About Stuart Waters

Stuart is a coach, an artist, and a cultural leader.

Stuart’s journey towards becoming an accredited coach began with his own life. On reflection, Stuart’s experiences of spaces have been those of discomfort and exclusion.

He has spent the last decade researching and training in order to change this for himself and others; to re-evaluate space, iradicate discomfort and find ways to create comfort and inclusion.

Stuart has spent 26 years in the dance and cultural sector. This has been a tough landscape to navigate but, at the same time, brought a deep and rich experience that led to a varied, portfolio career. Stuart has developed many skills, knowledge and experiences along the way.

His career has straddled performance and teaching across all areas / settings of education and community, developing Stuart’s interest in people, communites, cultures and the conditions of which to work in.

Stuart’s practice has has taken him all over the UK as well as providing unforgettable experiences with audiences, schools and communities in Norway, Sweden, Austria, Bulgaria, Dara Salam and Zanzibar, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Bogata, Croatia, Tunisia, Moscow, Jordon, Palestine, Beruit, Bangkok and across India.

After a mental health crisis, burn out and a near death experience, Stuart decided in 2015 to train and research further towards a coaching practice.

During a recovery period, Stuart reflected. These are some of the questions that enabled him to develop his independent identity and practice:

• What now?
• Why am I masking?
• Why can I not disclose in a space I am supposed to feel safe in?
• Why am I not being honest with myself and others?
• How do we de-shame space?
• How do we approach non-hierarchical leadership?
• How can I relearn how to take risks safely?
• How do I unlearn what I have learnt?
• How do I approach radical honesty within my leadership?
• How do I address perfectionism and competitiveness?
• What do I need?
• What do I bring to the space? Why is this important?
• What do others need?
• Where’s my self-care at?
• How do my needs meet others’ needs in space?
• What does burn out look like for me?
• What is my care plan?
• What does my access practice look like?
• How do we safeguard the artist within a creative process?

and more…

During the last 10 years, Stuart’s practice has sat within performance practice, pedagogy, community activism and leadership, through the ongoing task of step-change towards a healthier, safer and more inclusive world, where people feel seen, heard and accepted.

His practice has developed into a wider interest in supporting others through 1:1 coaching, mentoring individuals and training for organisations. Stuart’s collaborative nature activates an approach which co-creates, creates spaces for others, shares space and is driven to empower and motivate.

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