A bit more about us…
ABOUT US
Definition
Croydonites: residents of the London Borough of Croydon
Croydon Nights: exceptionally good nights out in the theatre...in Croydon
Croydonites is a festival of theatre and performance. Our mission is to showcase local theatre makers, and bring some of the best contemporary performance work from around the UK to Croydon doorsteps.
Founded in 2015, we’ve held 5 live editions of the festival and one digital version (scuppered by the pandemic). We’ve commissioned the work of 15 local artists, and showcased over 30 performances by Croydon theatre makers to hundreds of audience members. Our programme for aspiring writers, CroydonWrites, has been running since 2017 offering guidance and mentoring for anyone interested in writing about performance.
In 2023/24, when Croydon is the London Borough of Culture, we are delivering our most ambitious programme to date, commissioning more local work, bringing some of the biggest names in contemporary performance to Croydon and offering a series of artist development projects.
We have been regularly funded by the Arts Council of England and Croydon Council and more recently by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the London Borough of Culture.
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London Borough of Culture is a Mayor of London initiative, with support from Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund. The This is Croydon programme is being delivered through a unique collaboration between the cultural organisations and people of the borough in partnership with Croydon Council.
WHO WE ARE
Anna studied theatre at Dartington College of Arts before falling into stage management and passing herself off as a theatre technician. She quickly moved on to arts administration and producing and has worked for numerous venues and companies over 30 years including The Place, Dance Umbrella, Riverside Studios, Wayne McGregor, Hofesh Shechter and Jonzi D. She is currently the Administrative Director of the European dance hub Aerowaves, a role she’s undertaken since 2009 and founded Croydonites in 2015 (every town needs an experimental theatre festival right?). She moved to Croydon with her husband in 2002 and all her 3 children were born here. She considers herself an honorary Croydonite and can often be found in parks across the borough walking her dog Frank.
ANNA ARTHUR
Katie is a born and bred Croydonite who wears many creative hats. After graduating from drama school in 2007, she honed her skills in fringe theatre and TIE tours before venturing out on her own. She's performed and produced at The Park Theatre, Theatre503, The Pleasance Courtyard and VAULT. Additionally, her writing has been showcased at The Old Red Lion and earned her a spot as one of the top three finalists in The Funny Women awards for her webseries 'Bronzed' (2021). She has recently ventured into the world of dance, assisting on COMMONs Festival at Stanley Arts and ‘Super Natural Extra Normal’ in association with The Place. Beyond her artistic pursuits Katie loves spicy margaritas, eating pasta with friends and her two cats Skepta & Stomzy! She joined Croydonites in November 2021 and is extremely proud to be part of the team!
KATIE HURLEY
Photos from top: header – Figs in Wigs by Christa Holka; ‘Who We Are’ by Fluid4Sight; Anna and Katie profile pictures by Lukasz Izdebski