Cultural Ambassadors
for Essex

Watch all Ambassador films

Introducing

Busayo Ige

Actor and Writer  

Bio

Busayo Ige is a British actor and writer of Nigerian heritage based in Essex. She graduated from Birmingham City University with a degree in English and Drama and trained at the Identity School of Acting. 

Her on-screen experience includes appearances in Eastenders, two Screen Nation Award-nominated series, and winning the 'Favourite Actress' award for the web series "SUFFERING" in 2020. Additionally, she has featured as the lead in multiple short films. 

Busayo wrote and starred in the BFI-backed short film "Essex Girls," which received critical acclaim at the BFI London Film Festival 2023 and Sundance Film Festival 2024. The film was also longlisted for a BAFTA short film award in 2024.

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“Essex has played a significant role in shaping my creative work as I often draw from my own experiences and environment when telling stories. Growing up as a young black girl in Essex presented its own unique set of challenges which inevitably shaped who I am today and the kind of stories that I tell. Essex is an iconic region for many reasons, but I definitely felt a lack of representation for individuals like myself which fuelled my desire to illuminate the beauty and complexities of black British girlhood, with a special focus on the unique context of Essex”. 

To find out more about Busayo click here

Introducing

Dame Helen Mirren

Actress

Bio

Dame Helen Mirren is one of the best known and most respected actresses who has starred in many theatre, film and television productions. Helen has won numerous awards for her acting, including Emmys, Tonys, Golden Globes and an Oscar for her performance in The Queen.  

Helen was brought up in Leigh-on-Sea and her early experiences of acting were in school productions in Leigh and also Southend. At 18 years of age, Helen was accepted at the National Youth Theatre and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where her career flourished. 

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"I was raised in Leigh-on-Sea and am proud of my Essex roots. I gained my love of acting during my early performances on the stages of Essex. The county has proven a launch pad for so many creative people from the performing arts to music, as well as writers, designers, and visual artists.

The creative arts can provide opportunities for everyone, no matter what their background. Art and culture can help bring communities together, increase mental and physical well-being and is a key driver in economic development."

Introducing

Olly Murs

Singer, songwriter, TV personality

Bio

With five chart-topping albums, over two million tour tickets sold, 6.5 million monthly Spotify listeners and a cumulative social media following of more than 26 million, Olly has had an incredible career as a singer, songwriter and TV personality.

In Spring 2024, Olly supported Take That on a sell-out UK tour. Known for his infectious personality, he has sustained and diversified his own brand, supported by his dedicated fanbase. This has been reinforced across his TV career and existing brand deals, demonstrating his talents across the board. Olly Murs stands as a testament to an enduring and versatile presence in the entertainment industry. 

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“I am so chuffed to be announced as a Cultural Ambassador for Essex. It’s no secret that I’m a born and bred Essex boy & my working life started in a local call centre. 15 years down the line, I feel so proud to have built an ongoing career in the arts industry, achieving my dreams across music and TV. I hope now that I can inspire a new generation of creatives to pursue their talents and continue to build upon the rich culture this county has to offer.” 

Introducing

Russell Kane

Comedian, Presenter and Writer

Bio

Russell Kane is an award-winning comedian, presenter, actor, podcaster and author who was raised in Essex. A regular presenter and guest on many TV and radio shows, Russell has toured the world with his comedy shows, which have been nominated for several Edinburgh Festival awards. Between 2021 and 2023 Russell toured his show ‘The Essex Variant’, which wrapped up with a sold-out show at the London Palladium.  He even has a bus named after him in Southend! 

To find out more click here

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“Essex inspires my work and has produced some of the UK’s funniest comedians including Lee Evans, Ellie Taylor and yours truly! There must be something in the water”.

Introducing

Thomas Coombes

Actor

Bio

Thomas Coombes is a stage and screen actor, best known for the BAFTA winning Sky TV series 'Save Me', the acclaimed kitchen drama film 'Boiling Point', and the global Netflix hit 'Baby Reindeer'. He grew up in Leigh-on-Sea - performing locally at venues such as The Palace Theatre in Westcliff and Towngate Theatre in Basildon. Essex provided a vital training ground and opportunities to soak up a thriving culture scene which ignited his passion for the arts.

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“To paraphrase 'Goodfellas' - As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be an actor. Essex was where I found my passion and was allowed to explore it. From the opportunity to attend a Saturday drama class at six years old, to acting in local productions; its influence on me in my formative years have been long-lasting. I'm deeply passionate about the creative arts and its ability to transform lives and stimulate empathy and emotion. Essex has a thriving community of creative talent; my hometown of Southend has drama and dance schools, music and drama festivals, a thriving amateur dramatics scene (though I'd argue standard ain't amateur), improv and comedy (The Laughter Academy/Little Smash Comedy), Leigh Folk Festival, METAL, Southend Film Festival - it’s of vital importance to encourage and set up platforms to allow it to flourish. From Prodigy to Dr Feelgood, Lee Evans to Danny Mays - Essex represent.”

 

Introducing

Aj Grand-Scrutton

Founder and CEO of award-winning games studio, Dlala Studios. 

Bio

Born in Basildon in 1984, Aj’s family relocated to Witham where he attended Elm Hall Primary School and Rickstones Secondary School. Aj also studied Computer Science at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford and now lives next door to his first home in Witham. 

