Joseph Adelakun

Charlotte de Paeztron

Delivery Lead

Joseph’s (he/him) professional entry into the arts was as an actor and singer, and alongside his career working onstage and in film, he began working in the educational sector as a choir leader, drama facilitator and PSHE actor-facilitator, as well as communication skills facilitator. With a firm base in facilitation, the last few years has seen Joseph work extensively in the field of prevention of Gender-Based Violence, running workshops on masculinity, consent and active bystander intervention.

His work has taken him to various contexts, from multiple secondary schools, universities and graduate teams, to the NHS, Premier League football clubs and he has worked on behalf of charities such as Movember, Beyond Equality and Everyone’s Invited.

Working with Tonic feels like a coming home of sorts as it aligns a number of elements Joseph is familiar with, from handling sensitive subjects matters, facilitating conversations that set people up for success, and delivering engaging and transformative sessions, and he gets to apply this to an area which he has lived and professional experience in: the arts and culture sector.

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What does your role at Tonic involve?

My role is primarily based in delivering workshops, whether that’s with west end casts, Front of House teams, management teams or staff and students at higher education institutions. As well as meeting participants where they’re at and sprinkling my experience as a performer, educator and multi-faceted facilitator throughout a session, my role can encompass meeting with an organisation before sessions to understand their key wishes, ongoing reading of relevant subject matters, and co-designing workshop plans. 

What’s your favourite thing about working at Tonic?

I love the fact that I get to work on issues that really matter and make an impact specifically within the arts. There have been times in my working life where I’ve felt a company or team could really benefit from a preventative conversation, a coming together on a sensitive topic or an empowering discussion that sets them up for success, and I’m grateful that I get to be in a position to facilitate the conversations that I didn’t always get, but are conversations that certainly deserve the time of day.

What book/podcast/documentary/etc inspires you the most?

Getting to embody empathy is a gift I’ve taken from my acting work, and when I came across Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg it sharpened my ability to empathise, have compassion and increased my emotional intelligence. The underlying theme that all human beings are driven by the exact same needs really speaks to me, and is something I think we can all do with being reminded about!

What 3 words would you use to describe Tonic?

Adaptable, Thought-provoking, Welcoming 

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