Meet the team

Sarah Perks

Education Director

Sarah Perks

Sarah is Educator Director at Cornerhouse, Manchester’s international centre for contemporary visual arts and cinema. She is responsible for managing the education team that includes the innovative programmes LiveWire for young people aged 14 – 18 years and Projector for schools and colleges. Sarah has also been Festival Director for exposures, the UK’s leading student film festival for several years, also a Cornerhouse education initiative.

Sarah is also Director of Northern Film Network and a freelance lecturer and writer specialising in Asian cinema. Sarah recently published the section ‘East Asian New Wave Cinema’ in Alternatives to Hollywood: A Teacher’s Guide (Auteur, 2005).

Sarah also likes Indian and Chinese food, holidays and shopping!

Marisa Draper

Young People's Programme Manager

Marisa is the Young People's Programme Manager at Cornerhouse so she is responsible for the management of LiveWire projects. Marisa has been working for Cornerhouse since she graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in Interactive Arts in July 05. She has worked as a Workshop Leader and Project Assistant on a number of LiveWire projects, including the LiveWire Film Camp and she also works as a freelance filmmaker. Apart from being involved with arts management, Marisa works independently as an artist and has exhibited work around Manchester and in Australia.

She loves art, films, music and muddy music festivals!

Chris Clarke

Visual Arts Education Officer

Chris is the Visual Arts Education Officer at Cornerhouse, working closely with the exhibitions department in developing events, talks, workshops and tours. He studied sculpture and art theory at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, and lived and worked in Cork, Ireland and Yokohama, Japan before moving to Manchester. He also continues to exhibit his own work and contribute to a number of art journals.

Rachel Hayward

Cinemas Education Officer

Rachel Hayward

Rachel Hayward started working at Cornerhouse as the Cinemas Education Officer in January 2005 after finishing an MA in Contemporary Literature and Film at the University of Hull in 2004. Her research interests include British and World Cinema. Rachel also manages PROJECTOR: the year-round programme of events targeted at schools and colleges and events for the general public.

Rachel likes kung fu, movies, live music, guitarists and aspiring band, Dodgy Footwear... I mean Sinister Footwear!!!!