REV CLAUDETTE DOUGLAS

Reverend Claudette Athea Douglas is an ordained inter-denominational Minister with a strong passion and long history of campaigning for causes of universal Justice. Before becoming a minister, Reverend Douglas has been an Actor, Mentor, Artistic Director, and cultural activist, Teacher, Project Manager and Community Arts / Development Manager. For the past two and a half decades, Reverend Douglas has worked in a variety of settings from large cooperate institutions, local and regional government, international governments and consulates as well as small community organisations and individuals.

Reverend Douglas’ expertise is in helping organisations and individuals to develop the personal or institutional competencies that turn vision into structure.  For fifteen years Reverend Douglas was the project Manager of Ahfiwe Community School in Brixton and was the arts manager of Dick Sheppard Youth Centre in Brixton. During this time Reverend Douglas was the Artistic Director of The Award –wining Athea Hall Theatre Company which toured the UK, Africa and the Caribbean.

Reverend Douglas has also been the Co-ordinator for SIMBA one of the UKs leading   Black Mental User led organisations, where she was able to help the organisation develop its own institutional framework and move from a user group into a campaigning, training and teaching institution, that is now able to consult with and offer training and advice to   mental health practioners, and all those interested in developing knowledge in this area. They are also able to act as a conduit for the development of Best Practice and advocacy within the mental health field and influence policy makers throughout the UK...

Now as research and Development Manager for The Churches Racial Justice Team, Reverend Douglas brings flare and innovation to the post. She is keen to exploit the arts as a means of engagement and expression and to carry on the organisations noble history of challenging impoverishment and injustice throughout Britain.  Since being in post Reverend Douglas has initiated the Entitled to Excellence Black Leadership Programme which has so far been responsible for a partnership with Oxford and Canterbury Universities as well as the visit of Reverend Jessie Jackson in October 2007.

Reverend Douglas is the senior pastor for Holy Apostles Theatre Ministry which is a recently formed mission to bring the gospels to life through film television and theatre. The Ministry meet for weekly fellowship in Brixton.