THE LIFE OF A
CANNOT BE CREATED WITHOUT USING THE NAME
Joss Carter AKA 'YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE,' born and raised in the rural landscapes of South Shropshire/West Midlands and now based in London, is a multidimensional and multidisciplinary movement and performance artist, independent producer, and educator with international recognition in the creative industries of live art, stage and immersive theatre, TV, film, and motion capture.
Graduating from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2010, Joss has evolved over two decades of professional experience, cultivating a diverse portfolio career that blends classical, contemporary, avant-garde, and experimental forms of movement and performance.
Growing up in the English countryside, Joss was profoundly influenced by the idyllic landscapes that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. These fantastical worlds sparked his imagination, fueling a lifelong journey into the realms of fantasy, adventure, and iconic creatures.
His small-town upbringing instilled both a sense of community and a yearning for escape, shaping the raw, primal instincts that became integral to his personal and professional evolution.
Encouraged by family to embrace adventure and freedom of expression, Joss found his calling through contemporary dance—a discipline that merged his passions into a singular form of creative expression.
Joss’s journey began at Kidderminster College, where lecturers recognized his potential and inspired him to pursue a career far beyond the boundaries of his Shropshire home. Graduating from one of the UK’s leading conservatoires (NSCD), he honed his craft in world-class training programs encompassing the techniques of Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, classical ballet, and somatic release. These foundations, combined with his conceptual and practical explorations influenced by Butoh empowered him to deconstruct and innovate movement and performance methodologies, creating works that are authentic, thought-provoking, and transformative.
Over the years, Joss has developed a reputation as one of the UK’s most dynamic and transformative artists, crafting visceral, radical, and macabre performances that challenge the boundaries of contemporary movement, creature acting and specialist action and stunt performance.
Rooted in avant-garde and experimental realms, his work explores the physical, emotional, and psychological states of transformation, pushing audiences to confront the raw beauty of decay, tension, and renewal.
Joss’s artistic practice encompasses an eclectic range of roles: actor, creature performer, dancer, movement specialist, special action and stunt performer, puppeteer, choreographer, movement director, live performance artist, creative producer, educator, personal coach, and mentor. His portfolio showcases a commitment to physical and psychological transformation, employing his unique abilities to transcend the limitations of form and redefine the expressive potential of the human body.
With an unwavering dedication to his craft, Joss navigates the labyrinth of his creations and destructions, uncovering the purest forms of self-expression and personal identity. His avant-garde works are not merely performances—they are rituals of exorcism, rebirth, and enlightenment. By sacrificing mind, body, and soul, Joss unearths the darkest elements of his imagination, transforming them into art that empowers audiences to confront their own shadows and rediscover their inner light.
Joss Carter’s career is a testament to the power of creativity, imagination, and resilience. As a visionary artist, he continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, crafting immersive experiences that challenge conventions and inspire a deeper understanding of the self and the world.
Joss Carter is a multi-disciplinary & multi-dimensional avant guard & experimental movement and performance artist, actor, dancer, special action performer, director, producer, and facilitator currently living life like a Werewolf in London, UK.
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Born (1988) in South Shropshire/West Midlands Joss spent his childhood exploring the villages, fields, hills, forests & rivers following the same footsteps of a Hobbit.
As a teenager he felt trapped.With no real purpose or destination his lost soul roamed the streets like a zombie in hope that he would stumble into someone or something who could find a cure for the infection and devistation that was rotting away the brains and bodies, the hopes and the dreams of the youth of his generation who also grew up in the rural countryside villages and towns and experienced the same similar problems of having little or no accessibiltiy what so ever to first experience all the variety, diversity, culture, arts, entertainment, education, businesses, industries, activties of lesiure and pleasure, that others may take for granted helping them understanding all the many wonderous and unbelivable world full of possibilities and opportunities that support the core foundations of ones self discovery, and strengthen the individual and collective understanding, awareness and belief that we can, could, should and must all offer share and teach everyone how to provide to those who need/want/cant have or dont know how to gain , train and develop the skills, knowledge and education in how to give and recieve an experience that could one day be the key to finding where thier passion lies, unlocking the doors and discovering the powers of all true potential, and giving them the very best chance in life to plant the seeds and nuture thier dreams as they watch their future happines grow into a realtiy.
