Sue Mayo

Sue Mayo is a freelance theatre maker, and Director of the MA in Applied Theatre. Sue worked as a performer for ten years, including work at The Lyric Theatre Belfast, the Young Vic, Upstream Children’s Theatre, and Theatre Royal Stratford East. During this time she continued her training in contemporary dance at The Place, the Laban centre, and X6 Dance Space. Sue founded Still Standing Dance Theatre with dancer Jane Mooney, and the company won the Bass Ireland Arts award for its contribution to the arts in Ireland.

Academic qualifications

• BA Hons in Drama & Theatre Arts University of Birmingham

Teaching

Sue has taught at Rose Bruford, South London Theatre School, Selly Oak College, Central School of Speech and Drama, and Queen Mary University of London. She has served on the Board of Talawa Theatre Company, Trestle Theatre and Leap Theatre Workshop. She was a founder member of the Refugees and the Arts Initiative. Sue received The Warden’s award for Public Engagement at Goldsmiths in 2019

Professional experience

Sue developed her work as a writer and director, working increasingly within Community and Education settings. Sue spent three years as Artistic Director of the Young National Trust Theatre, creating site specific theatre performed in National Trust properties throughout England. She first worked with Magic Me, the UK’s leading intergenerational arts provider, in 2003, and is now Associate Artist within the organisation. Sue developed their women only intergenerational work, with ten years of projects at The Women's Library, and further projects across Tower Hamlets. The 2012 project created an audio walking performance, Where the Heart is for the LIFT Festival, and in 2017 and 2018 the group created work for the WOW Festival at the South Bank Centre.

Sue continues her freelance work, most recently with The Academy of St Martin in the Fields on their first intergenerational project.  She has travelled to Brazil and South Korea to run training in intergenerational practice and continues to push for innovative work in this sector.  Arts Council England funded The Gratitude Enquiry, a series of three community projects exploring themes of reciprocity and gratitude. Two new projects are in development. Sue is currently working with artist Paula Varjack, on The Baby Question, an exploration of being childless/childfree.