Milly Jackdaw

Milly has been working as a professional actor/storyteller/writer for 7 years. During her time in London she worked with Southwark Playhouse and ENO Baylis before joining Purple Broccoli Theatre and dedicating herself to providing environmental theatre for children. She has co-devised and performed in a number of full length plays on environmental themes, touring theatres, schools, green spaces and community events throughout London. Purple Broccoli productions are highly physical and humorously inventive, making use of economic staging and stretching theatrical conventions. This experience has developed Milly’s flair for producing exciting and meaningful performances.

An accomplished and experienced storyteller, Milly focuses on stories that strengthen our connection with nature and encourage recognition of its value. Her experience includes performances at schools, nature reserves, community events, festivals, libraries and theatres.

Working with Purple Broccoli has also given Milly the opportunity to develop educational projects on environmental themes. She has delivered post performance workshops as well as longer series of workshops in schools. Most notably she has conceived and fundraised for two residencies in Lambeth schools. The first of these residencies was on the theme of Trees, delivering 10 workshops in each of 4 schools and the second on the theme of birds delivering 5 workshops to each of 14 schools. The workshops included drama, storytelling, performances and nature engagement in local green spaces, eco art and planting sessions.

Ailsa Mair Hughes

Ailsa studied for her music degree (BMus) at both the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Cardiff University, graduating with a 2:1 in 2008. She has a particular flair for performance (especially in evocative improvisation) and composition as well as an enthusiasm for community music work and ethnomusicology. With cello as her principal instrument and a love too for singing, Ailsa’s experience includes: performances and tours with highly-acclaimed classical ensemble Sinfonia Cymru, with whom she often plays cello; singing in several prestigious performances as an alto with the BBC National Chorus of Wales, including participating in the 2008 BBC PROMS in the Royal Albert Hall (in Olivier Messiaen's Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jesus Christe) and in the 2008 PROMS in the Park in Singleton Park, Swansea, as well as in concerts at the Theatre des Champs-Elysées and Basilique de Saint-Denis in Paris; playing cello with folk/soul duo Susie Ro & Ayla at several 2009 festivals including Glastonbury; performing regular cello recitals at old people’s home Hafan-y-Waun (2008/09); performing her own eclectic music for cello and voice (a project in development) at several festivals and other venues in 2009. Ailsa also has a variety of experiences as a music educator, including: private one-to-one cello tuition, music tuition on Dartington Summer Youth Programme (for three consecutive years to the present) and as a supply cello tutor for Ceredigion County Music Service on two occasions (2008/09); voluntary facilitation of a weekly music workshop at Mind Aberystwyth (during 2009); and leadership of musical activities with mixed-ability three to seven-year-olds in a Kindergarten whilst on a Leonardo da Vinci work placement in Germany (2006). As a student at RWCMD, Ailsa also worked on a community music project with mixed-ability Odyssey Theatre group, helping to lead workshops and arrange music in the creation of Christmas show The Spirit of Christmas (2005).

Ailsa loves working with children and is passionate about caring for the environment, feeling that it is essential that every child be free to interact with the natural world around them and to understand in a joyous way the interdependence within the Earth’s ecology. And she believes that artistic activities are a wonderful way to enable this!

Peter Stevenson

Peter Stevenson has worked for 20 years as a professional illustrator, compiler and writer of Childrens Books and is still as full of enthusiasm as he was all those years ago. He has worked for many publishers and his books have been published all across the wide world, mostly on the themes of folk and fairy stories, animal and nature stories, nursery rhymes and tales, as well as illustrating many contemporary stories written by authors as diverse as Edna O’Brien, Jeremy Strong, and Margaret Mahy. As well as working for publishers such as Collins, Hodder & Stoughton, JM Dent, Reed International, Hamlyn, he has illustrated many books for Ladybird, from their familiar small format Well-Loved Tales to their range of large format books. Most recently he has published more than 20 books with Fernleigh Books, recently renamed as Cats Pyjamas - these are mainly interactive books, boxes containing many small books, puppet theatre books with hand or finger puppets, books in the shapes of buildings or vehicles etc….
Peter has also worked extensively for Educational Publishers. He produced the illustrations for more than 20 books for the National Trust showing the social histories of their properties and lands from the point of view of children. He also worked for many years for Scholastic, producing books and Teachers Packs for their publications Child Education and Junior Education. Peter is currently working on a range of books with Milly.

He has led many workshops in illustration in schools and libraries, most recently at Aberystwyth Art Centre.

Peter is an accomplished musician playing diverse range of instruments including concertina, banjo, dulcimer, African gourd banjo, dombra, dutar, bouzouki, mandolin and any other bits of recyclable nonsense he finds lying around in ditches, cupboards or the backs of peoples heads while searching for nits.

In his capacity as a musician and composer he accompanies Milly in her storytelling performances