Tess is the Director of Curious Cargo, a performance & visual arts company. They aim to reach diverse audiences & offer quality, playful, thought-provoking experiences. They create unique & interactive street theatre & visual theatre pieces for unconventional settings. The company has a selection of highly visual, comic, intriguing, interactive strolling acts. Curious Cargo has entertained at festivals & events across the country, & have also performed in settings such as the Children’s Hospital in Bham, Mcr Art Gallery, Liverpool Museum & early years settings, and has undertaken site/event-specific commissioned shows for The Imperial War Museums & NHS Mcr.
Tess is a physical performer/puppeteer/mask performer & a visual artist/designer/maker.
She has performed with various companies including: Plunge Boom, Granny Turismo, Larkin About, Horse & Bamboo Theatre Company, Walk the Plank. Tess has undertaken training in puppetry, physical theatre, clowning skills with: Philippe Genty Company, Philippe Gaulier, John Wright, Keith Johnstone, Gennadi Bogdanov, Julian Boal, & others. Tess currently works as a freelance ‘Giggle Doctor’, with Theodora Children’s Society, bringing fun & laughter onto children’s hospital wards.
Pre-Curious Cargo Tess trained as a set designer for film & TV, working as a scenic artist & prop maker in theatres & workshops across the UK. Work in TV & film included contracts at Granada & Central TV, on productions such as Spitting Image as Assistant Art Director. In Australia Tess worked at John Cox’s Creature Workshop making puppets for films ‘Pitch Black’ & ‘Komodo’ & as special effects assistant on ‘Lost World’ & ‘Flipper’. As a project manager, community artist and trainer Tess has over 25 years’ experience of devising & delivering arts-based projects; working with all client/age groups, in educational, community & corporate settings. She is a qualified teacher and has taught at FE & HE entry levels in both the UK & Australia. Tess is qualified in BSL Levels 1 & 2.