Reflecting on the success of Dlala Studios, Aj believes Essex has been a multi-faceted aid to his and the company’s achievements. He has employed some incredible talent within the county to work with Disney, Rare and Microsoft on games such as ‘Disney Illusion Island’ and ‘Battletoads’. Aj says it surprises people that a games company the size of Dlala Studios is tucked away in Witham and not in a large city.  

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“I was born in Essex, lived my whole life in Essex, and opened up my game studio in Essex. The thing I’ve always loved about living in this area is that it feels like the meeting point of the countryside of Suffolk and the big city life of London. Witham feels like our own little secret corner tucked away, and I love the fact that the studio is here. I have enjoyed bringing in world-class talent from across the globe to our county and I'm also proud of how we nurture young Essex talent to a world-class level.” 

To find out more about Dlala Studios, click here

Introducing

Ali Pretty

Founder and Artistic Director of international outdoor arts company, Kinetika, based in Purfleet-on-Thames.

Bio

Ali founded Kinetika in 1997 after an established career in carnival arts and a growing commitment to community engagement. Kinetika specialises in high-quality community engagement work, running participatory programmes, workshops and artist training schemes, raising aspirations and building a sense of place. Kinetika also focus on projects which benefit physical and mental well-being through arts, including walking arts projects such as Beach of Dreams, which began as a 500-mile coastal artist-led walk, which will culminate in a national walking arts festival across the coastlines of the UK and Ireland in May 2025. Kinetika runs the annual T100 Festival, a Thurrock-based festival that engages the local community  in walks, activities and storytelling. 

  

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"It gives me great pleasure to work here in Thurrock, always developing projects where we can meet new people and unearth stories within the local community as well as in wider Essex. Over the 26 years since forming Kinetika we have worked on many projects within Essex that focus on building culture and creativity as well as helping young people discover a passion for the arts. We allow people of all ages to learn new skills, having trained and worked with a number of local residents on our artist team and we are passionate about helping people engage with arts through walking and placemaking projects.”   

Introducing

Andrea Cunningham

Director of Metal Southend

Bio

I am the Director of Metal in Southend. We are an arts organisation who believe that art and creativity inspire the positive social change we need in the world. We champion the right for artists, creatives and other curious people to follow hunches, explore dreams and probe problems through creativity to inspire positive social change where they live. We do this by nurturing artists and creatives; championing everyone’s right to have creative agency where they live; convening cross-disciplinary networks that encourage collective creative action; and producing large-scale, memorable art events that show our public spaces and landscape in a different light.  

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“I love Essex, I love its landscapes and its people. I moved to Southend from East London in the early 2000s and was delighted to find a thriving, vibrant and defiantly robust creative community. I feel strongly about the need for a lively creative life for the people of this region, especially South Essex. It can positively impact everything from civic pride, personal wellbeing to economic regeneration. We need to nurture our local talent, support the creative ecology and ensure equality of opportunity. People deserve joy”.

Introducing

Andy Delaney

Film Director and founder of New Arts Films.

Bio

Andy Delaney is a film maker who grew up in Southend-on-Sea. He’s directed dozens of music videos for artists such as George Michael, Lauryn Hill, Spice Girls, Maroon 5 and many more. 

Andy moved back to Essex in 2012 and began working with local artists and art institutions such as Metal, Creative Estuary and Estuary Festival. 

In 2019 he directed the US indie film ‘Love is Blind’ starring Matthew Broderick, Chloe Sevigny and Aidan Turner. His second feature ‘Holly By Midnight’ premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival in April 2024. 

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"I grew up in Southend and was a mad music fan as a teenager. That led me into music videos and my work as a video director took me around the world. 

Twelve years ago, I moved back to Essex looking to reconnect with my roots. What I found was a thriving art and music scene that gave me a new lease of life. I now make films and with local musicians, writers, actors, and technicians that are as good as anything I’ve done before. 

Culture is made by groups of people and there’s a heck of a lot of talented people in Essex."

Introducing

Angela Dixon

Chief Executive of Saffron Hall

Bio

Angela grew up in Essex and says she benefited from the excellent music education in the county. After University, she toured with orchestras all over the world before joining the Barbican Centre in London as their classical music programmer, progressing to Head of Music in 2011.  During this time, Angela worked on numerous concerts and award-winning festivals, including the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

In April 2014 Angela became Chief Executive of the newly opened Saffron Hall, a 740-seat concert hall in Saffron Walden where she has built a world-class music programme including classical, jazz, world and folk music as well as a dance and talks programme. Saffron Hall also runs an extensive programme of work with schools and communities throughout the region. Angela is on the boards of the British Association of Concert Halls, Essex Music Hub and she is Chair of the Royal Philharmonic Society. 

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“Essex is a county rich in heritage and culture with a diverse population across urban and rural areas.  It is the people that make this county so vibrant and as audience members, participants, artists and performers, they should be celebrated.”

Introducing

Dr Anthony Roberts

Director of Colchester Arts Centre

Bio

Anthony leads a small dedicated team at Colchester Arts Centre, a performance venue, housed in a converted church in the city centre. The venue promotes an eclectic mix of performance arts, jazz, folk, theatre, rock and pop music, children's shows, comedy, cabaret, poetry, circus. world music.... a lot of different art forms.

