off the ground

Nurturing projects from seed to stage

Getting projects off the ground is always an evolving adventure — a space where I explore, play, and invest in myself as an artist. These are the projects I’ve nurtured from seed to stage, gleaming from different art forms, working with vibrant collaborators, and honing my professional skills along the way. Each one has been about creating pathways where there were none, producing work that feeds into my artistic health and the resilience of others.

SEEN

SEEN - The podcast

To highlight South West Artists and answer important creative career questions

SEEN is my self-started audio project, launched in January 2024, exploring the vibrant artistic community across Plymouth, Devon, and the wider South West. The idea began with 20 questions I wanted to explore to help me develop as an artist in the industry. Each interviewee chooses three of these questions to answer, then donates a question of their own to add to the list, creating an evolving conversation and ongoing exploration.

As host, I dive into the journeys, challenges, and creative processes of local artists, freelancers, and creatives, giving them a platform to share their stories. More than just a podcast, SEEN is a space for connection, inspiration, and celebration — a place where artists can get SEEN, ideas can spark, and conversations ripple out into the wider creative landscape. It’s also my own exploration of audio work, storytelling, and artistic development, feeding into my ongoing journey of growth, curiosity, and creativity.

First episode aired on the 29th January 2024 and can be found on my website or on Spotify.

Margarine

Margarine - Chapter 3

''I think the universe has sent me a sign'

For the development of Margarine’s third chapter, Charlie collaborated with performer Bex Martin to present a new snippet at a scratch night in Exeter. Margarine has been a slow-burn project, written gradually over a number of years while Charlie was predominantly focused on dance. After showcasing the first two scenes at IdeasLab with a cast of four, set, and projection, she took on board feedback and decided to strip the work back for scene three. This iteration experimented with a smaller cast of two and incorporated audio recording, allowing the story to be explored in a more intimate way. For Charlie, these opportunities are invaluable in shaping the direction of the piece, offering both space to experiment and the freedom to change her mind. Above all, the process reaffirmed her love of creating—finding it both soul-quenching and deeply affirming.

12th July 2023

Margarine - Chapter 1 & 2

''Random but ok.'

Charlie challenged herself by applying for IdeasLab at Theatre Royal Plymouth with her script – and was delighted to be successful. This new opportunity required her to find performers and consider how to stage the first two chapters of her work. Having spent most of her life in dance, this was unfamiliar territory, but her passion for interdisciplinary practice and the meeting of art forms shone through. Daryl Smith-Wightman, Bex Punzie Martin, Bernadette M Mol and Leroy Jomali Wild generously gave their time to perform, and on the night Charlie even stepped in for a character herself. Although this meant she couldn’t view the work from the audience, the experience was both worthwhile and useful for her own developement.

25th March 2023 Exeter Northcott, Barnfield Theatre

Margarine -The Script

'Today, one of us still drinks too much, sleeps to little and reminisces far too much about missed opportunities of youth and the other carries a fish around in a bag. End of story really.'

After discovering a small paragraph, written on a iPad from 2014, Charlie decided to continue to write the story about two women who happen to be in each other lives, apparently best friends but there seem to be some misunderstandings about how each other should continue to live life. Charlie is continuing to shape the piece and work out how best to deliver the narrative. She has shared Margarine with scriptwriter Alex Robins, who gave feedback, advice and notes on this new venture.

We Are Made of Stories

Pilot piece to blend together poetry and movement

Both Bernie Molton and Charlie Ranken flourished as creatives together in a safe and allocated space. With thanks to Exeter Phoenix Devon SEED Commission, both artists gained confidence in their process and found moments of creativity in using an ‘translating’ method from paper to performance. We believed it would be extremely powerful and restorative for both ourselves, an audience and future participates. Our vision is to create a future framework to enable work with women who are marginalised or experiencing a range of disadvantages as a way to find restoration, healing through poetry and movement. A spring board to write a future narrative that builds them up, is uplifting and encouraging.

12th August 2021 We are Made of Stories performed at Exeter Phoenix Main Auditorium

Oxford House Creative Hub

Studio Scheme

Both Bernie and Charlie were successful at receiving space at Exim Dance Company HQ's. The year long residency enabled the duo to gain additional rehearsal space for their piece We Are Made of Stories as well as benefit from a professional environment to explore ideas and develop narratives with each other.

July 2021 - July 2022 Studio Scheme OHCH

Stoning Mary

Stoning Mary Short Film

Plymouth Conservatoire Final Production for Acting Degree

In 2019, Charlie worked as Movement Director and Assistant for Lucy Hirst on the 3rd Year final production at Plymouth Conservatoire. Stoning Mary was a visually stunning and poignant production. Charlie was lucky enough to gain support from The House technical team, Mel and Andy, to install GoPro's in the rigs and around the stage to film in HD. The footage was shelved throughout the pandemic. Time is now being set aside to return to idea of creating a short film from the production, focussing on the physicality and the movement direction applied.

By Design Theatre

By Design Collective

seek. design. enjoy.

By Design Theatre was founded in May 2018 by Ashleigh Wheaton, Ryan Wilce and Charlie Ranken. Established as a theatre collective, the company focused on delivering creative projects for people over 50, seeking out the spaces where theatre could bring joy, connection, and colour. Within its first seven months, By Design successfully secured funding through the first round of the Mayflower 400 UK Vital Sparks bid, received support via Take A Part, and prepared for its first Library Culture bid interview in Dorset.

In 2019, the company partnered with Age UK Plymouth and Manor Court to design new programmes that responded directly to community needs. When the pandemic struck, By Design adapted with energy and imagination: hosting live Bingo sessions on Facebook, producing Creative Activity Packs for care homes, and later creating a companion DVD with support from Exeter City Council and Dartmoor National Park to reach rural families. With further backing from Exeter Community Initiatives, the collective extended its reach to even more care homes and isolated individuals.

One of its most distinctive projects during lockdown was Blooming Buds of May, a radio play voiced by community members—most of whom were over 50—which celebrated intergenerational storytelling and creativity.

Though By Design Theatre came to a close in 2022, as its three founding artists moved on to pursue new career opportunities, the collective left a legacy of inventive, inclusive work that filled genuine gaps in arts provision and placed older voices at the heart of the creative process.

Dance Core

Not-For-Profit Dance Centre

Affordable. Accessible. Professional.

Dance Core was founded by Charlie Ranken in 2009 in response to the government cuts that left many local councils unable to sustain their arts and dance programmes. Driven by a belief that dance and movement should be accessible to all, Charlie created a not-for-profit structure to fill this gap, taking on council run community dance groups and extending opportunities into primary schools, leisure centres, and village halls.

Under her leadership as Director and Founder, Dance Core grew to engage over 100 young dancers weekly, many of whom would not traditionally have access to structured dance training. Charlie built the brand from the ground up—developing the logo, website, and marketing strategies—while managing a team of instructors and assistants across multiple sites. The organisation also hosted annual performances attended by audiences of more than 400, providing meaningful creative experiences that celebrated inclusion, community, and the joy of movement.

The below videos show our very first trailer in 2009 and a Showcase in 2012.