Our people

Carol Taylor
Chair

Carol lives in Matlock and her background is in education, in Derbyshire and Sheffield, and most recently as the CEO of The Basic Skills Agency and Deputy CEO of NIACE. She has worked in schools, Higher, Further and Adult Education, and at a national level, both here and abroad.

“I am interested in enabling everyone to access the Arts, in their own community, and in enabling local people to create, see and interact with Art in the widest sense, especially families and young people. I enjoy books, performances and visual art, but often don’t understand it! I love the Festival for the way it opens my eyes and ears to new contemporary Art, and new young artists.”

John Wheeldon
Vice Chair

John has lived in Wirksworth for 25 years and has been involved in the Festival since it’s earliest days. A professional potter, John has also taught Art part time for many years and given workshops and demonstrations throughout Europe.

“As a potter I admire the work of many of my contemporaries but also love the history of ceramics especially that from the pre-industrial period, and the paintings of Alfred Wallace. Highlights of past festivals for me have been the Flamenco and Tapas (organised by Debi Hedderwick) and the Ironwork Exhibition, curated by Stuart Hodgkinson. I also loved the Postcard Art exhibitions where people could buy a piece of art, donated by politicians, actors and artists, for a tenner.”

Frances Rostron

Frances lives in Wirksworth and has been involved with the Festival since offering her home as a venue in 1995. She worked as the Festival Trails Administrator for many years, but now works for Disability Derbyshire Coalition for Inclusive Living in Ripley, and is involved in various community groups in Wirksworth.

“I enjoy a range of visual and performing arts exhibitions and performances, a personal highlight was visiting the Lumiere Festival in my home city of Durham – the whole city becomes a gallery of light installations and is truly breathtaking!

There have been so many wonderful exhibits in the Wirksworth Festival over the years that it would be hard to highlight one. Showing work of amateur, student and professional artists is a privilege to be a part of.  I did, however, find the work of visiting Japanese artist Goh Ideta fascinating and memorable (2009-10), and also the  show in St Mary’s Church (2015).”

Bill Lounds

Bill lives in Wirksworth and has been involved in the Festival since moving to the town in 2000, first as Trails Coordinator, and later as Chair. Still passionate about the importance of the visual and performing arts to the future of the town, he wants to see the Festival find a sustainable future in the changing world of arts funding. Trained as a town planner, Bill has spent most of his working life as a consultant advising on the conversion and management of old buildings, with a particular focus on the potential for regeneration through conservation.

“My highlight of the past 15 years was the opening the Parish Room as a gallery, and the installation by Dan Dubovitz in 2005.”

Pam Taylor

Pam Taylor lives in Wirksworth, works as a modern language teacher at the Anthony Gell School and is a long standing councillor on Wirksworth Town Council. She was a founder member of the Wirksworth Twinning Association and has worked with the Festival for over 20 years with a particular focus on performance.

“I’ve always enjoyed a wide range of performance, film and art exhibitions. One of my favourite artists is Jaume Plensa, whose immense, grandiose sculptures I’ve seen in Prague and at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.  I love challenging theatre and Nottingham Playhouse has always had a special place in my heart, whether, as a teenager, seeing Franz Wedekind’s “Spring Awakening” or a just a few years ago, Kneehigh’s “Tristan and Yseult”. But the Wirksworth Festival has always worked its magic for me… on numerous occasions pinching myself just to check that I’m really having this particular experience in Wirksworth… the sheer breadth and depth of talent within our community, the nurturing of our young people’s confidence and Ccreativity, the artists of national and international repute who have been pleased to perform here. So many highlights…here’s just a few: Mark Lockett’s Gamelan, IndependDance 20:20 Vision – later performed at the Millennium Dome, the Hillsiders – a local radio soap opera, Jaleo Flamenco dancing at midnight down Coldwell St, Horse and Bamboo with their enormous threatening puppets, St John St Theatre – never failing to hit the spot, Public Service Broadcasting – fresh from Glastonbury, the Serbian film “Black Cat White Cat” shown in the old Baptist Church, Théâtre Témoin with their haunting take on bipolar disorder, Pae-Pae and his Usuthu Dance from Mamelodi in South Africa…..”

Cathy Brown

Cathy has recently moved to Wirksworth and joined the Festival Board. She has a background in driving culture change, engagement and social movements, most recently as Exec Director of Engage for Success, the UK’s movement for employee engagement, and the EOA (the Employee Ownership Association). She also acts as MC for festivals such as Sidmouth Folk Week and Moira Folk Festival.

Cathy says: “I’m delighted to be a part of this important rural arts festival. As a weaver and a Morris dancer, I’m especially interested in nurturing and evolving traditional arts and practices.”

Rob has lived in Wirksworth for 10 years after a working lifetime, largely in senior management posts, in the NHS.  The visual and performing arts have always played a significant part in his life.

Rob says: “Wirksworth is a vibrant and welcoming community. My first experience in Wirksworth was of the Festival which brings so many elements of the arts together. It takes a huge amount of effort to deliver the festival each year and a significant amount of money. We need to ensure that it remains financially viable and very much rely on our visitors to appreciate the need for their support through the purchase of trail wristbands”

Phil Searle
Festival Coordinator

Phil lives in Wirksworth and joined the team as the Festival Coordinator having previously opened his home as a venue.  When not working on the Festival he travels the winter working for the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation helping out nations who have no support. And yes, that includes the Jamaican Bobsleigh team as well as Australia and US Virgin Islands skeleton, Brazil and a host of others. Prior to that Phil had his own company delivering support services, event management and photography to a variety of clients including the Oxford – Cambridge Boat Race where he was official photographer for 5 years. He has worked in Theatre and through his photography was privileged to be the lead photographer for ParalympicsGB at the Paralympic Games in London in 2012. His work has appeared in national and international publications, websites and TV and in the multi-Oscar winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”.

“I am delighted to be working for the Festival having been a venue for several years. It’s great to be able to give back to a community and town that we so enjoy living in. I have always had an interest in a wide variety of art initially through working in theatre but then through my work as a photographer and I look forward to welcoming the artists to this years Festival”