11 October 2022

Photograph by Adrian Wyatt

This month we said a fond farewell to our wonderful Director Sarah James. Sarah is moving to a new role at the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) as their Cultural and Creative Programme Lead.

Before we appoint a new Director we have set up interim arrangements to ensure business as usual at Creativity Works. James Carlin is stepping in as Acting Director. James is the founder and director of a 3rd sector infrastructure organisation called 3SG and led on all aspects of fundraising, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement between 2016-2022. James will be supported by Creativity Works colleagues Philippa Forsey and Stacey Pottinger who step up as Executive Directors in the interim to support business operations.

Sarah reflects below on her time here at Creativity Works:

I’ve been at Creativity Works as Director for the last 18 months and we have achieved so much together in that time. In summer 2021, Creativity Works and Studio Meraki officially opened a temporary site-specific piece of art entitled 1000 Feathers at National Trust’s Stourhead. I gave a speech to a crowd of over 200 people celebrating the launch of the artwork which had been co-designed by adults and the general public to celebrate what nature means to their wellbeing. I’m not a great fan of public speaking but I remember it to be a wonderful sunny afternoon in a beautiful landscape and I was rewarded with a free ice cream at the end of the day!

40th Birthday Exhibition. Photograph by Rosie Dedman

In 2021, we also celebrated 40 years of Creativity Works and is was an incredibly humbling experience to hear from so many artists, volunteers, participants and funders of the value and impact our work has had on so many local people and communities. An exhibition was held at Bath Central Library in October and showcased an incredibly rich and diverse range of projects, artists residencies, public art, festivals, workshops and events – it was such a hard job to narrow it down to only 14 of these to share with the public.

I’ve had the privilege of working with some fantastic partners including Bath FC Foundation, BEMSCA and Age UK B&NES on a project collaborating with older people remembering past train journeys and funded by GWR. The original film entitled Tickets Please will be available to watch very soon and was premiered at The Egg in Bath in summer to a packed out auditorium.

Radstock Jubilee Festival. Photograph by Adrian Wyatt

I have very fond memories of co-producing the Radstock Jubilee Arts Festival in June 2022 working with the fabulous Natural Theatre Company, Youth Connect SW and Age UK B&NES to resurrect the long history of outdoor arts festivals in Radstock. Over 500 local people turned out for the day filled with theatre, comedy and circus and the Community Stage where local musicians and young people performed. It was a really wonderful atmosphere with such positive feedback from visiting families and young people. Watch this space for another edition of the Radstock Arts Festival in 2023!

Finally I’d like to thank the incredibly talented and dedicated staff team, artists, trustees and volunteers who make everything happen here at Creativity Works and whose skills, expertise and care help transform people’s lives for the better. It’s a truly exceptional organisation and I feel very proud to have been its Director.

Martin Pople, Chair of Creativity Works says:

“On behalf of the board, staff, volunteers, artists and participants I want to thank Sarah for her commitment, professionalism and creative spirit which has inspired us all.  She will be greatly missed, our loss is very much WECA’s gain, but she leaves the organisation immensely strengthened and able to face whatever the future brings with a sense of confidence, ambition and adventure.”