What we do.

THEATRE. We make theatre. We believe theatre is vast. We define it as the live communal creation of meaning on stage with people we don't know and might not agree with.

ART. We see theatre as an art form and believe in art as an end, not a means to convey or illustrate ideas.

FOREIGNITUDE. We make work from a place of “foreignitude”. Be it physical, cultural, linguistic, or economic, we are the outsiders’ view. Our work isn’t an attempt at showing the value of immigration or the importance of sharing resources but an offer for the dominant culture in Wales not to suffocate.

IDEAS. We are interested in ideas in their embodied shape, in everyday life and people. We make work from what we hear, see, live and question. That includes the technology we use and the ideas it generates.

APPROACH. We believe culture is ordinary and are as interested inIbellihooks or Baudrillard as Deliveroo drivers and as comfortable making a show at Lidl as in an opera house. That is why we work with theatre makers AND community participants.

Who We Are.

smiling image of Mathilde Lopez wearing a black dress

Mathilde Lòpez (she/Her)

Artistic Director

Mathilde trained at Central Saint Martins in performance design, completed a Master's in theatre directing at Birkbeck College and worked in television (BBC, Endemol, Kudos) and with Robert Lepage and Ex-Machina. She was literary manager at Theatre Royal Stratford East before coming to Cardiff as one of the founding members of National Theatre Wales. She ran her company August 012 for more than 10 years before becoming Fio artistic director in 2026. She directs theatre and opera in the UK and internationally.

Helen Comerford (she/her)

General Manager

A history graduate from the University of Glasgow, with training in technical theatre from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Helen’s route to FIO took her through theatres around the UK and abroad. As a stage manager she toured internationally, show-called large-scale events and worked with companies including Shakespeare’s Globe, Kneehigh and the Emma Rice Company. In 2019 she moved into producing as Emma Rice Company’s Participation Producer, setting up their celebrated training programme. Helen joined FIO as their General Manager and Senior Producer in 2026. An author as well as a producer, Helen is passionate about platforming fresh voices.

smiling image of tara turner wearing blacks and browns

Tara Turner (She/They)

Administration & Participation Co-ordinator

Tara is a theatre administrator who champions community empowerment and intersectional representation in the arts. Holding a bachelor's degree in Performing Arts, she is committed to widening access and participation for communities and cultures that feel excluded from creative spaces. In her freelance career, she has collaborated with Span Arts on the We Move project, FIO as an assistant producer on House of Jollof and the Arise programme, served as an annual panellist for Stonewall Cymru's internet cafe workshops, and worked with Beacons Cymru as a junior project officer. Tara joined the core team of Fio in 2026 and is presently pursuing an MA in Arts Management at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Eug Taylor (They/Them)

Theatre Maker

Eug Taylor is a theatre-maker, director and multidisciplinary artist. After four years as a journalist at ITV Wales, they retrained in Creative and Therapeutic Arts, developing a practice rooted in community arts and theatre. They have worked as a creative facilitator and producer with Common/Wealth Theatre, supported Demand the Impossible and assistant directed Nice Things, which toured Cardiff, Bristol and London. Their short films have been shortlisted for the Chapter Iris Prize. They have also created an interactive play in collaboration with Cardiff University researchers. Currently Fio’s Early Career Theatre Maker, Eug leads the Arise programme and assists on productions. They enjoy playing with movement and power within their practice.

Jodie Nicholson (She/Her)

Marketing Coordinator

Jodi Ann Nicholson trained in contemporary dance at Trinity Laban before completing a Master's in Fine Art at Cardiff School of Art and Design. She is an interdisciplinary artist working across dance, theatre and visual arts as a choreographer, performer, movement director and facilitator. Her practice explores identity, belonging and human connection through movement and collaboration. Committed to helping the arts flourish, she supports artists through mentoring, artistic development, marketing and communications. She co-founded Nomah Dance, serves on the boards of LOYALTY Arts and Kokoro Arts, and is Marketing Coordinator at FIO.