Fiona

I’ve been working in North Somerset for over two decades, and it’s been amazing to experience the area’s cultural life bloom over that period.   From our regular arts provision for communities to annual flagship festivals that are big on the thrills, it’s a joy to co-present an inter-connected programme of cultural things great and small that helps people feel good about themselves and where they live.  A memorable crack-open-the-sangria moment was overhearing at Whirligig Outdoor Arts Festival “Wow – this feels like Barcelona!”   We’re hard at work on people from Barcelona saying “This feels like Weston…”!

Favourite memories –  too many to mention but I won’t forget ‘’Pages of the Sea’, part of 14:18 NOW, and – again on the beach – performers from Company Wayne Macgregor and Weston College dancing under the flags of Luke Jerram’s artwork ‘In Memoriam’ during the Covid pandemic.

Before coming to North Somerset, I was national Arts Sponsorship Manager for Sainsbury’s, and have also worked in book publishing, and freelance theatre producing, with Living Spit, Company of Angels and Bristol Old Vic. 

I have four kids, three of whom I realise with alarm are technically adults.  They do a fine job of keeping me young in spirit, worn in appearance and keen for the next adventure