The thread that unifies the programme is a celebration of new work, quality work, artists who take risks and dedicate themselves to specialists art forms that often sit outside the mainstream. Anthony’s background is in arts marketing, having worked at Salisbury Arts Centre, Old Bull Arts Centre in North London and stood in as interim manager at Firstsite in Colchester. Anthony graduated with a Joint Honours degree in English and Drama from Bristol University, but then spent two years as a car park attendant in Watford while working out what he wanted to do. Anthony’s chance came through a job scheme which placed him in the press office of the Old Bull where he discovered there was something he was good at and that he really enjoyed!  

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"Essex is such a rich and diverse county, so full of artists making extraordinary work, so full of arts venues and organisations big and small presenting wonderful programmes, that to open up the lines of communication through such a network as ambassadors is a no brainer for me. I look forward to all the conversations and the opportunity to make more things happen in the county."

Introducing

Antony Stuart-Hicks

Senior Producer and Talent Development Manager at Mercury Theatre

Bio

Originally from Liverpool, Antony first discovered Essex when he visited the county for various theatre productions. He has been involved at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester since 2014, first as an actor, and now in his current role where he nurtures local artists, providing navigation for career and skills development. 

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“Essex is vibrant! Culture is the indispensable element of our society. We tell stories, celebrate, entertain, recall the past and project the future through our cultural expression. This helps define who we are. Essex boasts a rich array of cultural and creative anchors – theatres, cinemas, galleries and heritage to name a few. When you combine these elements with the warmth and humour of the people who live and work here – you can’t go wrong. I am from Liverpool, but I am proud to live in Essex.” 

To find out more about The Mercury Theatre, click here

Introducing

Beans on Toast

Musician

Bio

AKA Essex born singer songwriter Jay McAllister, has enjoyed enormous success in the music scene.  His CV includes collaborations with numerous big names including long-term friend and fellow Essex boy, Frank Turner, who has produced some of his music and in turn, he has supported on sold out stadium tours.  As well as touring internationally, Beans tours the UK summer festivals and is a regular performer at Boomtown and Glastonbury, where he has played every year since 2007.   

A prolific writer, his book ‘Foolhardy Folk Tales’ was released in 2021 which starts with a fictional story set in Essex.  He continues to tour constantly and releases a new album each year on his birthday, 1 December. 

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"Essex has always been an important hub of culture and creativity for me. There's something honest about the place, something real, and for me, that's a huge inspiration. It's important to nurture local talent and shine a spotlight on the arts and their role in building strong and happy communities.  Essex has a huge personality, let's be proud of that and let it shine."

Introducing

Brian Warrens FRSA

Director of The Backstage Centre in Purfleet-on-Thames

Bio

Brian Warrens has had a profound impact on the Essex cultural landscape through 40 years of dedication in the entertainment and associated sectors.  As Director of The Backstage Centre, he is instrumental in fostering innovation within the local community.

Brian is also acting Chair for Creative BasildON, holds an advisory position with Skillscene, Docking Station and Arts Outburst, all of which demonstrate his commitment to expanding cultural horizons of the community.  His role as Senior Moderator for University of the Arts London shows his dedication to ensuring the maintenance of high standards in arts education.

 The new BA (Hons) in Costume Construction, at High House Production Park, demonstrates his vision for a cultural sector that remains accessible and influential.

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"Given my experience, and active participation in community enrichment, and relentless advocacy for the arts, I am delighted to support this further as an Essex Cultural Ambassador and I would continue to inspire growth, collaboration, and cultural excellence within Essex and beyond".

Introducing

Dan Kitchener

Artist and Muralist

Bio

Dan is a world-renowned street artist and muralist. Working globally for over eighteen years, he is now one of the key figures in the art movement since it’s humble beginnings.

His unique, freehand style of neon-soaked rainy cityscapes and colourful, energetic street scenes is widely applauded for its colour and composition. He has the rare ability to paint by eye, freehand and always solo, no matter how large the wall.

Dan’s career has taken him all over the world, painting in Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong and Miami and he has worked with major stars including Miley Cyrus, Fat Boy Slim, Paul McCartney and Lenny Kravitz.

His recent portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II in Rochford Essex received global acclaim and showcased his skill and diversity in any medium or subject. Dan’s work continues to develop and his huge global fanbase continues to rise.

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"Essex is my home county and a vibrant, highly talented and energetic creative place with some amazing creative people, I am proud to be from Essex, and always talk about it on my travels painting murals around the world"

Introducing

Eleanor Church

Filmmaker and Photographer

Bio

Working through her company Lark Rise Pictures, Eleanor released her first feature documentary, 'X Trillion', in 2023. She also  directs, films and shoots documentaries in collaboration with others. Eleanor also produces short format films for companies and NGOs on subjects ranging from human rights to the environment. She likes working on a broad range of stories but ethics are a common thread that run throughout her film work. Eleanor’s photography reflects this too but is broader in subject matter – she has shot all over the world but, in recent years, has really enjoyed making films and photo stories within Essex – no less interesting and always rewarding. 

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“A proud Essex girl, I grew up in the county, went to school in Chelmsford, roamed the countryside around where we lived, moved to London and then abroad for a few years before returning to Colchester to live with my young family. I'm so happy to be back – to enjoy city life but also the estuaries, beaches and landscape that have been such an important part of my appreciation of the natural world. I know I was influenced by the subtle and more obvious nuances of Essex culture growing up and, on returning to the county, I was encouraged and inspired to discover that the treasure trove of creative arts still exists and thrives here today. We have a long, proud history of culture in Essex and it’s important to me that everyone is able to access culture in its various forms, music, art, film, not only as a rewarding and worthwhile career but also to enrich their everyday live.” 

