Sharon George

Sharon George

Creative Director/Artist

Favourite Biscuit?

Plain hobnob, thank goodness I didn’t have to say favourite cake!

Who makes the best cuppa?

Me! Second Lily, Joe makes one every leap year and Paul never!

Funniest Shademakers memory?

There are so many moments that we just crack up and can’t believe we are once again in a funny situation such as being followed by police cameras in Hackney because there was 6 of us running through the streets completely lost all dressed in red boiler suits, red hard hats and carrying tool boxes or dressed in costume humming the muppets theme tune on kazoos in thick fog in Armagh .

Most favourite job and why?

Rhythmtree Festival have welcomed us into their festival family and what a fantastic family it is. Its a pleasure to be in a field in searing heat building the sets , listening to Diff moaning and handing out headphones for silent disco ! RT is truly a field of magic, time stops and all that’s important is what to eat, dumpling dumpling or Mexican and what gin cocktail to try next to looking up and seeing Liz’s flags paint the sky with colour.

Favourite Shademakers theme?

Tiger, Tiger, I really enjoy the making process, I love it when we all work closely together to produce in this case 10 tigers.The costumes were made during a cold winter in our workshop to show them at Nice Carnival in February where the sun shone. Becoming a tiger and roaming the streets of Europe is a unique opportunity.

Sharon is the creative lead for the company managing design and production.  

Sharon was trained in fashion and textiles and worked in the industry for 15 years, directing shows and exhibitions at national level before setting up her own business as a knitwear designer.  Her love of three dimensional fabrics and form led her naturally towards carnival In 2005, with business partner Jill Wade Smith, she established MAS FUSION as the regions No 1 touring costume band and has presented high quality costumes and performance work all over the UK and beyond, including Brighton and Luton Carnivals, Thames Festival, Notting Hill Splash, and internationally at Nice, Viareggio and Bielefeld.  

Sharon was artistic director for the highly acclaimed EUROPA touring show produced for the Opening of the UK Centre for Carnival Arts in 2009 and in 2010/11 she directed the Opening Ceremony for the Nat West International Island Games. 

Sharon joined Shademakers in 2011 as Assistant Artist and became Creative Director in 2012.