Sweet Dreams by Mike Kenny

Heather is Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine. Having trained at Alder Hey and Melbourne Children’s Hospitals, Heather now leads the sleep service at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, managing a comprehensive range of sleep conditions including complex sleep apnoea and narcolepsy. She was awarded the position of Professor of Child Health at Sheffield Hallam University in 2014, in recognition of her collaborative work in research and innovation.

Heather is passionate about improving sleep for children and parents and studying the mechanisms linking sleep with mental health and wellbeing. In her spare time she loves to play her clarinet in the Sheffield and Amaretti Chamber orchestras, as well as to walk and cycle with her family.

Izabela Duszenko is a masters student studying Information Experience Design within the School of Communication at the Royal College of Art, where we transform information and scientific research into experiences. Her current interests lie in how we communicate and interact with the inanimate world.

Mike Kenny is one of England’s leading writers specialising in young people’s theatre. He was included in the Independent on Sunday’s list of Top Ten Living Playwrights and his plays are performed regularly throughout the UK and all over the world. His Olivier Award-winning adaptation of THE RAILWAY CHILDREN for York Theatre Royal, has had several successful revivals at Waterloo and Kings Cross stations, as well as at the National Railway Museum. In Canada it won the People’s Choice Award following its record-breaking run in Toronto. Mike won the 2015 Writers Guild Award for Best Play for Younger Audiences with THREE WISE MONKEYS and the DeutscherKindertheaterpreis in 2012 with ELECTRIC DARKNESS. In July 2013, Mike was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Nottingham for his work in theatre for young people.

Mike’s recent productions include Batley Variations, a community opera for Batley, and Random Selfies for Ovalhouse, London (Nominated for an Off West End Award) His play The Vulture Song was a co production between Blah Blah Blah in Leeds and Yellowcat, in Delhi. Last Year he wrote This is Not For You, working with Graeae and Forces Veterans on a large outdoor piece inspired by the disabled of the First World War. This was a 14-18-Now commission.

Paediatric Sleep Physiologist

After graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Physiology from Edinburgh University, Ruth stayed on to undertake a PhD in Sleep Disorders and their effect on daytime function. Her career then took her to New Zealand to conduct further sleep research. She finally settled in Sheffield in 2002 where she works as a Paediatric Sleep Physiologist at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Ruth enjoys running and loves getting out exploring the Peak District with her family.

After graduating from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Danse de Lyon (France), Sandrine pursued her studies in Germany as part of the European programme D.A.N.C.E and graduated from Palucca Hochschule Dresden with a Masters Degree.

As professional dancer, she worked with varied choreographers and performed for renowned companies (Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, Phoenix Dance Theatre) around Europe and the UK.

In parallel of her performing career, she has developed her own choreographic work, creating works on companies, youth groups and music video as well as teaching classes and workshops. She is now based in Leeds, working as a freelance dance artist and choreographer.

Vicki is the CEO and Founder of The Children’s Sleep Charity. She set up the charity to support children to get a good night’s sleep so that they can meet their full potential. The charity has won a number of national awards and regularly appears in the media. Vicki is on the Board of British Paediatric Sleep Association and was awarded the Duke of York Community Initiative for Outstanding Leadership.

Prior to setting up the charity Vicki worked as a teacher in various roles across Yorkshire. She lives in Doncaster with her husband Nick, two sons Joe and Daniel and their various pets!

Artistic Director

I have held the position of Artistic Director at tutti frutti since 2005 and have directed all but one production in partnership with York Theatre Royal, touring nationally and internationally and co-producing the Little Feet Festival of Children’s Theatre and the First Words writers’ development programme

Before working with tutti frutti I was Artistic Director of Red Ladder Theatre Company, and previous to this; Merseyside Young People’s Theatre Company in Liverpool. Over the years as a freelance director work has included; Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Crucible Theatre Sheffield, Hope Street Ltd, Oxford Stage Company, Unity Theatre Liverpool, European Stage Company, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Contact Theatre Manchester. I currently live in Leeds with my partner Mark and two sons Louie and Eliot.