To find out more about Eleanor, click here

Introducing

Elsa James

Artist and Activist

Bio

Elsa James is a British African-Caribbean conceptual artist and activist living in Essex since 1999. Her artistic practice is rooted in contemporary Black activism and invested in an ongoing questioning of visibility and belonging. She works with live performance, film, prints, spoken word, neon, and sound. Her work is held in private and public collections, including the Government Art Collection and Beecroft Art Gallery, for which she became the first Black British artist to be acquired into the gallery's collection. In 2022, she was named one of the 50 Most Influential People in Essex.  

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“As an artist challenging the cultural identity of Essex, the ability to work collaboratively and centre new perspectives has been enabled by the support of Essex’s strong infrastructure of arts organisations, practitioners and communities who together have been willing to work with me to radically challenge perceptions of this historically misaligned county.” 

To find out more about Elsa, click here

Introducing

Frank Turner

Musician

Bio

Frank Turner was raised in Hampshire and lived in North London for 20 years until he moved to Mersea Island in 2020. Now a proud Essex resident, Frank has always been inspired by the culture of the county via the music of Ian Dury, Blur and his friend, Beans on Toast. To date, Frank has released nine studio albums under his own name, the most recent hitting the number one spot in the UK. He has also headlined Wembley Arena, the O2 and toured all over the world.  

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“As a recent arrival in the fair county of Essex, I can say confidently that the county’s long and impressive musical heritage was part of the draw for me to come and finally put some roots down. From the obvious old classics – Crass to Blur – to the exciting new sounds I’ve stumbled across in the last few years – Pet Needs, The Meffs, Wilswood Buoys and many more – there’s more than enough music and underground culture here to make me feel at home. I’m as proud as I’m allowed to be to be an adopted Essex musician.” 

To find out more about Frank, click here

 

Introducing

Gee Vaucher

Visual Artist

Bio

Gee Vaucher is an artist and activist born in Dagenham - when the town was still part of Essex. Gee studied art at the South-East Essex School of Art. In the late 1960s Gee moved into Dial House near Epping, an ‘open house where people continue to be welcome, have a cuppa and share ideas’. Dial House has always been a hub of creativity and became the base for the punk inspired band Crass. As a member of the group, she provided the artwork for all the covers plus films for the stage. Gee has always been seen as a political illustrator and whilst living in New York worked for various newspapers and magazines including The New York Times and New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, Ebony etc. When Donald Trump was elected President in 2017, her painting ‘Oh America’, which featured the Statue of Liberty with head in hands, was widely used across the world’s media and on the streets. In 2016 Firstsite in Colchester, held the first retrospective of Gee’s work. She continues to live, work and agitate near Epping and beyond.

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“I support all creativity in any and every field of expression.”

Introducing

Giles Smith

Writer

Bio

Giles Smith is the author of the pop memoir ‘Lost in Music’, an updated version of which was published by Penguin in the summer of 2023. His writing has appeared in numerous British publications and in The New Yorker. He has published two collections of journalism and a spoof memoir of the comic-strip footballer Roy of the Rovers, and, in the last ten years, he has been the ghost-writer for eight Sunday Times Bestselling autobiographies. 

  

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"I was born in Colchester and lived in the same house in Oaklands Avenue the whole time. I went to Lexden County Primary School and the Colchester Royal Grammar School, and I had many inspirational teachers at school. My Essex roots and performing in bands were the inspiration for my first book, ‘Lost in Music’. I wouldn’t have written this book without growing up in Essex with all the people I knew and played music with – people who worked very hard to create their own music scene. I spent some time trying to become a musician, and when that didn’t work out, I went into journalism. My first gig as a journalist was with the Essex County Standard. I went to the paper’s office and asked the editor, Peter Hills, if I could write a pop column for him. I was very surprised when he said yes. Writing about music seemed to me the next best thing to being an actual musician. I think growing up in Essex can make you quite independently minded, yet also very loyal to the tribe. It can also help you not take yourself too seriously. I will always be very fond of St Mary’s Arts Centre in Colchester, where I played in a couple of bands and watched a lot more."

Introducing

Gillian Darley

Writer

Bio

Gillian Darley is a writer, academic and broadcaster whose work focuses on inspiring people, intriguing buildings and beguiling landscapes. Raised on the Essex-Suffolk border, Gillian celebrated the county in her book, ‘Excellent Essex’, published in 2019. The book takes the reader on a vivid tour, from the jostling seaside to the empty marshlands, from medieval market towns to New Town planning, revealing a landscape and a story like no other.  

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“A county where dreamers and makers, punk poets, anarchist sects and the avant-garde all found inspiration.” 

To find out more about Gillian, click here

Introducing

Hana Loftus

Director of HAT Projects

Bio

Hana Loftus is co-director of HAT Projects, a leading architectural practice based in Colchester. HAT have designed and delivered transformational and award-winning projects ranging from museums and galleries, affordable workspace, housing and civic spaces, through to regeneration strategies, masterplans and planning policy. They are involved with important regional initiatives including the regeneration of Jaywick Sands, the Tendring and Colchester Borders Garden Community and the masterplan for Colchester city centre.

Hana is also the Chair of Creative Colchester, the partnership for the local cultural, creative and digital sector, and has helped steer the partnership into an incorporated CIC and win funding for delivery of initiatives which support and promote the sector locally.

