JENNY SEALEY MBE: The CEO and Artistic Director at Graeae Theatre Company on knockbacks, finding your people and making the world more inclusive to deaf and disabled people.

Graeae is a force for change in world-class theatre, boldly placing D/deaf and disabled actors centre stage and challenging preconceptions and its CEO and Artistic Director Jenny Sealey MBE is no different.  She talks to us about her initial struggles, the people who helped her along the way, how she nearly didn't apply to work at Graeae and things we should all be doing to create a more inclusive society. It's an AMAZING interview with the participation of two fantastic interpreters!  As Jenny is deaf the conversation was recorded on Zoom so the audio is not amazing, but Vicky and Ali, the AMAZING interpreters, agreed to stay on camera so we could share the conversation with subtitles on our channel - so check it out here Please share, leave a review and subscribe if you enjoyed it to make sure you don't miss any episodes! I LIKE NETWORKING is the mentoring and networking program for womxn and non-binary people in the creative industries. Stay in touch with us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter with career resources About Jenny Sealey MBE Jenny’s directing career began with Interplay Theatre, co-directing Sea Changes, then directing Stepping Stones and Mad Meg. Jenny has been Graeae’s Artistic Director since 1997.  Directing credits for Graeae include: This Is Not For You, Reasons to be Cheerful (2017, 2012, 2010 and concert versions), The House of Bernarda Alba (in a co-production with Royal Exchange Theatre), Blood Wedding (in a co-production with Dundee Rep and Derby Theatre); The Threepenny Opera (with Pete Rowe in a co-production with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Nottingham Playhouse and Birmingham Rep); Belonging (with Vinicius Daumas and performed in Brazil & London); also Signs of a Star-Shaped Diva; Static; Blasted; Whiter than Snow; peeling; Bent; Iron Man and Rhinestone Rollers.   International credits include: Blood Wedding (Setagaya Public Theatre, Tokyo); Romeo and Juliet (Saitama Arts Theatre, Tokyo); and at Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) then touring outdoor arenas: Against the Tide; The Garden; The Limbless Knight – A Tale of Rights Reignited. Jenny co-directed the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony alongside Bradley Hemmings (GDIF).   She also won the Liberty Human Rights Arts Award and was on the h.Club 100 list of the most influential people in the creative industries.