Alix Harris
Chair of the Board
Alix Harris is a Director and Theatre Practitioner based in South West England. In 2015 Alix founded and became Artistic Director of Beyond Face CIC. Beyond Face’s mission is to raise the profile and visibility of artists, young people and communities who are from African and Caribbean diasporas, people who are South Asian, East Asian or South-East Asian, North African, Middle Eastern or from ethnically mixed heritages.
Alix has recently directed The Honeyman by Tyrone Huggins for Exeter Northcott, previous directing credits include, Contact Theatre,
Manchester & assistant directed for the Barbican Theatre Plymouth & Theatre Royal Plymouth. In 2019/20 Alix was a Headlong Origins Director.
Alix is a Director of Indra Congress, through this role she has worked internationally in South Africa and Palestine. Alix is also a part-time Drama lecturer at Exeter University.
Joy Zarine
Since 2025
Joy Zarine is a brand strategist, author, and entrepreneur with a passion for arts, music, and live events. She has worked with some of the world’s most iconic brands, including The O2, and is the author of two bestselling books: The Five Star Formula and Sales Through Service.
Joy specialises in helping organisations grow through clarity, connection, and culture, with expertise in brand development, organisational strategy, and community engagement. She is committed to widening access to the arts and believes deeply in the power of creative expression to spark a sense of belonging, confidence, and transformation.
Joy joined Doorstep Arts’ Advisory Board to bring her expertise in brand strategy and organisational growth, helping to expand Doorstep’s reach and impact.
Jules Waddell
Since 2026
Jules Waddell is an entrepreneur, advisor and creative practitioner with a career spanning business, education and the arts. She was the founder of Moorish, an award-winning food brand, and now works as a University “Entrepreneur in Residence”, supporting early-stage founders and creative ventures to grow sustainably.
Alongside her commercial work, Julie has a long-standing involvement in theatre and community arts, and a particular interest in how creative practice builds confidence, agency and opportunity — especially for young people.
Her work sits at the intersection of innovation, enterprise and education, and she brings a practical, people-centred perspective to governance and advisory roles.
Julie is delighted to join Doorstep Arts as a Special Advisor, supporting its mission to create meaningful, inclusive cultural opportunities across Torbay.
Jonathon Waterworth
Since 2026
Jonathan Waterworth is a musician, performer, adjudicator, and senior music educator based in the South West of England. He is currently Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts and Music Specialist at St Cuthbert Mayne School and has built a career spanning professional performance, arts leadership, and education.
He trained at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, graduating with a BMus (Hons) in Operatic Recital, before completing postgraduate performance training in Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music. Jonathan’s professional performing career
includes work as a backing vocalist for Chris de Burgh and Sarah Brightman on UK tours, appearances at the Diana, Princess of Wales Tribute Concert at Althorp House, and extensive work as a tenor soloist in major oratorio repertoire by Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Verdi, and Coleridge-Taylor. He has toured internationally with the Black Mountain Male Voice Chorus of Wales and performed at festivals including the Almeida Opera Festival and Battersea Arts Festival.
Alongside his performing work, Jonathan has held senior leadership roles in music and performing arts education across North Yorkshire and Devon, including Head of Performing Arts and Director of Music. He continues to perform semi-professionally, works as an adjudicator, and is a Special Advisor on the Adult Advisory Board for Doorstep Arts CIC. Jonathan is also a finalist for the Music Inspiration Award at the Music and Drama Education Awards, recognising his contribution to music education and his inspirational work with young people.
Beth Bowden
Since 2026
Beth Bowden is currently Participation Producer at the Almeida Theatre, where she leads a dynamic team delivering free, high-quality and participant-led creative opportunities for over 6,500 participants each year. As Creative Producer for Young Artist and Community strands, she oversees the Young Company, Community Trilogy project, Almeida For Free, and a range of outreach and audience development programmes designed in response to the needs of Islington and Greater London, including as Creative Producer on 81 (Life), which saw 81 local residents take to the Almeida stage in August 2025.
She also supports youth voice through the Almeida Youth Board and mentors artists through the Almeida Makers scheme, nurturing the next generation of directors and designers.
Beth also works as a Director, Dramaturg and theatre-maker with a practice focused on interdisciplinary new writing and embedded participation. Recent directing work includes RIGHT OF WAY, which received five-star reviews at VAULT Festival as part of VAULT 5 and subsequently toured five South West venues with ACE funding, integrated creative captioning and delivered workshops for young carers. She is currently developing new work exploring Assisted Dying through Complicité Mudlarks and the Lighthouse Sanctuary Residency.
She makes and advocates for creative work that is research-based, responsive, and with equity, access and inclusion at its core. She hopes to continue to work as a reflective changemaker, shaping meaningful artistic and organisational strategy, and working collaboratively with artists, policymakers and communities across the UK.
Ana Laura Escalona Díaz
Since 2026
Ana Laura grew up in a children’s theatre group in Havana, Cuba, and has since been involved in a range of artistic projects as both performer and coordinator. She holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Havana. In 2019, she co-founded *Aprender es Divertido* in Havana, an initiative that supports children’s social and emotional development through the arts and provides guidance to their families.
In 2021, she received a Chevening Award from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to pursue a master’s degree in Creative Arts in Education at the University of Exeter. She is currently undertaking her PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), where she researches the role of the arts and embodiment in public spaces.