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"Essex is a county full of people who refuse to toe the line – always challenging convention and forging their own path. This makes it a hugely energetic, diverse and creative community and one of the most exciting places in the country to work."

Introducing

Indi Sandhu

Creative Director and CEO of Essex Cultural Diversity Project

Bio

Indi Sandhu has been part of Essex Cultural Diversity Project since its inception in 2008. Over the years he has initiated county-wide projects such as Intermix and Creative Diversity Hubs, developing and advocating for cultural diversity programming and diverse artist development in Essex. He is great advocate for promoting the arts and heritage sector in Essex collaborating with many diverse communities, artists & arts organisation in the last 15 years. 

Essex Cultural Diversity through its creative Global Village concept of world music and dance has contributed the local economy through outdoor festival events supporting local diverse arts practitioners to showcase their work in Essex.  

Indi believes that the arts and cultural can make a significant contribution in supporting health and well-being. 

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"Essex Cultural Diversity Project energises cultural diversity in arts and heritage. Our aim is to create opportunities, stimulate participation and provide a focal point for the development, celebration, and co-ordination of cultural diversity through arts and heritage activity throughout Essex." 

 

Introducing

James Bourne

Musician and Songwriter

Bio

James Bourne is an multi-award-winning recording artist and songwriter. A founding member of the bands Busted, Son of Dork and McBusted.  

He has written six original musicals including the Olivier nominated West End musical 'Loserville' which completed a sell-out tour of Japan selling 60,000 tickets.  

'Loserville' was originally commissioned by Jon Bromwich at the British Youth Music Theatre and is their first newly commissioned original musical to open in the West End.  

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“Supporting local amateur dramatic theatre and the arts in general is crucial for nurturing new talent and giving new people the experience and confidence to move into professional productions on an international level. I am most recognised from my band Busted but not many people know my career started in theatre when I was 11 years old in a production of 'Oliver' at The London Palladium, starring Jonathan Pryce and directed by Sam Mendes. Just one year prior to this I was doing local amateur theatre in Southend-on-Sea.” 

 

Introducing

Jane Gull

Director and Screenwriter

Bio

Jane Gull is an Essex-raised director and screenwriter, whose films include 'Love Without Walls' (2023), 'My Feral Heart' (2016) and 'Sunny Boy' (2011). Film critics have called her work "beautifully directed" and "one of the most influential Brit-Pics of the decade".

Jane and her films have won various international awards including ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Feature’. She is a keen supporter of Essex and has used local actors and locations to bring her stories to life. 

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“Essex is always a rich well for inspiration. The county is home to many fine actors and behind-the-scenes workers. I’m very happy to support Culture Essex. 

I grew up in Essex and that’s where my passion for the arts began. The county has some of the best dance and theatre schools for young people. I always love to come back to Essex to shoot my films as there’s such a diverse range of amazing locations and landscapes. I’m blown away by how much talent there is here too. It really is a creative county.”  

To find out more about Jane, click here 

Introducing

Jemma McDonnell

Co-Founder and Co-Director of The Paper Birds Theatre Company

Bio

Jemma McDonnell formed The Paper Birds in 2003, an award-winning company based in Maldon which specialise in devising and verbatim theatre. Since then she has led the company artistically and strategically, creating and directing productions for national and international tours and building and running global partnerships and projects. The Paper Birds run a thriving participation department which sees the company work with up to 20,000 young people each year as workshop participants and co-creators.

The Paper Birds are named practitioners on several UK exam boards, meaning their devising methods are taught at GCSE and A-level within schools and colleges. The company runs regular Continual Professional Development for drama teachers and practitioners. Their courses have been attended by thousands of participants nationally and internationally, as well as delivered for organisations such as The National Theatre. 

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"I grew up Essex and enjoyed throughout my childhood taking part in many wonderful clubs, arts activities, and cultural experiences. Those experiences and brilliant teachers/ arts leaders made me feel like anything was possible, and I am so thankful for those early experiences as they led me to where I am now. After leaving the region to go to university and setting up The Paper Birds, I was excited to return to Essex 15 years later and base The Paper Birds here. I think Essex is rich in culture and has its own beautiful, unique, and diverse identity and history. Its an honour to make work and form partnerships here. I hope that The Paper Birds can now offer some of the inspiration and encouragement to young people that I received when I was younger and help them build the tools and confidence to follow their dreams."

Introducing

Kate Waterfield

Deputy Director of Focal Point Gallery

Bio

Kate Waterfield is Deputy Director of Focal Point Gallery in Southend-on-Sea. Offering an exciting and ambitious programme of largely free workshops, talks, outdoor film screenings and offsite projects, the gallery also presents four major exhibitions a year featuring local, regional and international artists. The gallery produces and presents thought-provoking art made today that explores our locality, sense of self and the importance of communities. Focal Point Gallery support the creative and cultural sector in Essex through engaging with partnerships and networks, working together to co-design projects and initiatives with a belief in collaboration over competition. The gallery advocate for culture-led regeneration and investment opportunities to support growth of the local economy and positive placemaking for our region. As a local gallery with an international reach, for over 30 years Focal Point Gallery has championed Southend-on-Sea, attracting visitors to the city and works to change perceptions of Essex.  

