YDF26 Curator: John Thacker

Hi, I’m John and I’m a multi disciplinary artist from Manchester. I’m particularly passionate about bringing creative opportunities to communities that may not have access to creative arts, and creating creating spaces the represent stories and voices that often so unrepresented.

I have been working with young people and adults as a workshop leader on a variety of projects. I worked with a variety of skill levels from working in educational settings using drama as a tool for developing knowledge and exploring thoughts, feelings, ideas to I’ve working as an acting tutor with professional actors honing their skills, audition preparations.

I’d like to think of myself as an active creative, constantly coming up with new ideas/new ways of working and using creative practices, working on a wide variety of projects and in a varied skillset that allows me to be flexible working in various creative and non-creative settings.

Throughout 2024 and 2025 I worked as one of Peshkar’s committed artists as part of the YDF festival to develop storytelling workshops that explore how and why we tell stories, including discussions on what stories we don’t often tell.

I’ve been working as a performer for over ten years on stage and screen and as a vocalist (for solo projects and for wider groups).

For my experience as an actor/vocalist/director please see: https://linktr.ee/johnthacker

I’m incredibly excited to be co-curating the YDF’s 10 year anniversary with Peshkar. After being a committed artist myself in 2024 and 2025, I understand how valuable development opportunities are for young artists to build up their skills, portfolio, and contacts, that without YDF I wouldn’t have had access to. I’m excited to work alongside Peshkar to build an exciting celebration for the 2026 YDF of exciting talent to bring to like their ideas and to create a space that represents what makes this project so special.