His only escape from reality was by entertaining himself by using his vivid imagination. Combing activity with creativity teenager he quickly understood discoveredhimself
world class professional training & education Specialising in CREATURE, SKINS & CHARACTER performance 20+ years professional experience since fioriginating and evolved and an impressive and diverse international portfolio career that demonstrates a huge variety of training, skills, roles & responsibilities across theatre, film, TV, motion/performance capture, visual art, immersive productions, interactive experiences, live events, independent work, educational facilities, departments, companies, organisations & productions.
Joss Carter is a London-based, multi-dimensional movement and performance artist, creative producer, and artistic director with over 20 years of experience across stage, screen, immersive environments, and motion/performance capture.
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With a foundation in contemporary dance, classical ballet, somatic release and experimental/avant guard movement and performance techniques, Joss' successful portfolio career specialising within work spans radical live art, creature performance, visceral physical storytelling and experimental transgressive concepts about the insanities and absurdities of humanity by interrogating the darkest shadows found deep within his mind, body and soul.
He has collaborated with some of the world’s most influential artists, choreographers, and directors while carving out his own independent path—creating and touring original solo works, leading transformative workshops, and building a diverse creative independent community network supporting hundreds of creative individuals, companies and organisations worldwide.
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With over 20 years experience as an independent artist carefully nurturing and evolving his proffesional career through the multi-dimentions mu specialist impressive and professional portfolio internationaltional recognition o across the globe s become recognised internationally across a one-of-a-kind most and influential independent artists within his specialist fields of expertise experience his creative industry his within eas experience,as o i expertise, skills and
Born in rural South Shropshire and graduating from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance conservitour in 2010, Joss continues to push the boundaries of physical performance, using his body, voice, and imagination to explore the outer edges of artistic expression and human identity.
Born into a family tree bloodline where the and raised in the rural South Shopshire landscapes that into bloodline where since Graduating in 2010 awaded with an honoury Batchors degree in the performing arts (BPA) from Northern School of Contemporary Dance' (NSCD) where he recived world class taining and education one of the UKs most prestigious contemporay dance conseritouirs ' provided Joss with world class training throughout
20+ years dedication and sacrifice experience establishing himself unique and diverse an impressive portfolio careerworking as an independent unqiue and diverse role, responsbilities and landscapes of Specialising creature performanceghly established, internationally recognised by many the skilled individuals within his own diverse fields live sound & visual artist, choreographer & movement director, educator & facilitator and creative producer for education, stage, immersive, TV, film, motion & performance capture and live events in the creative industry
Professional / Career-Oriented
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Career Overview
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Specialisms & Expertise
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Notable Credits
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Film & Television
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Theatre & Live Performance
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Movement Direction & Choreography
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Creature Performance & Character Work
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Voice, Sound & Experimental Practices
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Production & Creative Development
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Collaborations & Partnerships
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Teaching, Workshops & Mentorship
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Awards & Recognition
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Press & Media Coverage
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Current & Upcoming Projects
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Future Ambitions
Pathways / Foundations
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Career Pathways & Transformations
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Education & Training
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Formative Influences
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Early Career & Breakthroughs
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Professional Milestones
Personal & Identity-Based
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Origins & Early Life
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Personal Life & Identity
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Cultural & Artistic Influences
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Philosophy & Beliefs
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Life Beyond Performance
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Travel & International Work
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Languages & Cultural Engagements
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Hobbies & Personal Passions
Vision & Legacy
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Artistic Philosophy & Process
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The Avant-Garde & Transformation
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Philosophy of the Monstrous
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Creative Mission
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Legacy & Contribution
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Influence on Others
. Introduction / Overview
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A concise summary of who the person is, their main role(s), and creative identity.
2. Education & Training
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Formal education, specialist training, workshops, apprenticeships, and ongoing development.
3. Career Overview / Pathways
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Broad career journey, major turning points, and areas of focus.