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“Essex really is an amazing place! It’s so important to acknowledge that there is real strength in the diversity of our communities and the vibrancy of the cultural offer here. It is through meaningful connection of people, places and the opportunities out there that we really can make a difference and celebrate our cultural landscape.” 

 

Introducing

Lily Streames

Producer, Actor and Director of Essex Film Collective. 

Bio

Founder of the Essex Film Collective, Lily Streames has  created a platform for emerging filmmakers to thrive, culminating in her upcoming directorial role at Essex International Film Festival.

Lily's personal mission is to elevate regional cinema onto the global stage and is evident in her support of Essex filmmakers by facilitating networking events, screenings, workshops and job opportunities.

Her recent short film garnered international acclaim, screening at prestigious festivals such as BAFTA Aesthetica, and others, where it received multiple awards.  

With a commitment to building a vibrant film community at the grassroots level, Lily strives to ensure that Essex's creative voices are heard and celebrated.  

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“I am so proud to be a creative from Essex. Essex is a vibrant hub brimming with talent and boundless creativity. Our mission at Essex Film Collective is not just to showcase this talent, but to nurture and elevate it. It is paramount that we cultivate and sustain a flourishing creative sector and provide accessible opportunities and foster an environment where talent can thrive.”

 

Introducing

Lucy Aylen

Fashion Designer and Business Owner

Bio

Lucy Aylen, British designer and face behind Never Fully Dressed founded the brand in her parents’ attic in 2009 where she customised clothing to sell at London’s boutique markets, Spitalfields and Portobello. Following in the footsteps of her market trading parents, Lucy’s strong work ethic was engrained in her from a young age setting the foundations for her to showcase her creative skills through empowering designs and a commitment to inclusivity. 

Never Fully Dressed’s first brick and mortar store opened in 2014 in the brands native Buckhurst Hill, Essex with their second in New York in 2023. 

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“Essex has such a vibrant energy amongst its community; the people that live there have a real lust for life, a strong work ethic and also humour, such rare qualities to have in one. I love the openness Essex holds allowing for creativity and talent to prevail. I am super proud to be from Essex and part of this fantastic community, I cannot wait to become an ambassador for the county with the hope to inspire new generations to express their own creativity.” 

 

Introducing

Councillor
Mark Durham

Bio

Councillor Mark Durham is a member of the Arts Council England South East Area Council which includes artists and creative practitioners and local authority representatives who offer their perspective, expertise and unique voices to help shape Arts Council England’s work in Essex and the South-East and is also the Cabinet Member for The Arts, Heritage and Culture at Essex County Council. 

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"Essex’s arts, culture and creative sector has an amazing wealth of talent from cutting edge game studios to world famous fashion brands and designers. We have great strength in our National Portfolio Organisations including recent Museum of the Year Firstsite, Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Rhiannon Faith Theatre Company amongst many others. Essex is renowned for our Creative and cultural sector, and we lay claim to some of the country’s most influential artists and musicians. A combination of dramatic landscapes and an innovation and community-based spirit makes Essex what it is today and the perfect place to nurture and grow creative talent."

Introducing

Dr Matt Lodder

Bio

Dr Matt Lodder is a researcher, lecturer, writer, curator and broadcaster. Currently a Senior Lecturer in Art History and Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Essex and a named Public Voice Scholar, he is a leading global expert in the history of tattooing in the Western world, primarily from the 18th century to the present day. He is the author of Painted People: Humanity in 21 Tattoos (2021) and Tattoos: The Untold Story of a Modern Art (2024), as well as the curator of Tattoo London (Museum of London, 2016) and the award-winning British Tattoo Art Revealed (National Maritime Museum Cornwall and touring, 2017-2020). His podcast Beneath the Skin was named best history show at the Independent Podcast Awards, 2023. Matt also served as the host of Art of Museums, an art-historical documentary series which aired across Europe in 2018.

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“Essex has been my home since 1987, when I was just seven years old. I went to school in Chelmsford, and was fortunate enough to be able to return to work at the University of Essex back in 2013. Culturally, this county has meant everything to me – so much so that I have ‘S6’ tattooed on my thumbs! Growing up, I frequently attended punk shows and travelled across the county to see bands. I also learned about film in Essex’ cinemas, literature in our libraries, and art and history in its museums and country houses.

Today, I teach my students about architecture, taking them to some of the radical buildings in our county, including Brentwood Cathedral, Grayson Perry’s House for Essex, and to the modernist architecture of East Tilbury and Silver End. We also visit Colchester Arts Centre, which brings some of my favourite avant-garde bands to a tiny church!”

Introducing

Melanie Sharpe

Chief Executive of Stagetext

Bio

As the Chief Executive of Stagetext, a deaf-led charity that advocates for and provides deaf access to arts and culture, I work closely with venues and organisations across the UK to ensure that access is embedded as part of the audience experience.

We provide deaf access in the form of theatre captions for any scripted events, live subtitles for events such as talks or comedy or digital subtitles for any pre-recorded videos or films.

We have recently moved to the Mercury Theatre in Colchester and although we are a national charity, Essex is one of our areas where we are focusing our efforts to bring access to a wider audience through smaller venues and organisations outside of London.

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"Stagetext strive to embed deaf access within the creative process where we are based at the Mercury (and across the country), supporting the local creative economy by bringing in more audiences who would otherwise be excluded and foster an inclusive and creative approach to arts and culture that will hopefully inspire future generations."

