Below you can meet the professionals who will bring Joy club together for ten participants in 2025.

You can learn more about the project here

Justin makes theatre; on stages and in other places. He does this because he believes there are few things more powerful than a shared experience and a live event. At TEAM, he will continue to create work, while also supporting early-career artists in exploring new projects. With a focus on supporting emerging artists who feel under-represented in the sector, he is eager to meet, chat, and figure out how NTW can support both the ambition and ideas of others.

All good things start with ambition and ideas, and he enjoys being someone who helps people combine these two elements. As he continues to create work that connects people in unique ways, he aims to support others in doing the same. Through co-creating, changing, making, communicating, and simply having a go, amazing things can happen.

In his role as Creative Associate, he will support emerging artists living in Cardiff who feel under-represented in the arts. 'Emerging' can mean different things to different people, so it’s up to the individual to decide how they might be emerging. No formal training or specific experience is required; the goal is to connect with people who envision a future in theatre or who have a story, moment, feeling, or experience they want to share with others right now.

For Justin, theatre is about risk and shared experience. When it works, it connects people in ways no other art form can.

Dr Annie Beyer

Dr Annie Beyer (CPsychol, DCounsPsy, PgCert, PgCert Humanities (Open), BSC(Hons)), is a Chartered Psychologist, HCPC registered Counselling Psychologist and current Chair of the Division of Counselling Psychology in Wales. Annie has a clinical background in adult mental health having spent over twelve years working in Secondary Care mental health services across England and Wales. She is currently Senior Lecturer on the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at the University of South Wales. She is also Director of Beyer Psychology Services, an independent practice through which she provides clinical supervision, teaching, training, and consultation.

Annie has a specialist interest in creativity and innovation, with a particular focus on the understanding and use of creativity in the practice of Psychology, and on exploring the various contributions that psychology can make to organisations and to the arts. It is this cross-disciplinary interest that has led to Annie’s work with artists and creative communities, bringing the knowledge, theory and practical skills of the psychological professions to help them conceptualise, plan, and evaluate the impact of their work.

See Annie's work here

Charlotte Lewis

Charlotte is an international theatre director with several years of experience and also works as a consultant, helping individuals speak with confidence. She is excited to be collaborating with the team at Joy Club and as an Associate Director on the project, to experiment and create sessions for the participants.

In addition to her work with the sessions, Charlotte’s focus on this project will include the creation of an audio documentary, which aims to celebrate the process and inspire others to find joy in their own lives.

Frank Thomas

Frank has worked in a variety of roles within the arts for over a decade. Early in their career, Frank focused on creating serious art, driven by a desire to prove themselves as a serious artist. This phase saw his work centered around intense emotions such as grief, and weighty topics like politics and the environment. Over time, he began to shift focus, coming to appreciate the value of art that celebrates fun, silliness, and, of course, joy.

Frank will be joining Joy Club as a Dramaturg, where his role will be to assist in crafting and facilitating the events participants will engage in. Additionally, he will take a broader view of the project, evaluating its strengths and weaknesses in order to help shape its future and ensure the continued vitality of Joy Club.