Brought up by a single mum and her family, Linda-Ray has lived all over the world including in South Africa, Canada and England. At the age of 18, she returned to the UK to do a foundation course in acting at Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts, before moving to West Yorkshire to study at Leeds Conservatoire. In July, Linda-Ray is back at her old stomping ground for the Leeds Theatre Festival (July 6-18), the Conservatoire’s celebration of new stories and new voices, where she will be working for Red Ladder. Here, Linda-Ray talks about her own inspiring story…

Where does your passion for the arts come from?

It was while living in South Africa that I fell in love with the arts. At the age of 18 I was diagnosed with Graves disease, an immune system condition that affects the thyroid gland, and that forced me to take stock of things. At that time I was quite into sports but because of my condition I had to stop a lot of this, which reopened my love affair with the arts. When I first moved to the UK I went to Stagecoach Performing Arts School in Manchester. I was six or seven, and that’s where I first discovered you could be a performer, dancer and a singer. So I was really into the arts from an early age.

What brought you to Leeds?

Erin Carter, Head of the School of Drama at Leeds Conservatoire, discovered me in Cambridge and offered me a place so I decided to move to Leeds. I’d already lived in Manchester so I was quite keen to come back to the North. My first year at the Conservatoire was very strange because of covid, which as artists made us look at things differently. As well as acting, we learned all about editing and stage management and all the different production roles. This gave us a really good foundation when it came to finding jobs in the arts after we finished our course. For me, it really awakened my love for producing as a theatre-maker and by my third year I’d started my own production company, called Ray Productions, which focuses on new stories and working with young artists.

What have you been up to since graduating from Leeds Conservatoire in 2023?

A lot of my work has been focused on communities and new, or underrepresented voices. I’m still a performer so I try to do as much of this as I still can, whether it’s acting, singing or dancing. I just love being on stage! At the same time, I really love the production side of things so I try and split my time between both.

The first big opportunity came in 2024 at Leeds Playhouse when I took over from Rio Matchett as interim Furnace Coordinator. Rio, who left to become artistic director at Camden People’s Theatre, knew me through Leeds Conservatoire where she was also a dramaturg teacher. They needed someone to cover for three months to keep their artistic development work, and I ended up doing 12 months. I’ve also been doing scratch nights and helping young artists. One thing I’ve found I’m quite good at is fundraising. When I started, I didn’t know where to go for funding so I started fundraising through events, community outreach and even just emailing potential investors who might be interested in supporting me as a business, and eventually I was able to fund the first three years of my company through this.

What’s it been like coming back to Leeds Conservatoire and being part of their Leeds Theatre Festival?

It’s so empowering. I’ve been back with Ray Productions and for artist development sessions with the students, and now going back with Red Ladder has been amazing. It’s so empowering as a young person to have that respect and trust from so many companies and so many of my peers. I feel the new generation coming through has got so much talent, fire and determination, and I hope that my story encourages other students, because I think after covid a lot of young people need to see other young people getting opportunities.

Who is the festival for and why is it important?

It’s for the writers, students and dramaturgs. It’s important because it’s a building block for writers and dramaturgs – you’re giving a writer and a dramaturg the chance to work together. I think a lot of people assume they’re the same thing and they’re not. Writers don’t know where to find dramaturgs a lot of the time, never mind actors, which is where this festival comes in.

It’s not only a great opportunity for them to showcase their skills, but also a great networking opportunity for the writers, actors and dramaturgs. And having Red Ladder involved gives them access to their expertise and experience, which is priceless. We need new voices and artists so that we keep hearing new stories, and that’s why festivals like this matter.

What does it mean to be working with Red Ladder?

It feels like you’re really in the theatre world and that you can actually make a difference. Red Ladder is a company that’s so impactful for so many different communities. For someone like me, who’s so passionate about community work, being part of a company that embodies this too, is incredible. There’s a lot of care and practical support for artists with Red Ladder – and that’s really important.

Leeds Theatre Festival, July 6-18, Leeds Conservatoire, 3 Quarry Hill, Leeds.  LS2 7PD. Tickets £8-£10. For more information and to book tickets visit Leeds Theatre Festival 2026