About the Why Not? Enterprise
Skills in creativity, teamwork and confidence
Angela de Castro, master of creative intelligence of The Why Not? Enterprise, has dedicated almost ten years of her life to exploring and developing the process of imagination, condifence and presence, which are essential for professionals in business and education.So Why, Why Not?
De Castro, through her own personal experiences, has devised a new way to look at how we all live, work and play. How do we make the most of our opportunities? How do we get past our inhibitions and learn to try new things, in order to succeed?The Why Not? methodology provides the confidence to try something new and creates more opportunities for success.
At the heart of The Why Not? Enterprise is serious research into the process and structures of creativity and its effectiveness in the workplace. This has been supported by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts), the Arts Foundation and the Arts Council of England.
Angela de Castro
Master of creative intelligence
AKA: de Castro
Born: Rio de Janeiro
Last known location: London
Known collaborators: National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), The Performing Arts Labs (PAL)
In 1986 de Castro, moved to London in pursuit of her dream to study and perform. As well as touring internationally with several major contemporary physical theatre companies, she is well known as the coach of her UK wide professional master class 'The Art of Creative Intelligence'.
She is recognised as a top creative thinker and practitioner in her field. In 2002, de Castro became one of the first six Nesta Dream Time Fellows (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and, in 2003, an Arts Foundation award recipient.
By collaborated with PAL (the Performing Arts Labs), de Castro has created a brand new process of learning for teachers and artists through physical theatre. This led to in-depth work with head teachers, to assist them in their complex and highly public role.
For over a decade, de Castro has been training performers to equip them with the necessary acting skills, not to mention life skills, which are seen as being so essential to developing and projecting a 'big stage' presence. It is this part of what she does which is so beneficial in both business and personal development.
As a charismatic and respected speaker, de Castro regularly appears for discussion panels in Britain and Australia. She's a self-confessed 'people's person' and has tremendous skills in enabling individuals in finding their creativity and achieving their best by stretching them beyond their comfort zone, within an enjoyable environment.
She is charismatic, inspirational, larger than life, devoted, dedicated, active and visionary. She lives and believes in what she teaches.
By the age of 13, de Castro had won an honorary award for poetry from the Brazilian Academy of Literature. She chose not to follow an academic route, but instead began the hands-on approach that would eventually characterise her working life. By 17 years old she was on the stage in award-winning productions and a year later became part of the production team for a groundbreaking, internally acclaimed Brazilian theatre production. At 23, de Castro was already winning major acting awards, and by 28 she had her own award–winning theatre production company.
Throughout her years in theatre, de Castro learned that both acting and producing require constant adaptation. Actors must be able to understand an audience in an instant; get to the heart of a character; and respond in collaboration with their fellow actors and production team. An ensemble needs to gel fast and work together well to produce an outcome that the public and the critics enjoy.
De Castro transferred these lessons into her teaching, which began over 18 years ago. Over the years, she has developed her methodology in creative learning. People from all backgrounds started flocking to her workshops and in turn took her to their organisations. She soon realised that lessons in creativity and teamwork – and her unique approach to bringing these out in individuals and groups – were having an impact in other fields.
Her methodology began to work in the world of organisations, both in business and the public sector. Over the past seven years, de Castro has trained people working in advertising and creative media, in business coaching and consultancy, and in public health.
Catherine Bewley
Born: North East
Last known location: London
Known collaborators: Equality and Human Rights Commission
Catherine Bewley is co–director of The Why Not? Enterprise. She has an honours degree in Psychology from the University of Durham and a Masters Degree in Organisational Psychology from the Social and Applied Psychology Unit at the University of Sheffield.
She has an especial interest in public and third sector organisations; how the values and approach of service organisations enable or hinder consumers to receive effective services and be at the heart of organisational decision-making.
Catherine is chief executive of a human rights charity, working with people with learning difficulties. She is a well-known and respected writer, thinker, trainer and consultant in this field. She works with government, leading policy makers, and public organisations such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Angela de Castro and Catherine teamed up with each other in 2000. She was inspired by de Castro’s approach to issues that face many people working in public and voluntary sector organisations, where demands and expectations are high and resources often extremely tight. Her background in organisational psychology had made her question how the bureaucracy and working style of organisations can stifle creativity and change. De Castro's messages about creativity, presentation, leadership and teamwork, struck a cord.
Similarly, her dedication to equality for disabled people in work and society, particularly people with learning difficulties, some of whom do not use speech to communicate, chimed with de Castro’s work on body language and truthful communication in the workplace. Catherine saw a charismatic, highly effective theory and practice in de Castro's approach that could help make public and voluntary sector organisations positive, vibrant and creative places to work and effectively deliver services to the public.
Catherine's role is to support the vision, strategy and business planning of The Why Not? Enterprise, and to help develop the work within the public and voluntary sectors.