4. Specialisms & Expertise
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Key disciplines, skills, and areas of creative practice.
5. Notable Credits / Achievements
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Significant projects, roles, productions, or exhibitions.
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Awards, nominations, or recognitions.
6. Collaborations & Partnerships
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Companies, artists, directors, or organisations they have worked with.
7. Creative Philosophy & Process
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Core artistic vision, methodology, and guiding principles.
8. Teaching, Mentorship & Outreach
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Workshops, residencies, education, or community-based projects.
9. Press & Media Coverage
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Reviews, interviews, features, or notable mentions.
10. Current & Upcoming Projects
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What they’re working on now and what’s on the horizon.
11. Personal Life & Identity (optional)
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Origins, cultural background, influences, and selective personal details.
12. Future Ambitions / Legacy
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Long-term goals, contributions to the field, and vision for the future.
WITH HIS OWN BARE HANDS JOSS HAS SLOWLY CARVED OUT HIS OWN NAME UPON THE ENTRANCE OF HIS OWN TOMB. ITS EXACT LOCATION KEPT SECRET BY THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN, PRESERVE AND PROTECT HIS MOST TREASURED ART-IFACTS, PRIZED POSSETIONS, AND OTHER WIERD AND WONDERFUL CURIOSITIES CREATED, CRAFTED AND COLLECTED WITH THE INTENTION THAT ONE DAY HIS TOMB WILL BE DISCOVERED BY SOMEONE WHO WILL EXPLORE, UNCOVER, INVESTIGATE, UNDERSTAND & APPRECIATE WHO, WHAT AND WHY THIS DISCOVERY MIGHT BE OF SOME HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND OF GREATER VALUE TO SOMEONE ELSE IN A TIME BEYOND THAT MEANT NOTHING MORE THAN JUST THE ONLY WAY FORTO EXIST, SURVIVE
STORY DEPICTED ON THE WALLS WITH THAT COCOON THAT SURROUND HIS FINAL LASTING REMAINS.
ARE HIDDEN, AND HOW TO BREAK THE CURSE THAT PROTECTS HIM FROM ANYONE WHO TRIES TO STEAL AND PROFIT FROM THAT WHICH GAVE LIFE, PURPOSE AND MEANING TO ITS CREATOR
FINAL, REMAINS OF HIS
FROM THOSE FINAL REMAINSBY THOSE CURSE TO UNNERVE THOSE WHO DARE TO ENTER WITHOUT WARD OFF INSIDE HIS LIFE STORY, AND JOURNEY INTO AND BEYOND THE AFTERLIFE. TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT HIS WOULD DEPICTMAKE HIS MOTHER FATHER AND DISTANT RELATIVE MR HOWARD CARTER, ARCHEOLOGIST ANDDISCOVERER OF DISTANT RELATIVE , ARCHEOLIGIST, AND DISTANT RELATIVE WOULD HIS OWN CONSTUCTED BY HIS OWN BARE HANDS. USI SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, TOOLS AND FILLED WITH THE 'WONDERFUL THINGS' THAT ONE DAY JOSSTHE ONLY WAY TO DISCOVER THE TRUE IDENTITY OF YOUR OWN UNIQUE IDENTITY,, TRUE PURPOSE IN LIFE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE, SOUL PURPOSE AND OF LIFE BEHIND EACH AND EVERY LIFEFORMAND ..... PURE EXISISTENCE OF HUMANITY, WE MUST CREATE LIFE, DEATH, EXISTENCE OF HUMANITY MASTER THE ART OF INSANI OF HUMANITY CEXIST CREATIVITY
Joss Carter aka YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE has established himself as one of the most versatile and multi-disciplinary artists within the contemporary realms of Theatre, Immersive, Film, TV and Motion Capture industries.
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His impressive and extensive portfolio and 15+ years of experience that Joss sacrificed his mind, body and soul to has allowed his to unravel the most purest and complex forms, secrets and mysteries of himself.
His practical and conceptual artistic methodologies of physical and psychological techniques and awareness of both human and non-human forms began in the professional training and career in Contemporary Dance, Classical Ballet & Live Performance Art
for stage and immersive theatre, & other live events.
