Team
Claire Farrell
Director | Curator FRSA, MA
claire@WERK.org.uk
Claire Farrell’s research and interests are rooted in new genre public art, urban planning, design and placemaking. Taking influence from such interdisciplinary and collaborative movements as the Situationists, Artist Placement Group, Critical Art Ensemble and the Bauhaus, she is inspired by the transformative potential of art situated in the built environment. As founder and director of WERK each project is devised with the objective to identify opportunities for artists to work in a site-specific and context-specific way. In addition to WERK Claire is Art and Urbanism Specialist Panel Member for Birmingham Design and
Conservation Review Panel consisting of appointed professionals who share expertise to independently and objectively assess key development proposals received by Birmingham City Council, Elected Fellow of Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA), which aims to enrich society through ideas and action, Member of Lighting Urban Community International (LUCI) a unique international network bringing together cities and lighting professionals engaged in using light as a major tool for sustainable urban, social and economic development, Birmingham City University Visiting Lecturer in Cultural Planning, Art Policy,
Stakeholder Theory, Event and Exhibition Management and Expressive Arts Link Governor at Turves Green Girls School, Birmingham.
Becky Woodcock
Longbridge Light Festival Fringe Programmer
becky@WERK.org.uk
Becky came to Birmingham in 2012 to study Jazz Clarinet performance at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Alongside working as an active freelance clarinet teacher, Becky works as a freelance Project Manager and Festival Co-ordinator, having worked with various arts festivals and venues in the region including Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival, Lunar Festival and Moseley Folk Festival. She also works at Town Hall Symphony Hall as Schools Project Manager, devising and delivering 7 schools projects, focusing on a close working relationship with Ladywood Primary Schools. Becky is looking forward to utilising her music festival co-ordination skills in a visual arts setting and the new challenges that it will bring about.
Stephen Burke
Project & Communications Coordinator
stephen@WERK.org.uk
Stephen Burke graduated from Falmouth University in 2012 as a photographic artist. Stephen joined WERK as an intern to gain insight and experience within project management and production in late 2013. He is interested in exploring the relationship between people and place, and how our social and physical environments can have a determining effect on who we are and how we live our lives. Conversation, chance, collaboration and celebration are key themes in his approach to creating work.
Sara Crathorne
Freelance Producer Longbridge Light Festival 2016
Sara Crathorne is an independent Stage Manager, Producer and Operations Manager. Sara has extensive experience managing offsite performances, installations and productions. Sara has worked all over the U.K. and interantionally with the Birmingham Rep and more recently Fierce Festival.
Ian Richards
Visual Artist and Designer 2013-2017
Using processes of social engagement he explores society and culture with the aim of disrupting expectations and personalising mainstream narrative. Richards invites dialogue and interaction through the content, design and location of his work in public spaces. The artist works in diverse forms including sound, print, text and image, installation and multiples.
Sophia Tarr, Longbridge Light Festival Producer, 2013-2015
Sophia Tarr was the Longbridge Light Festival producer in its inaugural year in 2014, creating & implementing the foundations for future festivals and activities in Longbridge. Sophia is now the Events Programme Manager at Birmingham University.
Associates
Jenny Peevers
Cultural Planner
Jenny Peevers is a cultural planner. She delivers activities which bring people together in interactive and creative ways. Jenny has been commissioned by WERK to support the wider project intentions and to gather local people’s thoughts, stories, values about their area which will feed into future activities.
Helen Denby-Knight
Friends of Longbridge Open Spaces (FLOS) Coordinator
Helen is a marketing consultant with over 25 years experience of working with industrial companies in the Birmingham area. She has managed many complex projects over the years, from new product launches into Europe to major high profile exhibitions. Helen has a passion for the Birmingham area, she has joined the LPAP team as FLOS coordinator to progress and develop the work established by Jenny Peevers in 2015.
Ian Richards
Artist, Curator and Graphic Designer
Using processes of social engagement Ian Richards explores society and culture with the aim of disrupting expectations and personalising mainstream narrative. Ian invites dialogue and interaction through the content, design and location of his work in public spaces.
He works in diverse forms including sound, print, text and image, installation and multiples. Recent work uses text and language sourced from specific communities. This material is manipulated and presented in unexpected ways, locations, scale, situations and forms.
www.heavyobject.com
Anneka French
Writer and Curator
Anneka French is editorial manager at contemporary art magazine this is tomorrow and writes reviews and essays for a wide range of print and online platforms.
She has worked at Tate Modern, Ikon Gallery, New Art Gallery Walsall, Vivid Projects and Wolverhampton Art Gallery and was co-director of Lincoln Art Programme, a nomadic live art commissioning organisation. She is curating an exhibition with artist Mitra Saboury at Grand Union, opening September 2016 and her exhibition of sculptural commissions at National Trust property, Croome, Worcester, is
on display until 2017.
www.annekafrench.wordpress.com
Mathew Becket
Film Maker
Mathew Beckett is a director, film maker, DoP, professional musician/sound artist and creative advocate with broadcast and feature film credits. Working from the US to the UK and around the world, Mathew has a technically-focused and exciting approach to more left-field artistic creative activity that often links film, music and other art forms. Mathew is the owner of the film production company 'River Rea Films'.
Craig Bush
Film Maker
Craig is a director and producer working in visual media, with a focus on filmmaking and photography.
Clients Craig has worked with include John Lewis, JCB, BBC, and Transport For London.
Interns & Volunteers
WERK regularly offer internships and voluntary role positions, to apply for an internship or as a volunteer please send your CV to info@WERK.org.uk
Caleb Steer
Intern
Caleb is currently studying Fine Art at Birmingham City University, after previously studying at Bournville College. His interest in community arts practice led him to get involved with WERK, and he hopes to progress further in this area in the future. See Caleb's work here.
Rico Johnson-Sinclair
Volunteer
Rico Johnson-Sinclair has studied Production for Live Events and Television at University of the Arts London and is passionate about all aspects of performance and live events. He currently writes for Birmingham Wire and Polaroid's and Polar Bears. His written work can be read here.