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Experience & Expertise: Meet Our Team
Alison Claire France (nee Hillier, previously Swannack)
Founder and Creative Director
Born to British parents in Australia, Alison France (nee Hillier, previously Swannack) has lived in three different countries—Australia, the UK, and South Africa—shaping her perspective on equality. She channels her talents as an educator, artist, activist, and advocate to address social issues and fight for equality.
With a diverse professional background, Alison has extensive experience in managing, coordinating, and teaching, including roles in administration, finance, workshop development, project management, venue and stage management, and marketing. Her thirty years of tertiary education and curriculum planning expertise further enrich her artistic pursuits.
Alison has made significant contributions to the arts and the Deaf community. She presented her piece, "The Fake Interpreter - A Curse or a Gift," at the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters Conference 2015. Additionally, she founded the first Deaf theatre festival in South Africa in 2012. She showcased her talents as a playwright and director in her play, "Listen With Your Eyes," which received invitations to prestigious festivals in France and the UK. She has also been actively involved in various roles at Catalina UnLtd, a South African theatre company. She was the Exhibition Convenor at the World Federation of Deaf Congress in 2011.
Alison, having recently obtained her BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art, is currently seeking employment opportunities while pursuing an MA degree in Fine Art. She possesses a Diploma in Art Therapy, which showcases her passion for art and its capacity for therapeutic benefits.
In addition to her artistic endeavours, Alison is a devoted wife and mother to three adult daughters. She resides in the serene surroundings of East Sussex, England, where she finds inspiration. Alison's unwavering love for art and teaching remains the driving force in her life.
Robyn Danielle Swannack
Content Producer and Social Media Coordinator
Robyn Swannack was born in South Africa. She grew up living in two countries: South Africa and Australia. Robyn uses her talents to advocate, research and provide access to information for Deaf adults, youth and children in South Africa.
Robyn is a PhD student at the University of the Witwatersrand in collaboration with the University of Manchester. Her PhD focus is on deaf sign language users’ perceptions and experiences of well-being in South Africa through community participation methods and visual methods. She holds a Master's degree in Social Sciences, specialising in anthropology, from the University of Cape Town.
Robyn’s professional life has been involved in lecturing and tutoring, researching, social media coordinating, content writing, video producing and editing, and managing and developing various projects.
Robyn currently resides in Johannesburg, South Africa with her partner and two cats