Maria Askew is an award-winning director, facilitator, performer, writer and educator. She is head of Mountview’s MA in Theatre for Community and Education.
Maria works internationally with groups and individuals from a broad range of sectors, including youth groups, displaced people, healthcare professionals, students and academics in higher education, NGOs and charities.
Maria trained at Jacques Lecoq International Theatre School in Paris and has a Masters in International Politics from SOAS University. She also has an undergraduate degree in Theatre and Performance Studies from University of Warwick.
Maria is an Associate Artist at Clod Ensemble, facilitating on their programme Performing Medicine which uses forum theatre and arts workshops to support NHS healthcare professionals in developing skills in communication, collaboration, well-being and conflict resolution. She also works with academics in higher education to consider creative approaches to research, collaborative leadership and public speaking with 64 Million Artists.
Maria is also an Associate Artist at Kazzum Arts, delivering arts based workshops that build confidence and collaborative skills with young people who have been displaced, including refugees and asylum seekers.
Maria is also an Associate Artist at Clod Ensemble, facilitating on their programme Performing Medicine which uses forum theatre and arts workshops to support NHS healthcare professionals in developing skills in communication, collaboration, well-being and conflict resolution. She also works with academics in higher education to consider creative approaches to research, public speaking and collaborative leadership with 64 Million Artists.
She was artistic director of Superbolt Theatre, a collaborative theatre company that created and performed original work for intergenerational audiences. Their award-winning sell-out shows toured internationally, performing to audiences in USA, Australia, Poland, Norway, Switzerland and throughout the UK.
Maria has taught theatre for young people at the Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation in Brixton. She also worked as a facilitator on educational projects with young people in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. She has led events and performances at Papaya Fest, a Bristol based arts festival celebrating Latin American stories and artists. Maria was a visiting Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Practice at London Metropolitan University and a researcher on Latin America for Al Jazeera.
Maria’s research explores the intersections between artistic, educational, political, and social transformation.
Maria is head of Mountview’s MA Theatre for Community and Education.
Email Maria on mariaaskew@mountview.org.uk