Introducing

Michael Landy
CBE RA

Artist

Bio

Michael Landy CBE RA is a conceptual artist who uses installations and performances to explore political and social issues. 

He came to prominence in 2001 with his performance piece, ‘Break Down’, where he destroyed all his possessions, including his car and his record collection. 

Michael was one of the so called Young British Artists (YBA) and was awarded a CBE for services to the Arts in 2021. 

In that same year, Firstsite in Colchester exhibited ‘Michael Landy’s Welcome to Essex’, which explored, celebrated and questioned the recent history of the county.   

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“Great to see Essex County Council investing in the creative and cultural sectors through their Arts & Cultural Fund and recognising that the creative industries play a vital role in the good health and well-being of local communities. This financial investment boosts the sector and I support the council’s aims of developing a long term, sustainable future for arts and culture in the county.” 

 

Introducing

Nikki Watson

Founder and Artistic Director of CoDa Dance

Bio

Nikki Watson has more than 15 years experience in creating, producing, and managing participatory and professional dance and theatre productions. Nikki founded pioneering dance charity CoDa Dance in recognition of how taking part in dance could positively impact people, like her mother, living with a neuro-disability. More than 10 million people in the UK live with a neurological condition and CoDa works with neuro-disabled people and their support networks to create immersive and interactive dance experiences and performances that get people moving, and challenge perceptions of difference and disability. In 2022, CoDa Dance was invited to join Arts Council England’s National Portfolio 2023-26 in recognition of its contribution to England’s creative and cultural ecology.

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“I am very proud to be a neurodivergent, female, working class arts and cultural leader based here in Thurrock. My passion is creating dance experiences in communities and in unusual and outdoor settings for people who, for various reasons, find it challenging to engage with more traditional arts venues. Everyone has a right to high quality art and culture that makes them think and speaks to them and their lives. At CoDa Dance we provide creativity in Thurrock, Essex and beyond that celebrates the county’s diversity by shining a light on the stories of neuro-disabled people who so often feel unseen and unheard.” 

Introducing

Orlando Jopling

Conductor, Cellist & Artistic Director of Wild Arts. 

 

Bio

Orlando Jopling was raised in Fingringhoe and educated at the Colchester Royal Grammar School. He studied music at University of Cambridge and was inspired to follow a career in music by his local music teachers, the Essex Schools Music Service and Essex Youth Orchestra.  

Orlando is a conductor, cellist and Artistic Director of Wild Arts, which produces the annual Roman River and the Essex Summer Opera festivals.  He has held conductor roles with the Royal Opera House, Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet, and performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, amongst many others. 

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“The Essex landscape inspires me, the peace and wide-open skies of the marshes, and also the people.  Anthony Roberts at Colchester Arts Centre, the artists John Doubleday and Elizabeth Morris along with many others, all make Essex an exciting place for creativity to take place.The Arts and Cultural Fund is a brilliant initiative and I hope many people and organisations will take advantage of the support to bring to life their own cultural projects and ambitions, to showcase the wealth of talent that Essex holds. It is so encouraging to see Essex County Council recognise the enormously high value of creativity, arts and culture in society and to prioritise and support the sector both in terms of funding and policy.”  

Introducing

Prof Pam Cox MP

University of Essex

Bio

Until June 2024, Prof Pam Cox MP was a lecturer at the University of Essex specialising in social history, social science and criminology. She has presented a number of historical documentaries, including the BBC TV series ‘Shopgirls: The True Story of Life Behind the Counter’ and ‘Servants: The True Story of Life Below the Stairs’.  Pam has also been the portfolio holder for Culture and Heritage at Colchester City Council. 

  

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“I grew up in Southend, left to study and travel and returned to the county to work at one of the world’s leading social science universities - Essex. As an historian, I’m always amazed by Colchester’s unique heritage. From Britain’s only known Roman chariot racing circuit to the largest Norman keep in Europe to its award-winning arts, cultural and new tech centres, we have so much to offer.”   

Find out more about Prof Pam Cox here

Introducing

Peter Quilter

Playwright

Bio

Peter Quilter is a Colchester-born writer whose plays have been presented in major theatres in over 40 countries around the world and translated into more than 30 languages. He has had a hit show on Broadway and three successful plays in London’s West End. He has twice been nominated for the Olivier Award  for Best New Play and Best New Comedy and his Broadway debut was nominated for three Tony Awards. His best known theatre shows are ‘End of the Rainbow’, ‘Duets’ and ‘Glorious!’ Peter’s first movie ‘Judy’ starring Renée Zellweger received the Oscar for Best Actress. 

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“Where you are born and raised is who you are and becomes an essential part of all your creative work. So being from Essex is part of what makes you individual and different and so that should be embraced. We are not all born privileged or in world famous cities, but that is precisely what makes your work compelling – it gives us a different and unique voice. I’ve had plays in the West End, on Broadway, in 40 countries and been part of an Oscar winning movie – but still today you can hear my Essex roots in every word I write.” 

To find out more about Peter, click here

Introducing

Rhiannon Faith

Artistic Director of Rhiannon Faith Company

Bio

Rhiannon Faith Company (RFC) has been nominated for five National Dance Awards; ‘Best Digital Choreography’ (2021), ‘Best Dance Film’ (2022), and ‘Best Independent Company’ (2021, 2022 & 2023). Their critically acclaimed work DROWNTOWN received 4 stars in The Observer, The Stage and The Reviews Hub, and recently toured to Wuzhen Festival, China.

