Ellie Miller Photographer Expand Ellie is a mother of two based in Pembrokeshire with a degree in Photographic Art from the University of South Wales. Her current practice is with the alternative photographic process of cyanotypes. The recurring themes in her work are around storytelling, folklore, womanhood and Wales. With a lifelong passion for the arts, Ellie is keen to see a strong creative presence in smaller local communities throughout the UK and particularly West Wales. She believes it is important children can grow up knowing you don’t need to be in a city to have an art based career, creative opportunities, connections or experiences. Creative activities should be a part of daily life, accessible for all ages and abilities, as important to our social and mental health as diet and exercise are to our physical.
Denis Stewart Member, International Futures Forum Expand Denis’ professional life as academic research scientist, school teacher and educational developer spanned four decades and involved working in all four countries of the UK. A native of Northern Ireland, Denis has enjoyed residing for periods in Scotland and Wales. Now in his ‘post-professional’ phase of life, Denis is based at his home in the townland of Magherabeg, near Dromore, Co Down. He is a former Trustee of Voluntary Arts (now Creative Lives) and is an active member of the Fife-based International Futures Forum. Among the things he loves to do are reading widely, ‘scribbling’ occasionally, walking quietly and being immersed in the marvellous musicality of Leonard Cohen. He is an enthusiast for open, convivial conversation in civic spaces. And, in a world where there is preoccupation with money and measuring over meaning, with impact over affect, Denis is passionate about accentuating the ‘poetical’ in the midst of the ‘mechanical’.
Emma Forsyth Recent graduate Expand Emma is a 2021 graduate from the University of Glasgow who's passion lies in creativity through the arts, striving to find innovative ways to make the arts more accessible to everyone. Her main interests are in community based theatre and documentary forms and how we can widen the opportunity for everyone to enjoy and engage in the progressive and thought-provoking art form. She is excited to join Creative Lives to learn and contribute!
Daniel Aguirre Evans Music Operations & Business Development Manager with Theatr Clwyd Music Expand Daniel Aguirre Evans is an experienced and motivated arts administrator, currently working as Music Operations & Business Development Manager with Theatr Clwyd Music in Mold, Flintshire in North East Wales. His career to date has mostly covered the fields of orchestral management, artistic planning, project coordination and arts administration generally, as well as more recent experience with youth music provision. Previous roles include Orchestra Manager of Opera North, Assistant Orchestra & Concerts Manager at Welsh National Opera, and Planning Manager & Artist Liaison with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast. Before that he completed internships with National Youth Arts Wales and WNO. Daniel is a passionate advocate that music is something we can all enjoy – in our own way, and at whatever level suits us best. Most importantly that it can be at its most rewarding when enjoyed socially! He looks forward to helping Creative Lives promote these values and work in this area over the coming years.
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.
Mick Smyth Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, EMEA at Siegel+Gale Expand Mick has been involved in the Creative Industries for 15 years, in many areas including music production, performance, advertising/marketing and management. Beginning with Dublin based band Junah as the singer/songwriter, Mick spent 10 years coordinating record releases, raising the band profile, managing the brand, and making music with four friends.Completing a Masters in Advertising & the Creative Economy with distinction at Kingston University, Mick extended his knowledge and skills through modules in areas such as innovation, collaboration, creativity, design thinking and, marketing & advertising.After two great years working with manc&dandy - the client sourcing agency, he moved to The BIO Agency to focus on Marketing and Digital Transformation, where he sat as the bridge between the sales and marketing departments. Since 2019, Mick has led the marketing efforts in EMEA for Siegel+Gale, the brand, experience and design firm.
