Gil Dye Lace maker and researcher Expand Gil is a lace maker and researcher who enjoys sharing her interest through teaching, books, articles and talks. She specialises in 16th and 17th century bobbin lace and is intrigued by the way creative textile techniques have intermingled over the past 500 years. As a member of the executive committee of The Lace Guild she helped to establish a City and Guilds Lacemaking assessment and also prepared the successful application for the Lace Guild to become a Registered Museum. Gil has been involved with Creative Lives since the inaugural meeting of VAN in 1991, including six years as a Board member. In the early years she was the only person at meetings speaking for crafts and visual arts and is delighted that these now have equal standing with music and other performing arts.
Emma Campbell Music Officer at Creative Scotland Expand Emma is a Music Officer at Creative Scotland, working mainly across folk and classical genres and projects in youth and community arts. She is interested in how creativity connects us to other people as well as helping to understand and express ourselves as individuals. Emma also sings and plays piano and she has sung with various choirs around Glasgow.
Jon Roberts Technical Director Expand Jon is an experienced Technical Director with a diverse background in creativity, management and production. His technical expertise alongside my bold creativity gives me a strong balance of innovation and rationale. In leading teams from design to delivery, he has a wide range of knowledge across all technical disciplines. Jon is a ninja when resolving problems and always find a solution, especially when the pressure is on. He possess a natural flair for sustainability and focus my energy on high quality work with respect for resources and reducing waste. Above all, Jon is driven to create truly accessible, inclusive and diverse experiences which give more to this world than they take away.
Michael Betteridge Composer Expand Described as ‘inventive’ (The Financial Times) and ‘bold’ and ‘colourful’ (The Times) Michael is a composer with an eclectic output creating work that challenges and inspires audiences and performers alike. Predominantly working with voice, theatre, and with nonprofessional/young performers he has created work for the likes of Alþýðuóperan (Folk Opera Iceland), Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Cheltenham Music Festival, Den Jyske Opera, London Symphony Orchestra, Nicola Benedetti, Opera North, Psappha, and Welsh National Opera. His music has featured on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and he has received accolades for his work in the UK and abroad including nominations for an RPS Award (Across the Sky) and an Icelandic Music Award (#echochamber). He is artistic director of the open access low voiced LGBTQ+ choir The Sunday Boys based in the city of Manchester, UK.
Clare Daněk Textile artist, cultural worker and researcher Expand Clare Daněk is a textile artist, cultural worker and researcher who has a particular interest in everyday creativity; she is currently researching how people learn craft skills in open access community making spaces, studying at the University of Leeds. Her recent work experience has included coordinating an international puppet festival, supporting a project improving access to musical opportunities for young people in challenging circumstances, and delivering textile workshops with older people. Alongside this she maintains a creative practice as a textile artist, focusing predominantly on the minutiae of everyday life.
Jae Fowler Creative group leader Expand A lifelong interest in crafting and personal experience of the value of crafting for wellbeing and the potential for social connection, led Jae Fowler to establish Canterbury Christ Church Creatives in 2018. The Creatives is a group for staff and students of Canterbury Christ Church University and brings people together to craft and make art for enjoyment and wellbeing and to teach and learn skills. Members are able to work on particular projects that benefit the University and wider communities and contribute to the inclusivity and sustainability of the University. The membership connects across a variety of platforms and brings people together both virtually and in-person. Since the group formed, membership has grown to more than 370 and continues to grow. The group won the University’s first Outstanding Contribution to the Staff Community award in 2020/21. Jae is very interested to connect with others in education settings who are involved with similar groups, both those run on a voluntary basis and those resourced by the organisation, with a view to sharing best practice and forming a network of interested people. Jae hopes that her experience of running a group on a voluntary basis alongside full-time employment and engaging with a range of volunteers and stakeholders, will bring useful insights to her role as Creative Advisor and she is excited to be able make a contribution to Creative Lives.