'Lay Down Your Burdens', co-commissioned by the Barbican and Harlow Playhouse, was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2024 for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Dance’. 

Resident at the Harlow Playhouse, RFC works closely with them to embed high quality art into local communities and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, and a member of Harlow Creates.  

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"Essex has been an important part of my journey as an artist, and has shaped my identity and the way I make work. The company grew up in Harlow, supported by the wonderful Harlow Playhouse, and we continue working in the town to deliver creativity with and for local communities.  

It is so important to recognise the value of arts and creativity for our communities, and we welcome the recent Essex Cultural Strategy, demonstrating Essex's commitment to arts and culture. We are proud to be based in Essex, and to be part of the vibrant local cultural community."

 

Introducing

Rich With

Designer and Founder of Trawler & Co

Bio

Rich With has worked in the creative industries for over 25 years. He cut his teeth working in newspapers, then did a stint overseas and then came back and worked for numerous companies and agencies on a freelance and employed basis. 

 He's designed hundreds of logos, magazines, websites and just about anything else that needs a creative eye. He's put-on large-scale events, curated museum exhibitions, edited and designed his own local newspaper and now works as a filmmaker and screenwriter. 

His first feature length script is in pre-production and he's busy writing the follow up.  

He likes biting off more than he can chew, and he really likes proving people wrong. 

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“I was born in Orsett, raised in Basildon, schooled in Brentwood and now live in Southend-on-Sea. I know Essex warts and all. I always loved that phrase “Find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life”. Without realising it, that's what I've done.  From designing books, magazines and just about everything else to putting on events and now making films with a wealth of local talent, Essex has a lot to answer for creatively speaking!”

 

Introducing

Ros Green

Director of Essex Book Festival 

Bio

Ros Green has worked across a wide range of cultural disciplines both in the UK and Australia, including theatre, music, literature and visual art as director/curator/creative producer over the last 30 years, with a special focus on audience development, storytelling and festivals.

In addition to this, she is a freelance journalist and arts consultant, and has a PhD in Literature from the University of Essex.

Her belief in the power of culture and the arts to change people’s lives for the better informs every aspect of her work.  

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“Having worked in the cultural sector across multiple art-forms for 35+ years, both in the UK and internationally, I am in absolutely no doubt that investing in the arts, culture and creative industries and practices has enormous value to the well-being of individuals and communities. Never has it been more important and impactful than now, a time of great uncertainty for everyone, to encourage people to both share their own stories and to listen to those of others – in whatever creative form they take. We are the sum of our stories: our stories are our legacy, and their telling have the power to change lives for the better.”  

To find out more about the Essex Book Festival, click here

Introducing

Steve Mannix

Chief Executive of Mercury Theatre in Colchester

 

Bio

Steve Mannix has worked in the cultural sector for nearly 40 years. Prior to working for the Mercury, Steve was Cultural Programme Advisor for London 2012, Chief Executive at Shape and held senior management positions with Hackney Empire, Stonewall and Battersea Arts Centre.  

The Mercury Theatre presents more than 600 performances a year, both in Colchester and on tour, and is the only full-time producing theatre in Essex.  

They work with local children, young people and adults, offering workshops and holiday programmes and, through their Creative Engagement and Talent programme, provide support, professional development and mentoring for those working in the creative industries.  

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"Essex has a wealth of talent and creativity amongst its residents. I am continuously in awe of the ambition and ingenuity of those working in the arts and creative industries locally.  

These are tough times for everyone. I hope that all of us at the Mercury can support local artists realise their hopes and dreams. Do keep an eye on our website or get in touch to find out the latest information."

 

Introducing

Tom Hodgkinson

Essex Young Musician of the Year, 2022

Bio

Tom Hodgkinson is a classical guitarist from Essex. After finishing his A’ Levels at Brentwood School, Tom studied at Junior Trinity Laban and the Segovia Academy in Pordenone, Italy.  

In September of 2023, Tom moved to Graz, Austria, to continue his studies with the world-famous Paolo Pegoraro at the prestigious Kunst Universität Graz. Tom also enjoys regular lessons with legendary guitarist, John Williams.  

Tom has performed alongside numerous high-quality ensembles, toured Spain with the National Youth Guitar Ensemble, and toured with the National Youth Orchestra playing at venues such as Bridgewater Hall and the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. In 2022, Tom became the Essex Young Musician of the Year.  

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“To hear of the new Arts and Culture Fund in Essex is a true delight; Essex is a hotbed for talent and creativity, and it is a joy to know that this talent will now be further nurtured and developed. The new Cultural Strategy that attempts to support all forms of art is a wonderful initiative. Whether it is music, dance, or the visual arts, it will lead to a happier and more successful society in Essex. This scheme will help both its current citizens and its future.” 

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Nominate an Essex Cultural Ambassador

Do you know someone who you think would make a great Cultural Ambassador for Essex?

They may be an artist, cultural practitioner, or someone who operates in the creative industries, but most of all, Cultural Ambassadors for Essex must be prepared to advocate for the arts, culture, and creative sector in Essex.

Please outline, in no more than 300 words why you think they would be a great Essex Cultural ambassador.

Please be sure to include:

  • Why they would make a good Cultural Ambassador for Essex?
  • An overview of their career achievements and experience in their given field
  • Would they prepared to act as a mentor to other emerging creatives in the county?

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