SELLIOTT 

Selliott or Sarah Jean (she/her) - is a multi-disciplinary artist originally from East Tennessee and Southern Appalachia (Apple-at-cha). You can now find her in Austin, Texas where she recently received an MFA in Live Design and Production. Now a graduate of both The University of Tennessee and The University of Texas at Austin, when asked what UT she can proudly say both.

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Her childhood was filled with music, storytelling, and a strong sense of community. As an adult, she strives to recreate that feeling of connection and belonging in every project. She found her own community within the theatre where you can often see her work as a lighting and projection designer enhancing the storytelling and working in deep collaboration with different teams to create work that encourages community and conversation.​

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Her passion for inclusive storytelling extends beyond design into research and development. Inspired by the work of Oily Cart and other pioneers of sensory-inclusive theatre, she devised new work for her thesis alongside her amazing colleague Renita James (read more about their practice here). Collaborating with a group of young people and a talented team of artists, they explored ways to make theatre more accessible and immersive for all audiences. Beyond her thesis research she works with a collective of theatre artists on developing Theatre for Very Young in a style of development that is deeply collaborative and pushing the boundaries of the traditional roles of a devising and artistic team. 

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As an avid disability advocate, Selliott continues to push the boundaries of inclusive design. Her ongoing research asks: How can designers utilize the elements of sensory-inclusive theatre to create a more inclusive space for all audiences throughout the devising and development process? This question remains at the heart of her work, influencing every project she undertakes with differing levels of success but, we are all growing, learning, shifting and changing daily. 

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For Selliott, theatre isn’t just about performance or the stage —it’s about creating experiences that transport, connect, and inspire. It's about the journey and the collaboration and creation within a team. It about the whole artist and respecting each others needs and values. It's about inclusion and creation and reaching out to those communities we have traditionally forgotten. It's about serving the artists, collaborators and the community. It's about finding new community and carving out the space for inclusion. It's about so many different beautiful things that we often forget when a deadline or budget line is looming. But no matter what role she is filling, whether she’s behind the scenes, in the rehearsal room, or (on rare occasions) onstage as a dancing narwhal, she is dedicated to making theatre a space where all can contribute and be valued. 

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She finds one of the most exciting parts about life is you get to decide who you are and what's important to you and that can always shift and change as you grow and learn. 

 

Boxes are for storage and unleashing the imagination not a place you need to put yourself! 

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Let's create community, theatre, and art together. ​​​​

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