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Dedicated to constantly uncovering, interrogating, and reincarnating the purposes of his own abilities & existence he navigates himself through the labyrinths, spiderwebs, tombs and yellow brick roads of his own creations and destructions hoping and dreaming that one day all the pieces of the puzzle will finally fit together.....
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Joss currently applies his unique skills, abilities, expertise and services primarily for Film, T.V & Motion Capture as an Actor, Creature, Dancer & Movement Specialist, Special Action & Stunt Performer, Puppeteer, Choreographer, Movement Director, Live Performance Artist, Creative Producer, Educator, Personal Coach & Mentor for those who are curious, inspired and ravenous for his collaboration.
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The trust, reputation, recognition and respect that he has instilled in others, with trust and encouragement to approach and apply himself and his unique individuality, perspectives and abilities offers Joss the liberty to go above and beyond his potentials and challenge the ideologies, conventions and expectations of each and every element he creates for himself or encounters from the opportunities others offer.....
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.....Carter's radical, surreal, macabre and rather unconventional experiments of artistic expression encourange the liberties to confront and express the truest forms and deepest, darkest elements of his own perspectives of himeself thus he is able to find the enlightenment, peace, beauty and serenity of his individual personal identity.
“Joss is one of the most exciting artists I have worked with in a long time. His artistry, creativity and extraordinary performance skills are a gift for any creative production."
- Lynne Page, Movement Director - 'The 47th"
ORIGINS & HISTORY - born/raised
PERSONAL IDENTITY
MORALS, ETHICS & BELIEFS
EDUCATION & TRAINING
ARTISTIC IDENTITY
INFLUENCES & INSPIRATIONS
Career Overview
Joss Carter is a multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional creative working at the forefront of the avant-garde. Over more than 20 years, he has built an international career across theatre, film, dance, performance art, and experimental live projects. His practice combines rigorous physicality, inventive storytelling, and immersive experiences, often blurring the boundaries between performer and audience, and between reality and imagination.
Professional Roles
As a performer, Carter specializes in visceral, physically uncompromising work, particularly in the creation of creatures, hybrids, and monstrous embodiments. As a director, he designs immersive performances that draw on ritual, horror, and avant-garde forms. His expertise as a movement specialist focuses on developing new physical vocabularies for stage and screen, while his producer experience enables him to guide projects from conceptual development through to final execution, ensuring a coherent and experimental vision.
Artistic Practice & Philosophy
Carter’s practice is grounded in pushing the limits of body, identity, and transformation. Drawing on influences from Butoh, contemporary dance, ritual theatre, horror cinema, and experimental music, he explores the monstrous, the grotesque, and the sublime. He is committed to work that confronts fear, beauty, and the unknown, using the body as a tool for radical storytelling and creative shadow work. Each performance seeks to uncover hidden layers of human experience while challenging conventional artistic boundaries.
Work & Achievements
Carter has performed in film, theatre, contemporary dance, and live art, often inhabiting creatures with a focus on visceral authenticity and physical invention. He is the creator of the EXORCISM workshops, a transformative movement-based training that enables participants to embody new forms, explore unknown identities, and confront the unseen within themselves. He has developed avant-garde monologues, experimental sound projects, and conceptual performances, including YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE and VANITAS, and has contributed as an associate producer to horror film adaptations, including a feature reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin.
Teaching & Mentorship
Through EXORCISM workshops and other training programs, Carter guides participants in movement, action, and improvisation, helping them summon their own creatures and explore personal transformation. He creates supporting materials, such as exercise books and creative bibles, to ensure participants can continue their discoveries beyond the studio. His teaching emphasizes a safe, nonjudgmental environment where radical, sensitive, and experimental ideas can be explored freely, blending professional technique with personal artistic growth.
Creative Identity & Style
Carter’s artistic voice is uncompromising, visceral, and experimental. He fuses physicality with poetic imagination to create performances that exist at the intersection of horror, ritual theatre, and avant-garde art. He has developed new archetypes of monstrosity and transformation, exploring the human shadow and the unknown. His work aims to leave a lasting, haunting impression, pushing audiences and collaborators to reimagine the potential of the body, identity, and narrative.
