Meet the team

So, who are the people behind the Up For Arts project I hear you cry. Well, there’s 5 staff members in total, but then there’s a plethora of fabulous volunteers, partners and funders who all help make this exciting project a reality.

Laraine Winning – Project Director

There’s no picture for Laraine at the minute, she’s being shy!  We’ll snap one of her when she’s not looking…

Status: Currently thumbing her way through Chekov’s plays.

Vital Statistics: Laraine is originally from Gateshead and is the project director for the Up For Arts project, this involves all strategic and operational management.  Laraine hopes that the project is able to continue after March 2010 when funding comes to an end and is looking to roll it out into other areas.

Arts and Craft Statistics: Singing, drama, music

Hidden skills: Singer/songwriter, jam maker.

Advice: Just do it – get involved.   See what fantastic benefits can come from joining a group or learning a new skill…

Helen Jones – Broadcast and Helpline Manager

Status: Currently trying to work out how she is going to fit in all these new arts and craft activities she wants to take up since being involved in the project.  Alternatively, working out a way to put more hours into the day.

Vital Statistics: Helen is from the Wirral and is the Helpline and Broadcast Manager for the project.  An experienced broadcaster who promotes Up For Arts on BBC Radio Merseyside through programmes, interviews and special broadcast events.  Through the programme, Helen is hoping more people participate and is sure she, in turn, will be inspired by people along the way.

Arts and Crafts Statistics: Theatre, galleries and museums.

Hidden Skills: Community theatre: She played a sheep in Animal Farm – there was a solo and everything!  Church choir.

Art and Craft obsession: Paint brush and piece of paper…bliss!

I love… Ronnie Barker comedies, Black Labrador’s and Chicken Kormas.

I did… 20 minutes stand-up comedy once whilst at University and survived!

Jill Hargreaves – Marketing and Communications Officer

Status: Currently attempting to solely survive on Marmite based products – cheese, rice crackers, cashew nuts.  Add copious amounts of Marmite and cheddar cheese to mash potato and there will be no looking back!

Vital Statistics: Jill is from East Lancashire and is the Marketing and Communications Officer for Up For Arts.  She hopes that through some of the marketing material produced, she is able to reach people who have never participated in arts or crafts before.

Arts and Crafts Statistics: Has a craft collective called Darn it!

Hidden Skills: Clog dancing, a vicious centre half, makes a mean beetroot, goats cheese and pine nut risotto.

Art and Craft obsession: Liberty print fabric, florals, rubber stamps, bunting.

I love… Huddersfield Town Football Club, manatees, Berlin, halloumi, nordic knitwear, films.

I did… danced in the window of Oxfam dressed as a monkey (with a miniature cymbal) for 7 hours to raise money for Oxjam.

Paul Devlin – Administrator

Status:Currently dragging himself out of bed every Saturday morning at 8:30am for piano lessons.

Vital Statistics: Paul is from Newcastle upon Tyne and is the Information & Research Officer for Voluntary Arts England, the national development agency for arts participation and the lead organisation behind Up for Arts (along with BBC Radio Merseyside).  His role on the Up for Arts campaign involves providing administrative support to the fantastic team that have been brought on board to deliver this ground breaking project.

Arts and Crafts Statistics: Music – he’s flirted with the drums and plays the piano.  Tai Chi – there are the fans on the office door to prove it!

Hidden Skills: Songwriter and newly fledged felt maker!

I did… Tai Chi classes and it was  hugely enjoyable, most notably because I was the only male member which made me feel a little less self-conscious (I now wholeheartedly recommend doing tai chi with a group of Chinese women to all male, 6’ 2”, 16 stone, working class Geordies). Most of the women in the class spoke very little English (if any) so the learning process involved very little speech and I had to quickly adapt to other ways of learning (watching, gestures, nods, remembering recurring Chinese words and assuming their meaning through trial and error). I enjoyed the class so much that I also signed up to a Chinese Mandarin night class so that I could do some basic conversing with my fellow classmates. After ten weeks of learning the basics of the language I strolled into the class streaming off Mandarin phrases like there was no tomorrow. Alas it was only then that I realised that the group spoke Cantonese and not Mandarin. Nevermind.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers, who make this project possible.

The BBC Radio Merseyside A-Team are based within the studios in Liverpool.  The do a sterling job of answering the phones, Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm, and taking enquiries about a range of social issues including the Up For Arts project.

Anne Trueman – A-Team Volunteer

Name: Anne Trueman

Status: Currently attending an art class in the Wirral every Tuesday, she has been a Governor at a primary school in the Wirral for ten years.  She prefers cooking main courses to deserts!

Vital statistics: Originally from Liverpool living in the Wirral, Ann volunteers for the BBC Radio Merseyside A-Team and assists with aspects of the Up For Arts project.  She has also orchestrated weekend trips away and social events for the volunteers.  She hopes that she can play a part in the Up for Arts project and that the initiative manages to reach a wide cross-section of society.

Arts and Crafts Statistics: Anne’s interested in art, jazz and antiques and is part of the Frank Sinatra Society.

Hidden skills: Knitting, chocolate sponges, play reading at Liverpool Playhouse.

I love…musicals, big bands, classical music, theatre, opera.

Stories…Anne learned to cook standing by her mother’s side.  Her speciality was chocolate sponge, well that was when she wasn’t running around the athletics field.  She belonged to Pembroke Harriers, Women’s Junior Air Corp Netball team.

Mary O’Brien – A-Team Volunteer

Name: Mary O’Brien

Status:When she’s not volunteering, she’s hairdressing and is looking for a calligraphy class she can join.

Vital Statistics: Mary was born and still lives in Liverpool.  She’s a member of the A-team at BBC Radio Merseyside and hope that the Up For Arts project is a great success enabling the people of Liverpool to find out what’s happening in their area and get involved.   She gets great enjoyment out of walking in the city and also in the countryside, but gets withdrawal symptoms if I’m away from the waterfront for too long.

Hidden Skills: Dressmaker, a demon on a knitting machine.

I love…Chinese food, chocolate ice cream, Liverpool F C (it’s a family thing) and holidaying in Italy.

I did… At school she was always interested in dressmaking and made some dresses for a school holiday. Mary and her mum were part of a knitting machine class and both made lots of items,cardigans jumpers and skirts. They would then practice on the machine at home.

Stories…

Mary’s mum was a huge influence on her as she was fanatical about knitting, crotchet and sewing.  Their house had an industrial machine and an overlocker as her mum was a dressmaker by trade who made leather coats, denim jeans, dresses, curtains, reclaimed furniture.  She could do anything!