Biography

Edinburgh born and raised, Natalie graduated from De Montfort University in 2004 with a first-class degree in theatre with arts management. From there she went on to New Perspectives as a trainee director for a year, supported by an Arts Council, East Midlands bursary. After a spell at Contact Theatre, Manchester, Natalie went on to win a Resident Traineeship at the Royal Court Theatre against considerable competition (which is the most sought-after traineeship in the UK), supported by an ITV Directors Scheme bursary. Later she did directors’ traineeships the Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Since graduation, Natalie has worked as Assistant Director with such diverse theatre companies as (amongst others): New Perspectives Theatre, Citizen’s Theatre and the Royal Court, and later, as Director with Old Vic New Voices/Waterloo East, Young Vic, Traverse, Royal Lyceum (Youth Theatre), Jersey Arts Centre and Vineyard Theatre, NYC. In 2010/11 she was the inaugural Associate Director (Warehouse) for HighTide.

Currently Natalie is Artistic Director of her own company We Were Here, a creative ensemble for emerging practitioners seeking to develop their craft through experimentation and exploration.

Natalie was offered a 3-month artist residency by the prestigious New York Theatre Workshop. She writes of this opportunity: “I will join their Emerging Artist of Colour Fellowship Programme [which] will allow me access to resources, professional development opportunities and mentorship. Being based in New York … will provide me with a currency to make relationships with other venues and practitioners.”

How the Award Helped