Creative Process
Joss Carter approaches each project as an immersive, exploratory journey. His creative process involves deep physical and psychological investigation, often beginning with abstract movement improvisation, ritualistic exercises, and experimental sound or visual prompts. He layers text, body, and environment to construct performances that are at once viscerally immediate and conceptually complex. Every detail—gesture, space, sound, or silence—is treated as a potential conduit for storytelling, transformation, or audience engagement.
Production Ideologies
Carter’s production philosophy is rooted in the interplay of freedom, experimentation, and rigorous discipline. He prioritizes collaborative processes, ethical engagement with participants, and the cultivation of environments where radical ideas can be explored safely. His approach merges the precision of professional production with the fluidity of experimental practice, allowing for works that are both highly polished and unpredictably alive. He balances practical concerns with artistic vision, ensuring that each project is sustainable, immersive, and impactful.
Artistic Vision
At the core of Carter’s work is the desire to probe the unknown, confront the uncanny, and reimagine human and non-human identities. He is drawn to themes of transformation, decay, and the liminal spaces between light and darkness. His vision encompasses the creation of new archetypes, the exploration of personal and collective shadow, and the use of horror, ritual, and surrealism as vehicles for insight, reflection, and emotional intensity. He aims to challenge audiences and collaborators alike to rethink the boundaries of art, performance, and the human form.
Movement & Performance Training Methodology: Flesh and Bone Interrogations
Carter’s signature training methodology, Flesh and Bone Interrogations, emphasizes rigorous, embodied exploration. Participants engage in exercises designed to interrogate the body’s habitual patterns, reveal hidden physical and emotional impulses, and unlock new forms of expression. The work blends Butoh, contemporary dance, action-based performance, and ritualistic practices to develop both technical skill and imaginative freedom. Carter encourages students to confront their fears, inhabit alternate personas, and explore the monstrous and extraordinary potentials of the human form.
Conceptual & Performance Innovation
Carter has consistently developed new ways to expand the vocabulary of physical performance. He invents unique creature archetypes, experimental monologues, immersive audio-visual experiences, and interactive workshop structures. By merging movement, text, sound, and visual storytelling, he creates performances that blur disciplinary boundaries, producing experiences that are transformative, unsettling, and unforgettable.
Research & Experimental Practice
Research underpins Carter’s practice, whether in movement, sound, or visual arts. He studies mythology, folklore, horror cinema, contemporary dance, ritual theatre, and performance art to generate new frameworks for creative experimentation. Each project is treated as an ongoing investigation into form, narrative, and the possibilities of human embodiment. His experimental approach allows for continuous evolution of his work, ensuring that each creation pushes the limits of imagination and physicality.
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Collaborations & Influences
Joss Carter has collaborated extensively across disciplines, partnering with musicians, dancers, choreographers, filmmakers, visual artists, and performance collectives. His work reflects a deep engagement with contemporary movement, avant-garde theatre, experimental sound, and immersive performance. Influences range from myth, folklore, and horror cinema to Butoh, contemporary dance, and ritualistic performance practices. Carter synthesizes these inspirations into a unique artistic voice that is immediately recognizable and continually evolving.
Media & Sound Work
Carter integrates sound as both a medium and a performance tool. He creates layered audio landscapes, immersive soundscapes, and experimental vocal recordings that complement his physical work. His sound practice emphasizes the interplay between human voice, environment, and the unseen, often blurring the lines between performance and installation. This work informs and enhances his live performances, workshops, and creative productions, amplifying the psychological and emotional impact of his art.
Writing & Creative Documentation
Writing serves as a core part of Carter’s creative practice. He produces monologues, ritual texts, experimental poetry, and conceptual documentation that bridge performance, theory, and myth. His work often takes the form of layered, immersive narratives—texts that operate as both instruction and artistic artifact. Carter’s journals, creative bibles, and sacred-style texts serve as repositories for ideas, archetypes, and exercises that guide both his personal practice and his teaching methodology.
