up Love Drama to enhance drama within primary schools and provide affordable, high quality drama experiences for children and young people. In March 2010 Kirsten was asked to co-write the creative educational materials for the Scottish Commissioner for Children & Young People. These materials were rolled out nationally in April 2010. Kirsten is wholly passionate about drama and learning through drama and is constantly overwhelmed at the enormous power that drama has in children’s personal growth.

Linda Grant – Associate

Linda is a graduate from Glasgow University has been working as a freelance drama tutor in Edinburgh for five years. As well as facilitating after school clubs and youth theatre groups, Linda has been involved in various educational workshops in schools in and around Edinburgh. Over the years she has performed with various theatre groups including Theatre Workshop, Arkle and The Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Company and has worked as a voice over artist and as a TEFL teacher. Working as an English and drama tutor in Japan, she has also been a drama workshop leader at summer camps in Kyoto through the government run Japanese Exchange Teaching programme (JET). Linda is passionate about drama and believes it to be a vital tool to increase children's confidence and growth.

Gemma Nicol - Associate

Gemma trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Graduating with a first class honours degree in Drama, Applied Theatre and Education, she then went on to work at the Dundee Rep Theatre as Education Officer for 3 years, where she delivered on a number of exciting and innovative projects with children and young people. Since leaving the Dundee Rep, Gemma has worked with Promote YT, Whale Arts, macrobert Arts Centre - MFEST, Creative Identities, Firefly Arts and now Love Drama. Gemma is a passionate believer in creating exciting, empowering and engaging work with, by and for children and young people.

Alana Hood - Associate

Alana is a professional actor trained at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Since graduating Alana has appeared in many television shows. She is best known for her portrayal of Angela in River City and she has recently been on the TV commercial campaign for Nintendo DSi. Alana is also an accomplished songwriter having written tracks with Take That’s Gary Barlow and Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall. Alana is based in London and teaches at some of our Drama & Theatre Camps where she shares her vast knowledge and expertise of drama, theatre and the music industry.

Catherine Stewart - Associate

Catherine Stewart is a freelance writer, director and facilitator with a passion for empowering people through the use of the creative arts. In 2008 she graduated from the University of Leeds (Bretton Hall Campus) with a BA (Hons) in Theatre and Performance. Whilst studying in Leeds, Catherine worked with the West Yorkshire Playhouse's outreach department and as a dramaturg for various theatre companies. Catherine currently works with a range of organisations on various education, outreach and theatrical projects, including Generation Science, Perth Youth Theatre, Chaos Youth Theatre and with Carnegie College as an adult drama facilitator. In both formal and informal settings, Catherine has developed a fine balance between process and performance where each young person is given the tools to create, develop and present dramatic work, whilst also developing skills in communication, team-work, problem solving and evaluation.

Amy Watt - Associate

Amy is a drama workshop facilitator based in Edinburgh who has always had a passion for teaching through drama and young people’s theatre. She studied at Edinburgh’s Telford College where she gained the experience to run a drama summer school in Orkney, from where she hails and also gave her the chance to be part of two drama projects in Romania. She then gained her degree in drama at the University of Sunderland. Here she was given the opportunity to travel to Lesotho, Africa, to run and facilitate a drama project. She has also spent a summer working at a children’s camp, in Canada, as a theatre director. She is currently living the dream working with Love Drama, Strange Town Youth Theatre, Perth Youth Theatre and The Lyceum Youth Theatre