This is where Bigfoot started in the year 2000, from humble beginnings in Brixton, where Founder & CEO Karl Wozny started facilitating drama at a local Primary School. It was clear from the experience of seeing children flourish through the process of creative expression, that Karl quit acting, and dedicated himself to creating a company that would focus on providing quality creative learning opportunities for children from mainstream education. Equality of opportunity underpins everything we do. The arts MUST be made available to ALL children!
Bigfoot (Because of Karl’s huge size 13 feet) innovated many ground breaking arts education programmes throughout the noughties, including the UK’s first ever Creative Teacher Supply Agency, and a government funded Summer performing arts programme called London Talent, which then went on to inspire the Government’ Transition Summer Schools initiative.
We are also proud of the fact that Bigfoot were one of the first arts education companies to fully invest in educator training, paving the way to upskill actors and performers with the skills and confidence to successfully work in education, setting a benchmark in quality standards that continues to this day 25 years later.
Ultimately Bigfoot are proud of it’s small, but passionate core team, all of whom have only ever worked for Bigfoot as an employer, and are still working with us today after decades of commitment to the cause, so here is a little bit about them!
Lauren Kennard, started out as an admin assistant at Bigfoot HQ and ten years later became the Managing Director, specialising in HR and making sure that only the very best arts educators work for us!
Gail Clark & Lizzie Clancy started Bigfoot at similar times, and are the ‘Producers’ – The perfect collaboration to ensure that Bigfoot provides creative education programmes that are unrivalled. Their conscientious approach is 100% focused on delivering quality creative learning experiences that positively impact on children’s attainment and development. The duo are now affectionately known as ‘Gizzie’ as everything they conceive has been written, tested, and delivered to their exacting standards.
Adrian Benn is our Senior Educator. A multi-faceted, multi-skilled inspirational force of nature who has an inexplicable ability to connect with children and teachers alike and get the very best out them. Feedback from an Adrian visit often results in them immediately wanting him back in the school. There are simply too many accolades to list, but Adrian has been instrumental in developing our Anti-Racism workshops, teacher and educator training and is now the face of our new World Friendship Ambassador Peer Mentor programme. (WFA)
Karl Wozny, Bigfoot’s Founder enjoys speaking to schools about what we do, and works tirelessly to ensure that all of our programmes are visible and that our working relationships with schools and organisations are healthy and long lasting!
We are excited to welcome Charlie Daniells into Bigfoot to cover Lauren’s Maternity leave, and we look forward to working with her to realise her potential and utilise her amazing skillset.
