Biography of Joani Castillo, EAS Founder/Director

Born and raised in Texas, Joani's love for the Arts began at the age of 3 when she took her first dance class. Leading roles in school musicals, vocal ensembles, and dance team activities were merely steps to pursuing a degree in dance and theatre education from Stephen F. Austin State University.

For 14 years, Joani worked at Word of Grace Church (a 4000+ member church) in Mesa, Arizona where she functioned as a licensed minister overseeing the departments of creative service programming and theatrical arts. With a unique calling by God and the support of her husband, Ed, she initiated and built Word of Grace's Theatrical Arts Program from the ground up. Some of her countless accomplishments include: launching a Creative Arts School which supported 150 plus students; producing, directing, writing and co-writing multiple stage productions, breathing life into hundreds of artistic expressions for public worship services, some of which included: dance, drama, photography, creative writing, video, painting, sculpting.

Joani is an editor, writer, vocalist, and actress, playing a major role in the movie, “Forevermore.” Joani is also a gifted teacher. She has addressed a wide range of people at conferences, seminars, and retreats, developing a reputation of spiritual and technical quality in artistic expression. Some of her speaking engagements have included Saddleback Purpose Driven Church Worship Conference in California as well as the National Gathering Worship Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona.

It is Joani's passionate desire to provide quality technical and biblical instruction to artists resulting in God-empowered ministry for both the Church and the secular communities. Joani resides in Mesa, Arizona, with her husband, Ed and two beautiful daughters, Hannah and Madison.