We are two enthusiastic vivacious young ladies with a shared passion for creative expression through the arts. In 2010 we put our heads together to come up with a summer youth arts program that integrates both art and drama in an innovative, inclusive and imaginative way. We believe in equal opportunities and the importance of allowing a child/ young person express themselves through the arts without having to conform to preset standards. We launched The Xpressive Factory in July 2011 with our first summer camp in Ballinlough; the camp was a great success. Both parents and children were proud of the work that was achieved throughout the 6 days. The Xpressive Factory has proved to be a new, refreshing, happy and confidence building experience that we hope will grow bigger and better every year.
Our Vision
To work collaboratively to deliver youth arts programs that provide a thought provoking, fun, unique and confidence building creative arts experience. That empowers youths to make their own decisions, express their own ideas, communicate their needs and take responsibility in a safe, positive and creative environment.
Our Values
Inspirational: Igniting creativity and ideas while satisfying a child’s need for dramatic expression.
Developmental: Encouraging empowerment and personal expression through art, improvisation, acting and creative movement.
Literacy: Hands-on instruction using exciting techniques, and projects that encourage learning and literacy.
Awareness: Illustrating how drama and art can impact a child’s life and make them feel better about themselves.
Leadership: Building self-esteem and developing strong public speaking and social skills.
Emotional: Children experience a sense of accomplishment and achievement, independence and pride in their finished work, and learn to express their feelings and deal with frustration.
The Actress
George has been performing for many years but gave up the day job in 2005 to become a full time actor. She has been a member of Corks own Snatch Comedy Improv since their beginning almost ten years ago. Travelling nationwide on tour, performing at festivals, theatres, private & corporate functions and playing to adult, family and young audiences. She specialises in Improv and gives workshops to children as young as five and adults as young as 80! George took some time out to travel and was able to work and perform with a number of established Improv companies throughout Australia and New Zealand. More recently she was invited to France and Germany where she, as part of Snatch Comedy Improv, helped to set up a project to deliver a week long integrated improvisation workshop through English to a group of German and French students. This project is heading into its third year.
For the past five years she has been a tutor with the Gaiety School of Acting for the Young Gaiety and the Adult Intro course as well as the Page To Stage course.
She has co written, performed and toured Aesop’s’ Fabulous Foibles and Fables. A children’s show that was commissioned for the Midsummer Festival with Theatre Makers in ‘08. She has also directed two children’s shows for Chattyboo Productions, The Legend of Fionn MacChuail and The Tales of CuChulainn.
George’s most recent performance has been Fewer Emergencies by Martin Crimp during the Midsummer Festival at the Granary Theatre.
She has worked with Graffiti Theatre Co touring Closed Circuit. The Three Fat Women of Antibes Lastserenade Theatre at the Kinsale Art Week. An Evening of Intrigue & Mystery with Madame Chavelle Theatre Makers at Ballyvolane House, The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau, a one woman show Tornado Theatre. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the Evil Stepmother and Sleeping Beauty as Lucinda the Wicked Witch both at the Cork Opera House along with The Good Sisters and The Sunbeam Girls Stage Centre.
She was nominated for Best Actress at the Underground Film Festival for the award winning film short, Heart (18).
George has just completed a nine month pilot project with Graffiti Theatre Co which focused on integrating music, visual art and drama for early years i.e. ages 0-3.
The Artist
Rachel has always had a strong passion for art and design. In secondary school she discovered that Art was her strongest and most stimulating subject where she exhibited a natural creative ability and decided to pursue a career in an artistic field. Post secondary education she began working voluntarily part-time with Peter Harkin Master Photography Studios in Galway, which quickly materialised into full time paid work for a duration of three years. Here she gained invaluable skills and knowledge of the commercial wedding and portrait photography business and was able to contribute her own artistic vision and actively engage in the modernisation and expansion of the studio. During this time Rachel also held two exhibitions of her own work ‘Groundless’ @ The Taibhearc Gallery, Galway, ‘Perceptions’ @ Arabiaca Cafe, Galway (2003).
After the success of her first exhibitions Rachel spent some time travelling around New Zealand and Asia. While travelling she continued to do some freelance photography work and also received commissions for paintings. She again exhibited new artwork, paintings and photography in Nelson, New Zealand. Upon her return to Ireland in 2004 she made the decision to move to Cork.
She continued with photography, assisting Janice O’Connell, F22 Photography on architectural photography projects such as The Glucksman Gallery, CIT, St. Johns College, The Fenton Gallery and other projects featured in the 2006 exhibition ‘Building the Vision’ @ The Cork Vision Centre. During this time she also held a full time job at Be Framed, a framing workshop and fine art gallery in The Douglas Woolen Mills.
More recently Rachel has worked in childcare. Rachel has integrated her passion for art with childcare in developing and nurturing the creative instincts of the children she cared for, and finding opportunities to express her own artistic nature through full-time work. She has worked with and taught art to children from 0-16 years.
In 2008 she set up a small business, taking family portraits and photographing weddings. While Rachel still occasionally takes on the role of wedding and portrait photographer, her ambition is to become a fully qualified arts teacher. She completed the Art Portfolio Preparation course in 2009/10 with the Crawford College of Art and Design and has just received a Distinction in Art, Craft and Design with Colaiste Stiofan Naofa. Having received the highest possible grade, Rachel will now continue with a Fine Art Degree at the Crawford College of Art and Design.
Rachel’s busy life entails occasional photography work, children’s art classes and camps and the role of full time art student and mother. Rachel’s commitment and passion never waivers and her ardent work ethic are evident in her pursuits. 
