About
I’m an actor, writer, trainer and part-time suffragette with a passion for creating, performing and sharing stories from the heart that empower, educate and entertain.
If you share these values and are looking for a range of inspiring events, immersive productions, talks and workshops, see how I can help you and let’s talk!
By telling the stories of Ordinary, Brave and Extraordinary women and focusing on what we share in common, I believe we can learn from these women and from each other.
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For as long as I can remember,
I have always created stories and performed them.
– Kate Willoughby
When I was a little girl my wonderful Mum was both encouraging and patient. After she finally tired of an almost endless cascade of imaginings, my teddies proved to be an attentive audience.
The writing subsided for a number of years as I focused on acting, in community productions, including the York Cycle of Mystery Plays, at university, as well as a stint at Disneyland Paris before going to RSAMD (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) in Glasgow (a city that still inspires me and always feels like home).
It was whilst at RSAMD that director Andrew McKinnon encouraged me to develop my writing alongside performance skills. It proved to be a step change and I’ll always be grateful to him for that.
Meisner was then added to the acting mix thanks in large part to Scott Williams and more recently Kate Maravan, alongside writing. Women who dared to take on the Establishment became my focus. I wrote about prison reformer Elizabeth Fry (A Fiver’s Worth of Courage) and then suffragette Emily Wilding Davison (To Freedom’s Cause).
For the last couple of years I have focused on campaign work with #Emilymatters, which began with a special performance of To Freedom’s Cause at the House of Commons, directed by the late Brian Astbury.
The drive behind combining creativity and campaigning remains a central part of what I do. From pop-up performances to hyper local community projects, wellbeing, a greater sense of belonging and having your voice heard run through my work.
It matters to me that we move away from the manufactured division generated in much of our politics and media and instead move towards building greater understanding and compassion for ourselves, our communities and for those we may never meet but with whom we share this planet we all call home.
I am a proud member of both Equity UK and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB).
See the WGGB website to read more about what first inspired my writing and what continues to kindle the flames of creativity in their ‘My Life As A Writer‘ feature.
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ON WRITING & PROJECTS
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Whilst my interest in amplifying women’s voices and stories continues, through my #Emilymatters initiative and Phenomenal Women project, I have also been developing a range of children’s stories, inspired by nature and world events.
On the surface, these may seem to be far removed from my suffragette Emily Davison inspired work.
However, these new ventures still hold true to my love of creating and sharing stories that matter with the power to ignite a delicious crackle of delight, mutual understanding and nurturing hope, for good.
Empowering women and young people to use their voice and be heard continues, as an invisible thread through out my creative endeavours.
Something I am particularly proud of is my connection to both rural and urban communities, from North Yorkshire to City of London.
To date, I have premiered the majority of my work in Yorkshire and so it was a great pleasure to give the first reading my new tale ‘Paws For Thought’ at Leyburn Community Library in January 2023.
It was such a lovely morning and my thanks go to all the team at the library for making it happen and for including some lovely accompanying creative activities for the children.
The curiosity, creativity and compassion shown by the young participants gives me great hope for the future. The future is bright and community libraries play a vital role in inspiring young (and older!) minds.
‘Paws for thought’ By Kate Willoughby
Lovely Storytime enjoyed by all. Particularly liked the visuals! … Really liked the use of vocabulary. My family are bookworms!
— Librarian & participant comments from ‘Paws for thought’ at Leyburn Community Library’s Storytime, 21st January 2023
During the 2020 Lockdowns I developed three new projects:
Lockdown Project #1
During the Covid-19 lockdown, I wrote and produced a short online drama that highlighted domestic abuse and disability.
It was the evidence given by Dame Vera Baird QC, the Victims’ Commissioner for England & Wales, to the Home Affairs Select Committee, which inspired me to write.
She highlighted a surge in suspected domestic abuse killings in the UK that inspired me to write and referred to findings made by campaigner Karen Ingala Smith‘s pioneering work:
Counting Dead Women has got to a total of 16 domestic abuse killings in the last three weeks. We usually say there are two a week, that looks to me like five a week, that’s the size of this crisis.
— Dame Vera Baird QC, Victims’ commissioner for England &Wales
She added that we need to be creative in our thinking and response.
In my response to Dame Vera, I hope I can help to amplify the urgent message that you are not alone and that help is there for you right now.
Working with a committed cast from the UK and USA, I developed a short screenplay, which had a series of online performances.
This is a project that I am keen to further develop, as the issues it explores sadly continue.
Lockdown Project #2
During the autumn of 2020, Culture Mile launched their Imagine Fund. I was excited to be one of ten applicants to receive a micro grant for my project, Lockdown Fuels Positive Creativity: What’s inspired YOU during Lockdown?
I asked local residents to reflect on what helped them through this year, collecting their responses in a digital gallery. I worked with actress-poet Natasha Anne Kelleher who wrote ‘UNLOCKED UNLEASHED UNABATED‘, an evocative poem in response to the submissions, which was published by Barbican Life magazine.
Lockdown Project #3
Much of my work to date has been inspired by real people, real life and more recently by the wild neighbours with whom I share my local area.
The local Mallards, Moorhens and other wildfowl continue to give me peace of mind and a sense of joy.
The stories they have inspired, which I am currently working on, are an extension of the micro stories I first began with #weetales.
Ongoing Creative Melting Pot (inspired by Brian Astbury)
#weetales are a way for me to write in flow for 15 minutes. I love seeing what short stories bubble up in a condensed amount of time.
Inspired by the work of the late, great Brian Astbury, whose workshops and book ‘Everyone Can Write‘ I continue to use this simple timed exercise to spark ideas and to vanquish any fear of a blank page.
I love Brian’s commitment to craft and lack of deference to any Establishment constrictions. He had a heart of gold and a knack for drawing out the best in you. He truly was one of a kind.
Glasgow
As previously mentioned, Glasgow has played a major role in my creative inspiration. This great city and its people continue to influence and reinvigorate my work.
I was born in Yorkshire and made in Glasgow. It’s a city I’ll always call home.
Thanks to Covid, it’s a been some time since I’ve been back, but very much looking forward to my next visit!
