Who We Are
Staff
Trustees
Geraldine is a Senior Lecturer in Drama and Education at Bath Spa University. Before this she was Director of Performing Arts at an inner city Bristol school for 20 years, and instrumental in attracting key funding from national and local funders to build a £2 million Performing Arts centre which was a hub for community and school-based arts activities.
She has worked closely with local and national arts organisations such as the Royal Opera House and Bristol Old Vic Theatre, developing outreach programmes with inner-city students and their families.
Geraldine has lived in the Chew Valley for over 20 years and was a founder and board member of The Community Farm in Chew Magna. “I am convinced that a creative community is a happy, fulfilled and generous community,” says Geraldine. “Getting involved and being part of something is what matters – whatever an individual’s capacity or ability.”
Ray is a GP in South Bristol. He has lived in the Chew Valley with his wife, Heather since 1992. During that time he has contributed to many music and theatre projects across the Valley, including leading youth jazz band projects, contributing to the infamous East Harptree Orchestra as well as local amateur dramatics. All three of Ray’s children passed through Chew Valley School receiving an excellent grounding in music, drama and art which they have continued to develop in their adult lives. His desire is to ensure everyone in the community is able to benefit from these opportunities both now and in the future. Ray is also the founder and chairman of BrisDoc Healthcare Services which brings significant boardroom experience to our board of trustees.
Matt has a background in advertising and marketing, having spent well over 30 years in leading agencies helping clients grow. He is the founder of Mindset, a marketing consultancy based in Bristol specialising in community insight and intelligence. He is also a director of P15, a specialist, insight-led media independent.
As teenagers his children have both been active drama and performing arts students at Chew Valley School. “Performing arts run deep in our family,” says Matt. “I’ve spent half my life drumming in rock bands, whilst my wife trained as a professional dancer at Arts Educational School in London, and later in her career was part of the management team at Northern Ballet Theatre.
“I believe Valley Arts gives a much-needed boost to the performing arts in our part of the world, and that can only ever be a good thing.”
The Stewart family have lived in the Chew Valley since 2000. When not working, Matt can be found hill-walking or listening to a constant diet of BBC R4 and Radio 6 Music.
Patrick is now retired after a long career in Change and IT Management, working for major corporations including AXA, Somerfield and Thomas Cook. He has delivered many complex programmes with responsibility for strategic planning, project management, financial control and governance.
Patrick’s interests now are to combine the Valley Arts project with his other passions of pottery, travelling, walking and skiing. Patrick and his wife Rachael have lived in the Chew Valley for 30 years and all three of their children went to Chew Valley and Chew Stoke Schools where Patrick was a Governor. Patrick and Rachael have a shared love of the performing arts having been long-time members of Winford Players. Rachael also ran Sutton Youth Theatre for a time.
“I have loved helping build Valley Arts into a thriving creative hub for our Valley and all the communities in it” says Patrick, “I’m really proud that we now put on more than 60 events and workshops every year, have an amazing theatre school, provide free workshops and support to our local schools, as well as our seniors. I really hope what we do is bringing a sense of well being and community spirit to the Chew Valley, during these challenging times”
Jo Haywood
Jo founded video production agency, Skylark Media in 2005. The company has flourished and now creates everything from digital campaigns to TV ads for the likes of UWE Bristol, Forestry England and the Samaritans. Prior to running Skylark, Jo was at the BBC. A passionate environmentalist, she made her first climate change documentary in 1990!
Jo’s family all enjoyed the performing arts at Chew Valley School, her children performing in numerous plays and live music events.
‘I believe that Valley Arts plays a vital role in community life in Chew Valley. It brings the most amazing events to our villages so that young and old can enjoy a spectrum of entertainment from music to comedy to workshops. It feeds our creative souls and our community spirit.’
Joy Harcup
Valley Arts enquiry
Please get in touch with the relevant board member if you have contacts or expertise you can offer to a specific action group.
The board of trustees has put in place a series of policies, covering the following areas. They are available on request.
Conflict of Interest; Diversity & Inclusion; Donations and Fundraising; Financial Expenditure; Privacy; Safeguarding; Volunteers.
Patrons
Michael Eavis
Dairy farmer Michael Eavis is best known as the founder of Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, which takes place on his farm in Pilton, Somerset. The world-famous festival began after a casual visit to the Bath Blues festival in the late 1960s: Michael decided to have a go himself in 1970.
Glastonbury Festival did not make a profit for several years, but when it did Michael began to look for good causes to support, both locally and internationally. Today each festival aims to raise £2 million in aid of Greenpeace, Oxfam and WaterAid, as well as hundreds of local causes.
“I’m delighted to support Chew Valley’s arts centre project,” says Michael. “Rural areas deserve to share the energy and creativity generated by the performing arts.”
Sarah Mead
Sarah Mead is Creative Director Yeo Valley Organic, Long time patron of Valley Arts.
Ten years in and Valley Arts has gone from strength to strength, it has proved positive of what a group of people can do, when they set about this marvellous project with determination and enthusiasm. We have all sung, danced, laughed, wept and got involved in their amazing roster of performances, events and experiences. The Valley Arts Friends Scheme is an opportunity for us all to show our appreciation and make sure that this thriving and valuable resource continues for another decade. Bravo Valley Arts, take a bow!
Phil Hammond
Dr. Phil Hammond is a writer, journalist, broadcaster, comedian and retired doctor
Valley Arts is a fantastic organisation that not only gives people access to a wide range of theatre, performance arts, music and talks catering for all ages, but it allows people to get involved with regular open mike slots, community plays, musical jams, drama and dance workshops, and other activities. We know that arts have an invaluable role to play in connecting communities, giving people meaning and metaphor in their life and improving mental well-being. And the self-confidence of learning to perform on stage, or helping others to do so, is a fundamental life skill. These opportunities are especially important in more rural communities where isolation and lack of access to the arts is a long-standing problem. Here’s to another 10 years.
Jeremy Irons
Following the amazing Secret Cabaret evening held up at Yeo Valley, multi award winning actor of stage and film Jeremy Irons has agreed to become patron of Valley Arts. As Jeremy told a captivated audience “The arts remind us of our humanity, our individuality and our vulnerability. They help us understand the disparate pieces of the world and how they fit together. They help us make form out of chaos. They give us a holiday with life.”
“We know the arts help create and cement together communities. How they teach you to ,listen and become a team player. How it builds peoples self confidence and encourages them to be proud of their individual specialness. Being involved in the arts allows us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”