Anette Ollerearnshaw Production and Digital Lab Manager at Wimbledon Expand Anette Ollerearnshaw has a (slightly) more unusual professional history than most people, even by today’s normalised standards of a creative portfolio career. Having completed her undergraduate studies in Wigs, Hair & Make-up as a mature student in the early 2000s; her first paid job in the creative industry was collaborating with Robert Wilson on a production of ‘The Black Rider’ at the Barbican Centre in London. With a varied and rewarding freelance career in the performing arts sector across the UK and internationally, Anette became increasingly sought after as a safe pair of hands to lead projects, productions and programmes at the intersection of people, spaces and creative activity. This saw her being recruited in leadership roles in technical departments across the globe. By the 2010s Anette secured a step change from Head of Wigs & Make-up at the English National Opera into the role of Technical Manager at the University for the Arts London. She is still seeking to overcome biases and develop her reputation in the hope that one day hiring managers are no longer frightened by the words wigs, hair & make-up in the same application as executive and leadership.
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.
Becky Sutton Multidisciplinary artist Expand Becky is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Glasgow, specialising in jewellery-making, sewing and film-making. Through research and creative development, she explores sustainability in the arts with the use of upcycled materials and planet-friendly methods. Becky is also interested in how to encourage inclusivity in the arts sector, making everyday creativity accessible to those from marginalised communities.
Susan Campbell Educator, researcher, artist and arts writer Expand Susan Campbell has been involved with the visual arts for many years, as a student, educator, researcher, artist and arts writer. With a background in journalism, she returned to college in 2010, graduating with a BTEC HND Fine Art, MPhil Irish Art History and PhD art history. She has worked as a freelance tour guide and guest lecturer at Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane, and as a teaching assistant at the University of Dublin, Trinity College. In contributing to publications such as the Visual Artist’s News Sheet and Irish Arts Review, she enjoys engaging with the work of contemporary artists. In addition to ongoing research, she spends much of her time pursuing print-making, painting, drawing, ceramics and weaving. I strongly believe in the value of creativity in society and individual lives. I am very much looking forward to learning more about everyday creative activities across Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, and to contributing in whatever way I can as a volunteer advisor for Creative Lives.
Jonathan Armstrong Visual artist and guest lecturer at LCC and Nottingham Trent Universities Expand Born in London in 1964, Jonathan Armstrong is a creative ideas person and visual artist, with over twenty five years of experience in the creative and retail industries. Working with a variety of blue riband brands across a number of creative disciplines including: art direction, design, branding, strategy, copy writing, project management, moving image and photography. Following a successful career in commercial art, being awarded ‘Pentland Brands Chairman’s Award for Achievement’ in 2012, for his Ellesse global brand campaign ‘Sport Della Vita’ and his designs for the Ellesse 50th anniversary exhibition and party in Rome, in 2009, Jonathan returned to his first passion of making art. Completing his Master of Arts Degree in Fine Art achieving a Distinction at Winchester School of Art part of the University of Southampton in 2020 under the stewardship of Programme Leader and artist Nick Steward. Jonathan's art encompasses many media including screen printing, collage, photography, sculpture and more recently film. Jonathan is comfortable guiding and inspiring the next generation, passing on his creative experiences and knowledge having been a guest lecturer at LCC and Nottingham Trent Universities previously and assisting adults with learning disabilities whilst a volunteer for the arts charity Actionspace.
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.
Viv (Viveca) Cameron Chair of CraftA Expand Viv is the Chair of the voluntary non-profit CraftA. They run holistic and therapeutic participatory textile art workshops in the community. CraftA works with an emphasis on alleviating isolation by shared creativity. It also works in social inclusion using members' travelling art tent and running textile arts events. Viv is also an activist on fairness in grant funding and community voice. She has a specific interest in funding equality for black and minority communities and small community organisations. Viv has sat on a number of funding panels, and support community philanthropy. She has also recently participated in a short research paper on equality in culture with a local university.
Sharon Moloney Member Engagement and Events Manager, Making Music Expand Sharon works for Making Music (the UK’s membership organisation for leisure-time music) as their Member Engagement and Events Manager, planning and delivering the bulk of their events schedule and contributing to projects, services and resources. An active member of her local amateur music community, Sharon has many years of experience on music group committees, and is currently Music Director of Opal Flutes. She also works as a woodwind and music theory teacher.