Professional Recognition & Industry Engagement
Carter’s work has been recognized for its innovation, versatility, and interdisciplinary approach. He engages actively with industry professionals, offering workshops, movement direction, and consultation in both film and live performance settings. He is sought after for his expertise in creature performance, experimental choreography, and avant-garde physical storytelling, with a reputation for transforming conceptual ideas into compelling, embodied experiences.
Teaching & Mentorship
Carter is committed to nurturing creative potential in others. Through his workshops and training programs, he teaches participants to explore radical embodiment, character creation, and performance experimentation. His mentorship emphasizes safety, consent, and creative freedom, encouraging students to confront personal and collective shadows while developing technical skill and imaginative confidence.
Future Directions & Ongoing Exploration
Carter continues to push boundaries across multiple creative fields. He is developing new performance concepts, experimental audio-visual works, and innovative training programs that interrogate the body, psyche, and imagination. His ongoing exploration is guided by a commitment to expand the possibilities of performance, redefine audience engagement, and cultivate spaces where creativity, transformation, and the uncanny intersect.
SAM BRUNSKILL
JOE SCANNELL
SIMON HOW ASSOCIATES
(ACTING, CREATURE, ACTION, MOVEMENT DIRECTION, CHOREOGRAPHY)
EMAIL: INFO@SIMONHOW.COM
PHONE: +44 020 7739 8865
WEB: WWW.SIMON-HOW.COM
EMILY DEAN
VOICEFOX AGENCY
(MOTION & PERFORMANCE CAPTURE)
EMAIL: INFO@VOICEFOX.CO.UK
PHONE: +44 7906 905 202
WEB: WWW.VOICEFOX.CO.UK
UGLY MODELLING AGENCY
EMAIL: INFO@UGLY.ORG
PHONE: +44 203 475 9236
WEB: WWW.UGLY.ORG
RACHEL BREEZE
SECOND SKIN AGENCY
TYLER KENNINGTON
TAKE 3 AGENCY
SARAH PERRY
SHAPES IN MOTION
MONSTER FX
SFX MAKE UP & PROSTHETICS SUPPLIER
WILL HARVEY - MONSTER FX
SFX MAKE UP & PROSTHETICS ARTST
CRAIG MURRAY
FILM DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
REPRESENTATION
Joss Carter is a multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional creative working at the forefront of the avant-garde.
A specialist in the live action, creation, direction, and production of CREATURE movement and performance, Joss brings over 20 years of international experience across a vast spectrum of roles and responsibilities within the creative industries. His work demonstrates a remarkable ability to forge a diverse and dynamic professional portfolio career.
Born in 1988 and raised in South Shropshire/West Midlands, and now based in London, UK, Joss trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) — Graduating in 2010 with a BPA (Hons) from one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary dance conservatoires, his educational studies training in contemporary, classical, and somatic dance techniques, physical and emotional explorations of abstract concepts, experimental choreography, immersive performance, live art, music, and film.
This has formed the core foundations of his raw physicality, emotional expressivity, psychological interrogation, and spiritual sensitivity. Qualities underpinning Joss Carter’s extraordinary abilities, multiple identities, and authentic originality.
Today, Joss is regarded by many as one of the UK’s most versatile independent creatives of his generation currently working within the highly demanding specialist fields of live action creature performance.
With his own bare hands Joss has carved his name in stone and dug his own grave with the tools handed to him by those who acknowledge all the many treasures he can provide to successfully fulfil their vision.
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His vivid imagination, visceral physicality and raw emotional sensitivity allows Joss to explore, create, perform, express, release, relate, appreciate and empathise with all characters, creatures, personalities, identities and shadows that hide deep within the fantasies, realities, abnormalities & insanities of not just himself, but the past, present and existence of humanity.​
He summons, communicates and translates the angels, Gods, demons, devils, beasts, monsters, and all other natural and unnatural beings that possess his mind, body and soul. Applying a unique, original, innovative, authentic and inspiring forms of creative expression, he gives life to the things you can only dream about and would never ever believe or thought possible until you witness him transform in front of your very eyes into a living, breathing walking, talking pure manifestations of...............
