Keri Sparkes is Mr. Wilson’s Second Liners’ company manager. Since 2016, her unique combination of eight years’ private sector managerial experience and conscious understanding of arts development has proved invaluable. Her expertise in strategy, project planning, communications, budget management and training have impacted the company’s development and sustainability positively. Keri is the first point of contact for booking enquiries and can advise clients on pricing, contracting and press.

After working in the insurance industry for nearly 20 years, and alongside her work with Mr. Wilson’s, Keri recently retrained and graduated as a mature student from University of Central Lancashire in Contemporary Theatre and Performance.

During her studies, Keri began developing community led, participatory events for isolated families. She evolved and delivered a body of creative, outdoor play workshops for families in her immediate community called Guerrilla Play, alongside artistic director, Sonya Moorhead, and in partnership with local community services.  This evolved into Guerilla Play UCLan: a participatory performance and game involving seventy-plus student participants aged between 18 and 33. Delivered on 2015 General Election polling day, this show pertinently explored democracy.

Her most recent project, Join Me, was created in collaboration with the refugee community accessing services through the St Augustine’s Centre, Halifax. Keri worked directly with refugee participants throughout the project and the resulting film explores the refugee’s journey and their reasons for coming to the UK. The film was used during a performance in which audiences were asked to consider and respond to the refugees’ stories.

Keri is currently developing a new project called The Sorrowful Stag, a high-quality, participatory show for family audiences, combining street theatre and game mechanics. It allegorically explores themes of poverty and the impact of austerity on individuals and the wider community.