Laura H Drane Independent creative producer, consultant and facilitator Expand Laura is an arts and cultural producer, consultant and project manager, based in Cardiff, Wales and working across the UK. For more than 20 years, she has worked on a wide variety of projects across different art forms and sectors. Laura is passionate about people, causes and ideas that make positive impacts through creative producing, impactful consulting, supportive facilitating. She cares about activities and campaigns that make a positive difference across arts and culture, STEM, charitable, voluntary and public sectors. Some of her clients have included Arts Councils in Wales and England, British Academy, Manchester International Festival, Natural Resources Wales, UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, plus many universities and local authorities.
Sue Hinde Get Creative ambassador for The Quilter's Guild Expand Sue has lived in the Lake District for 35 years, where she still enjoys walking her dogs, after a lifetime of mountaineering in Scotland and The Alps. On bad weather days, Sue is a patchworker and quilter, something she has done since she was 8. Sue is also a Get Creative ambassador for The Quilter's Guild (QG). Sue have always been a volunteer - with the Duke of Edinbrugh's Award, with The WI and QG, checking Exmoor Ponies which are conservation grazing - amongst other things. Since retiring after 40 years in the NHS and (concurrently) teaching in FE, she has had the freedom to develop my interests in things creative and in the heritage sector. Sue now volunteers at a local museum and deliver craft sessions there and with the u3a. Together with the museum team, she is currently delving into the textile heritage of the local area and trying to bring all these strands together.
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.
Paul James Brolly Chair of the Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast Expand PJ Brolly is Chair of the Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast, a publicly funded contemporary art gallery and member of the Plus Tate network. In this role he has responsibility for overseeing the gallery’s governance, strategic direction and growth plans. He is also Chair of the Board of Governors for Greenisland Primary School and a member of the Antrim and Newtownabbey Council Arts and Cultural Advisory Panel. He is Head of Creative for BBC Northern Ireland, with over 20 years media experience working across high profile BBC output within the areas of television and radio broadcasting, digital platforms, communications and marketing. In this role he has served as a judge or jury member for a number of high profile advertising award organisations including Global Promax, Promax Europe, International Shark Awards and the Celtic Media Awards. Mr Brolly is also a Board Member of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, a member of the Arts Council Finance and Capital committee and Chair of the Council’s Acquisitions and Collections panel.
Nicola Hope Visiting artist at Welsh National Opera Expand Based in Wales, Nichola joined the postgraduate drawing development year with Royal Drawing School, London in 2022. She is a visiting artist at Welsh National Opera and a prize winner for watercolour in Wildlife Artist of the Year.
Chris Gozzard Vice-Chair of a community arts group Expand Chris left School at 15 and having had a ‘troubled’ start to life. Did a variety of both dead end and sometimes dangerous jobs. At 27, he had the opportunity to study Fashion Jewellery at College, which led to a degree in 3D Design. Working on a building site to support his family, Chris was offered some teaching part-time. The moment I started teaching it was like somebody switched on the light, I knew what I was here to do at last. Chris has always been passionate about Art & Design and all the other creative subjects. He developed and ran a large highly successful Art & Design Department in a rural school. The curriculum included both vocational and academic subjects from KS3 to Post 16 and adults. He is a specialist tutor for students who were going through ITT in Art & Design. The majority of Chris' work over the past few years has been school based, mainly consulting and offering ongoing support for Teachers and departments from KS1/5 for Local Authorities and Academy Trusts nationally, this includes DT, music, drama and dance. He is now Vice-Chair of a community arts group based in Bradford.
Ted Harrison Visual artist Expand After a career in radio and television, including time as a BBC correspondent and Radio 4 presenter, Ted Harrison decided at the age of 60 to make a radical career change. He completed an MA in Fine Art at the University for the Creative Arts and has since been working as a visual artist. He divides his life between the two places he calls home - Unst, Shetland and Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. He is a welsh language learner. He works with a wide range of media: paint, charcoal, slate, collage cut steel, felt and digital media and his output ranges from public installations to wall-sculptures, paintings to book illustrations. He illustrated the best-seller ‘Lives of Improbable Saints’ by Richard Coles. In 2011 his 30 foot diameter image of three children caught up in adult’s wars was the Remembrance-tide focus under the dome of St Pauls’ Cathedral. He has had themed exhibitions at several other cathedrals, including Norwich, Llandaff, St David’s and Gloucester. Two London hospitals have permanent large-scale works of his honouring organ donors. He recently completed a sculpture on the gable-wall of the Red Kite Centre and Heritage Museum, Tregaron. His work is included in the art collection at the National Library of Wales.
