Iona Farley (Admin Director/Actor)

Iona studied Dramatic Arts at Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds.

After graduating in 1997 she worked with schools and youth groups for a year and ran a youth Theatre in Hemel Hempstead for Antic Hay Theatre Company directing and devising C.S. Lewis' Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Since joining Off the Ground in 2002 Iona has worked as an actor, director, tutor and, more recently administrative, director.

As a tutor Iona has worked with Cheshire Drama Services on year ten residential drama weekends, The Chester Gateway Theatre on literacy projects and has lead workshop for Off The Ground in schools all over the North West of England.

She has also taught communication skills to doctors in the NHS with Dangerous Communications and been an interlocutor for the Institute of Linguists for the Home Office exams.

Her recent acting roles include:
Titania in " A Midsummer Nights Dream”, Mole in "Swing in the Willows”, Erin in " Who Do You Think You Are?", Jenny and Susan in "Lost and Found", Asdak and other characters in "The Caucasian Chalk Circle”, and
Maria in "Twelfth Night".

Iona regularly tutors with Off The Ground Youth Theatre and has directed a selection of stories for “Grimm Tales” and in 2005 she directed “1984 with OTGS’ sixth form group.

In between all the fun Iona has successfully fulfilled her biblical mandate to go forth and multiply and as a result is the very proud, exhausted mum of Imogen born in 2001 and Angus born 2004. As a result of having two lively watsits who adore stories Iona has ventured into storytelling in the old oral tradition and can be found at bedsides, in pubs or by fires regaling adventures of all kinds.

And finally (well hopefully not) Iona has become OTGs Administrative Director, keeping an eye on paperwork and initiating and organising new and on-going projects.