Mike Morris
Co-Director
Mike is a founder member of WoW and has a background in community activity, in education - working as a Learning Mentor in Anfield CC School, and film-making as a writer on Dockers (Channel 4, 2000), and as co-director and producer of a ground-breaking documentary, Liverpool’s Cunard Yanks (Granada, 2008). He studied Literature & American Studies at Liverpool John Moores University and has an MA in Creative Writing. He is a playwright, with his first play Waiting for Brando, which he wrote and produced, appearing at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre in 2012 and 2013, followed by a short tour of UK theatres. His second play, Subterranean Theatre: The Maurie, based on a short story by George Garrett, was produced as a site-specific piece in Liverpool’s Cunard Building during the city’s Three Queens celebrations in 2915. Mike created WoW's Pulp Idol competition and is responsible for the editing and publishing of WoW's annual Pulp Idol - Firsts (a book of the finalists’ First Chapters) and leads on WoW’s publishing strategy. Mike created and directed the George Garrett Archive Project and is currently working with actor and director Raymond Waring to produce George Garrett’s second play, Flowers and Candles, for June 2018. Mike is also working with Madeline on WoW’s long-term strategic aims and development.
Madeline Heneghan
Co-Director
Madeline Heneghan became WoW’s first full-time Festival Director in 2006 and was ultimately responsible for the delivery of the annual month-long Festival and all WoW projects. Madeline has an MA in American Literature and History, and prior to joining Madeline was the Action Plan Coordinator for The Black and Racial Minority Network. As a former Equalities Consultant, Madeline gained a thorough understanding of the needs and preferences of different communities and hard to reach groups. Her excellent community engagement skills and expertise in diversity and audience development have been the driving force behind WoW’s growth and its diverse audiences. In 2017, after WoW were judged ‘Outstanding’ by Arts Council England under their ‘Creative Case for Diversity‘ criteria, she was invited to become a ‘critical friend’ for the Creative Case in the North. Madeline has organised and led on many festival events and projects. Most recently, Madeline has written and published, with Emy Onuara, a book based on the findings of the Great War to Race Riots Creative Heritage Project. Madeline is now delivering our latest Creative Heritage Project based on the archives of the Liverpool 8 Law Centre, and working to shape WoW’s long-term strategy and development.
Emma Hulme
Programme Manager
Emma joined the team in 2016 and is the Programme Manager, overseeing and curating the vast amount of WoW’s projects. During her time here Emma has led on many successful projects, including, What's Your Story?, Superheroes: Words are our Power, Moving Foreward and many more. She graduated from Central School of Speech and Drama and then returned to Liverpool to work freelance with several local organisations.
Ailis Lord
Project Co-ordinator - Children and Young People
Ailis joined WoW in 2020 as a freelance Outreach Worker for WoW Young Writers, then as a freelance Project Assistant for Super Heroes. In 2021, Ailis joined the team as a Project Co-Ordinator for Children and Young People alongside Becky. Ailis works primarily on the Super Heroes project, but is also responsible for WoW Young Writers and our Children and Young People's programme. After graduating from LIPA with a degree in Applied Theatre and Community Drama, Ailis jumped straight into work with young people. When she is not at WoW, Ailis can be found directing with her theatre company, Transcend Theatre, or working as a freelance drama facilitator on youth projects across the city.
Liv McCafferty
Festivals Coordinator
Liv joined WoW in 2021 as Festival Coordinator. They are mainly responsible for the annual writing festival, WoWFEST and also coordinate WoW’s annual Black History Month Programme in October, along with other standalone or partnership festival events. Alongside their work at WoW, they are producer for Liverpool’s Queer Arts Company, EAT ME Before joining WoW, Liv graduated from UOL with a degree in Music and English Literature, and then worked as a freelance arts and events producer for organisations such as Open Culture, LAAF, and Homotopia. Their interests lie in radical arts production, creative provocations, inclusive event making and community building through cultural practice.
Amy Carrington
Project Manager
Amy Carrington joined WoW in 2020 and is a Project Manager for Write to Work Directions, Next Chapter, Enterprise Hub and PSS families. Amy believes in WoW’s dedication to creativity as a tool to improve confidence, develop skills and bring people together. After graduating from University of Manchester with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, Amy worked as a Team Leader in the Education Department of National Liverpool Museums. She is proud to have a poem featured in The Rialto, and is currently writing her first collection of poetry. She is most likely to be found reading, baking or being overly competitive whilst playing board games.
Gala Pujol Freixer
Finance & Company Manager
I'm a qualified Executive Arts Manager with more than 20 years experience within cross-sectorial creative industries specialising in Business and Operational management and Communications. My key strengths are in finance, business vision, creativity, resilience, leadership and company management. I've been involved in different projects in the UK, Non for profits and Charities, promoting creativity and social causes. Before working at WoW, I was General Manager at Wired Aerial theatre. I have been Director of moves International Festival of Movement on Screen and Operations and Development Manager at Cartwheel Arts.
Mikey Dunne
Writing Development Manager
Mikey joined the WoW team in December 2021. After experiencing homelessness in the early 2010s, they became an ambassador for the homeless charity, The Foyer Federation, and have been a long-time advocate on this issue. In 2016, they co-founded ArtsGroupie with John Maguire, a community interest company promoting access to the arts, and preserving heritage in Liverpool. Mikey released their Arts Council England funded rap album “Who’s Afraid of M!key Garland?” in 2020, highlighting issues of economic inequality. They are a strong advocate against the historical and ongoing oppression of Irish people, and have previously worked at Irish Community Care. Mikey graduated in Creative Writing from Liverpool John Moores University in 2019. They identify as non-binary, queer, and are of Irish, Saudi-Arabian, and Indian descent.
Katrina Paterson
Project Worker
Katrina Paterson joined the Writing on the Wall team in 2017 as an intern working on Administration and the Superheroes Project before becoming a full time staff member later that year. As a project worker, Katrina has worked on projects such as: Liverpool 8 Archive Project, What's Your Story? Unison, Time to Breathe, and more. Having completed her MA in Screenwriting at John Moores University, Katrina has a real passion for screenwriting and film in her free time.
Jenny Dalton
Project Assistant
Jenny joined the WoW team in 2021 as a Project Assistant and her main responsibilities involve working on the production and publication of WoW’s books. She has worked on the development of books for Write to Work, What’s Your Story, Super Heroes: Words Are Our Power and more. Jenny has an undergraduate degree in English Literature and Creative Writing and masters degree in Creative Writing from LJMU and is currently writing her first novel. When she is not at WoW, Jenny is most likely to be found writing or with her nose in a book.
Lauren Buxton
Project Worker
Lauren Buxton joined the WoW team in 2017 as the Project Assistant, having previously been a participant on the first Write to Work course. Lauren is now a Project Worker supporting on our adult projects from for Write to Work Directions, Next Chapter, What’s Your Story Write Minds, SS Orbita to Orbital and our national novel writing competition Pulp Idol. Lauren is passionate about WoW’s dedication to giving people the voice to tell their own stories and the creative community the projects create. When Lauren isn’t working for WoW she can be found writing about new musical gems on her music blog.
Georgia Berry
Project Assistant
Georgia joined the WoW team in 2021 as a Project Assistant, working on marketing, social media and administration. She manages the WoW social media channels, writes our weekly newsletter, and provides admin support on our digital writing centre, The Writer’s Bloc. Georgia graduated from the University of Liverpool with an undergraduate degree in English Literature. They are currently working towards an MA in Mass Communications, with a dissertation on queer representation in video games.