Barbara Eifler Chief Executive, Making Music Expand Barbara has been leading Making Music since 2013, following a first career as a stage manager in theatre, opera and events, and a second one as Executive Director of the Stage Management Association and editor of the Backstage section for The Stage (the weekly theatre and television newspaper). She played the piano as a child, is now working her way through the ABRSM singing grades and plays second cornet in the Crystal Palace Progress Band, a typical group such as those supported and championed by Creative Lives. Barbara founded a local parent & toddler group which she chaired for 10 years, working closely with the local community hall; and is currently a trustee or director of 3 organisations in the field of everyday creativity. Photo credit Damien McFadden
Dior Simone Creator Expand Dior Simone, a creative, who over the years has taught herself the skills she has needed to perfect her craft and with her drive, determination, passion, discipline, and hard work she has built herself up to become the creative entrepreneur she is today. Dior is known for being a change-maker, creator, designer, educator and inspirational speaker who is also well-known for her creativity, innovation and creative solution projects she has created over the last 10 years in Retail, Travel & Tourism, Education, Radio & Broadcasting, Crafts, Parent & Child and Disability sector and is also known for here designs and digital work. After struggling at school with academic subjects Dior left school with no formal academic qualifications, however she was able to achieve qualifications in the arts such as drama and performing arts. Fashion and music also played a big part in her life as a teenager and saw Dior go on to pursue her passion for fashion and enterprise and created her first business Designer Outlet Tours at 21. Dior has faced many challenges and obstacles in her life, however she sees challenges and obstacles as opportunities to create for the better which lead her to create TMDAC Business Club 12 years later after facing adversity. As the business went from strength to strength, Dior's vision and plans for the business got bigger and she went on to create and launch TMDAC Business Club Radio in 2017.
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.
Seonaid Murray Community Musician and Outreach Officer Expand Seonaid Murray is a Community Musician, Saxophonist, Pianist and ‘Outreach Officer’ at The Black Box, Belfast. Black Box Projects are for and by people with learning disabilities. The ethos is to provide a safe, positive environment for people to express themselves Creatively through the Arts. Seonaid was born in Glasgow and grew up in Bangor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. She attended Lagan College, the first Integrated school in Northern Ireland and learnt the importance of mixed education from a young age. She went on to study English Literature and Music at Bath Spa University and then Community Music at The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Seonaid has also lived and worked in New York, Belfast and across Ireland. Music is a Universal Communication tool and Seonaid has found it to be a brilliant conversation starter, an opportunity to get to know people better, break down barriers to the Arts and provide a platform for people’s voices to be heard. Seonaid has worked with and for; Cancer Research UK, Autism Initiatives, The Alzheimer’s Society, The Cedar Foundation, NI Chest, Heart and Stroke, many different Care and residential settings, Community groups, schools and within the Charity and Voluntary Sector. Seonaid plays Saxophone in several bands, teaches Saxophone and Piano and loves to go to live gigs!
Fred Boss Education Officer Expand Fred Boss is an Education Officer working with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, with responsibility for the junior cycle (12-15 year olds) Visual Art curriculum and the senior cycle Art curriculum in Ireland. He was a former art teacher in De La Salle College, Dundalk, who also had a passion for integrating technology across the school and in the classroom. Fred has also worked in the CPD Initiative with PDST Technology in Education designing and delivering online and face-to-face CPD courses for teachers in Ireland. As @fboss on Twitter, he initiated and moderated the #edchatie online discussion on Monday nights for educators in Ireland for 9 years.