PHIL WEBB – CHAIR

Previously Artistic Director of Malvern Fringe Festival, one of the largest fringe festivals in the West Midlands, Coordinator of Malvern Arts Workshop and Manager of the Phoenix Music Club, Phil moved to Cornwall in 1991 to become Director of St Austell Arts Centre.

In 1993 Phil instigated and then led Restormel Arts for over 15 years as their Director. He was Arts Coordinator for Cornwall Council’s ‘Extended Services’ for 2 years and then Project Manager of Cornwall Music Network for 10 years.

Phil has worked tirelessly to support musicians and performers across Cornwall. He has a passion for jazz and has promoted many of the UK’s leading ensembles over the years. With a National Diploma in Arts Management and over 40 years experience, Phil continues to work to promote the Arts across Mid-Cornwall.

ANDY WARD

Andy has been in business in St Austell since 1970 when he and his wife started a new business, ‘The Thin End’, a Coffee Shop on Fore Street which, over 20 years expanded to include a 100-seater Café plus a retail Patisserie and Online Cake sales “Cakes Direct!”. He has always been interested in promoting St Austell and arts/community events in the area and one feature of The Thin End  was a ‘Poster Wall’ with constantly updated displays of local events posters –  we are talking about the 70’s and 80’s publicity here !

In 1990 he and a partner established the first Tourist Information Centre (TIC) for St Austell at a time when officialdom only thought of Newquay as being the tourist destination for Restormel.  Again, the TIC was able to publicise the many arts/community events in the area.

In 2002 he started an Online Box Office service (CRBO), initially for the “Du Maurier Festival” held in May each year, and then further developed the  Cornish Riviera Box Office (CRBO) to provide a box office service for theatres and theatre companies across Cornwall. He has worked for the Du Maurier -later the Fowey Festival, Carn to Cove Regional Arts organisation, The Acorn, Penzance, St Ives September Festival, Summer Tours for The Festival Players International and many others.

VAL STANLEY

Val is an experienced Community and Youth Worker, trained psychotherapist, fundraiser and gender and development practitioner and feels fortunate to have had many amazing opportunities to work with communities and individuals in the UK – in Hampshire and Cornwall for over 30 years and in the South Pacific for over 20 years  for a range of NGOs on issues of violence against women and girls.   

Through her awareness of injustice and discrimination she has worked tirelessly to defend human rights, women’s rights and to strive for gender equality and social inclusion. 

She has always valued the role of creativity and arts in her life and has woven creativity into all her work with communities and young people. This has included the production of poetry and photography books, music workshops, drama events and arts and crafts activities.

Most recently she has worked as a business development manager and fundraiser for a number of third sector organisations. She is currently working as a free-lance consultant in the violence against women sector as a fundraiser and a specialist in business development and strategic planning.

SUSIE BROWN

Susie  works  as a Community Engagement Manager at The Women’s Centre Cornwall, currently leading on the International Women’s Group project that enables women from hidden and hard to reach ethnic communities to engage in creative activities.   She has worked for several local community organisations as a tutor, facilitating creative writing groups and programmes.

She studied English at University in Sussex and studied Fine Art at Falmouth Art College and Newlyn School of Art, together with vocational courses associated with counselling skills. She continues to practice visual art and have a keen interest in the arts, theatre and literature.

MIKE MEER

Mike’s first professional stage performance was aged six. Since then he has spent the next 66 years with a passionate interest in the theatre and the arts.  He has worked professionally in theatres in Leeds, Bradford, Blackpool, Cheltenham, Weston Super Mare, Torquay, Paignton, Weymouth, Truro, Philadelphia, Washington and New York, designing scenery for both professional and amateur stage performances. He has directed large scale musicals at the Hall for Cornwall, Leeds Grand Theatre and Blackpool Winter Gardens. 

Mike has won the National Cabaret Competition with Cornish YFC Teams 6 times and has directed and designed the three big top shows – ‘Barnum’, ‘Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ – on Boscawen Park, Truro. He has organised, managed and adjudicated for the Calor Gas Pantomime festival over a period of ten years and also writes and directs his own pantomimes. 

NICKY WOOD

Nicky has worked in a variety of roles within the arts for over 20 years with numerous Cornish theatre companies including, Miracle, Kneehigh & Wildworks. She has also worked at many music and theatre festivals, including co-ordinating work at Glastonbury Festival’s Theatre and Circus Fields for the last 20 years!

Her work has focused mainly in stage management and production. Most recently, she stage managed The Ordinalia, (Sept 21) which was an outdoor production of three ancient Cornish mystery plays: www.stjustordinalia.com

She is also currently working part time as Community Arts & Volunteer Coordinator for The Women’s Centre Cornwall – creating events and spaces to help women gain confidence and empowerment in their lives.