Who’s involved with Creative Egremont?

The project team are pictured (left to right) Karen Guthrie (Formerly Project Director & now Folk Float Project Manager); Karen Storr (Project Coordinator) and Alistair Hudson (Grizedale Arts Deputy Director & Project Manager of the Greasy Pole, RIBA Architecture and Castle Lighting Design)

CE benefits from a committed voluntary Steering Group who work closely with the project team. The Steering Group includes Copeland Council staff, community representatives and stake-holders. Alistair Hudson, who moved from London to the Lakes in 2004 from his post at the Government Art Fund, spearheaded Grizedale’s relationship with the town when he began to work with Turner-prize winning artist and Egremont afficionado Jeremy Deller, to reinstate the Crab Fair’s Greasy Pole as a public sculpture. This initiative comes to fruition in summer 2007.

Karen Guthrie’s local credentials include competing in the famed Wasdale World’s Greatest Liar Competition as part of an all-female team and her production of a documentary film ’Bata-ville‘ in nearby Maryport. She is an experienced artist, educator and project director with a particular interest in social issues. “I was drawn to Creative Egremont because I have a huge affection for West Cumbria from past projects, and because I quickly recognised that Egremont had a strong community network which would work with us to actually ensure that our proposals would be meaningful and have impact on local people of all ages and interests. We have some very ambitious ideas, but I genuinely think they are do-able here.”

Community Coordinator Karen Storr is the on-the-ground face of Creative Egremont. A lifelong native of Egremont, Karen balances studying towards an MA Degree in Contemporary Fine Art at Cumbria Institute of the Arts in Carlisle with her post with CE. Before re-focusing her career on art, Karen worked with people with learning disabilities, and also as a successful freelance photographer.

Karen says ‘Too many people think of art in the traditional sense such as classical music, theatre or sculpture. The thing is ‘the arts’ are not seperate from us, they are us. It’s a reflection of what we are and hope to be’.

Karen is currently leading an ongoing ‘creative audit’ of local people who are in any way involved in creative pursuits be they music, gardening, woodworking, knitting, car customizing, cake decorating or digital photography. This survey will inform many of CE’s future projects.

CE works with many other individuals and groups on a project by project basis. These include Young Cumbria, Youthworks, Friends of Egremont Castle and Lowes Court Gallery.

A recent working relationship has been formed with young local film-maker Alison Southward, who studied at Wyndham School before completing a BA degree in Fine Art (New Media) at Chester University. Alison has edited a short documentary film about the refurbishment of Thornhill Bus Shelter, which was exhibited at the prestigious Liverpool Biennial as part of ‘Virtual Grizedale’ commissioned by the A Foundation.

Alison was also our Egremont FM Radio Coordinator for our community radio project.

Catherine Sadler and George Rea joined the team in August 2007 to work as Outreach Officers on the Folk Float project. Catherine has worked for Tate Liverpool and Lancaster’s Litfest whilst George has worked in adult education.

Finally, our website and graphic identity was designed by Stathis Sketos, whilst our ongoing graphic and web designers are Platform 3, with thanks to Dorian Moore for additional programming.

Welcome!