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Co-artistic directors Gemma Paget and Sean McGrath began their journey together in 2004 at The Cambridge Shakespeare Festival. Since then they have been weaving their curiosity and creativity together, exploring what it means to be human as individuals, life partners, parents, creatives, and global citizens.
United by a passion for storytelling in all its forms, in 2006 they founded AlterEgo Creative Solutions, an applied theatre-in-education company dedicated to using theatre and film to address complex social issues. Their work toured to hundreds-of-thousands of children, young people and professionals throughout the UK, as well as Europe, the US and Canada.
The in-depth research and exploration of a broad range of social issues, the richness of learning through working with incredibly knowledgeable and talented professionals and creatives on the development of their projects, and the experience of witnessing first-hand the tremendous impact that stories can have, led to Sean and Gemma’s desire for a deeper exploration into the power of narrative and drama to inspire change.
In 2020 Gemma gained a Masters degree in dramatherapy, and in 2025 Sean gained a Masters degree in Writing for Performance. Throughout the pandemic both Gemma and Sean spent time researching Narrative Theory, the Science of Story-telling, and the alchemical and mythical power of drama and stories to create both individual and societal transformation. This collective learning spurred them to reflect, re-evaluate and re-define their creative aspirations, giving birth to their next joint venture : Narrative Alchemy.
The Creative Team
The Creative Team
Gemma Paget MA, BA(hons), FRSA Co-Artistic Director
Gemma is a creative therapist who holds a Masters Degree in dramatherapy from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. This, combined with her training as an actress at Manchester Metropolitan’s School of Theatre, and her vast experience as both an actress and a theatre-maker over the past 20 years, has given her a unique perspective on how to use clowning, story-telling, role method and internal family systems to inform the development and the application of the various elements of Narrative Alchemy’s work. She is an actress, a director, and a fellow of The Royal Society of Arts (RSA).
As well as her role as co-artistic director, Gemma is the head of wellbeing within the company. Whether a full-time member of staff or a project specific freelance professional on a short or long-term contract, Gemma is commited to supporting all of our teams’ wellbeing and mental health.
In 2024 Gemma was commissioned to create a free Mental Health for Actors resource. it can be found here.
Sean McGrath MSt Cantab, FRSA, WGGB Co-Artistic Director
Sean is a writer. director, and storyteller. He trained originally as an actor at The Oxford School of Drama, but soon found that his passion lay in writing, directing and storytelling, rather than acting.
He is a member of the Writer’s Guild of Great Britain, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), an associate director and business consultant for The Cambridge Shakespeare Festival, a trained facilitator for US based Narrative 4, and has an MSt in Writing for Performance from The University of Cambridge (Selwyn College). His interests lie in the interplay between modern breakthroughs in Narrative Theory, and the ancient magic, myth and ritual of simple story-telling.
As well as his role as co-artistic director, Sean is our resident writer and head of project development. This sees him take the lead on all project research, development and writing.
His personal website can be found here.
The support Team
The support Team
Marian Allen Finance Administrator
Marian has decades of experience wokring in accountancy, and is the go to person for all things finance and book-keeping related.
Theatre for Schools Tour bookers for our Applied Theatre projects
Established in 1996 as a specialist marketing company, Theatre for Schools are experts at linking the UK’s most outstanding and innovative educational theatre providers, to the needs and requirements of schools, colleges and educational settings. Jo, Cathy, and their amazing team at Theatre for Schools, act as the main point of contact, the marketing team, and the booking agent for all of Narrative Alchemy’s Theatre projects for schools.
Bruno d'Og Head of Morale
I am Bruno the cockapoo and I am the self-appointed Head of Morale at Narrative Alchemy. My duties include greeting visitors and visiting actors with enthusiasm, enforcing regular wellbeing walks, and providing emotional support during deadlines. With a background in biscuit diplomacy and power napping, I bring calm energy and unconditional loyalty to the team. I believe in the power of play, rest, and long walks on Dartmoor to keep creativity flowing. When not supervising from under a desk, I can usually be found conducting field research into the relationship between eating snack sausages, tail wag frequency and team productivity.
Collaborators, colluders, and companies we love working with
Collaborators, colluders, and companies we love working with
Collaboration with partners, colleagues, and like-minded companies is at the heart of what we do. Working with others fuels our creativity and our passion, and creates a vibrant environment that brings our projects to life.
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