Our Team

Kieran Sheehan
Core team

Artistic Director and CEO

Kieran joins up all of our activities working alongside our team and with local people, funders, partners and artists. Kieran has been a movement director in dance, theatre and opera for the last 20 years. He regularly presents and publishes research internationally about creativity, education & movement (which often involves some dancing around too!).

Jamie Walsh
Core team

General Manager

Jamie is a West Cumbrian producer with over 10 years experience working in theatre and arts venues. He is passionate that creativity enriching the lives of everyone, whether that’s as a source of entertainment, personal wellbeing or education.

Jamie’s previous roles span producing, programming, audience development and marketing at Theatre By The Lake in Keswick, The Dukes in Lancaster, Silent Uproar in Hull, Lincoln Arts Centre, Oldham Coliseum Theatre and The Lowry in Salford.

Joanna Manley

Community Director

Nanette Madan

Community Producer

Kira Robson

Community Producer

Sheila Smith

Community Evaluator

Patti Garcia

Project Developer

Patti is a community organiser and project manager who loves bringing people together to make a difference. They have spent 10 years working alongside communities, campaigners and local groups to work towards everyone’s voice being heard. Patti is especially interested in supporting people with learning disabilities and other support needs to have a say in the decisions that affect their everyday lives. Patti believes everyone should feel welcome, included, and able to shape what happens where they live.

Amy Clark
Core Team

Project Developer

Amy is an interdisciplinary artist, producer and facilitator, originally from West Cumbria. As an artist, she creates original and experimental work that sits across multiple artforms – it might be theatre, live art, contemporary performance or movement. As a producer, Amy enjoys working with artists, communities and organisations to support bringing their creative vision to life. She is driven by a commitment to ethical collaboration, inclusive working environments, and the belief of art as potential for connection and conversation.

Amy loves working with others, and is always up for a chat over a coffee.

Sophie Bass

Freelancer

Heather Abbott

Digital Arts Trainee

Heather is a trainee digital artist and content creator, living in West Cumbria. She enjoys social media, digital content creation, and currently manages her own business and social community. Heather also enjoys cross stitching pixel art, as well as bullet journalling as a creative method of organisation.

Stephen Collett

Trainee project manager

Stephen is a fine Artist living in Seascale. After a 20 year career in the arts, covering a multitude of disciplines, he is always looking for exciting projects and challenges. He is enjoying this new role as a trainee Project Manager.

Unique Spencer
Associate

Unique’s work is characterised by a deep commitment to accessibility and creativity. They believe that art should be inclusive, allowing everyone to participate and experience joy trough innovative approaches. Unique’s contributions to the field of creative direction and accessibility have set new standards for inclusivity.

Sarah Leech
Associate

Sarah makes sure the stories we tell showcase our brilliant projects and connect with communities across West Cumbria. She has worked in digital marketing within the arts sector for over 10 years, working with the likes of Julie’s Bicycle, HOME, Sheffield DocFest and Walk The Plank. She helps organisations connect and build relationships with audiences through producing engaging digital content and has a strong interest in how arts and culture can help inspire societal change.

Sam Hunt
Associate

Sam works with artists, the local community and our other partners, supporters, and funders to help make things happen. He is interested in how communities can use culture and creativity to make life better. He was Programme Director for UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. Creative Director of London’s first ‘Borough of Culture’ Waltham Forest 2019 and Executive Producer at Hull 2017 UK City of Culture.

Citizens in Power
Associates

Citizens’ In Power is a not-for-profit organisation with a purpose to co-design ways for citizens to lead decision-making and shape the future. It has worked with citizens from West Cumbria and Everyone Here to facilitate the design of Jury for Joy & will help to facilitate the events in 2024.