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Who's Who
We thought you might find it interesting to meet a small cross-section of the people involved in ValeFest.
Click on a picture for details
Name:
Alison Wright
Real life role:
Headteacher, Sherard
Primary School, Melton Mowbray
ValeFest role:
Committee member
ValeFest
responsibilities: Strategy
and decision making with particular reference to schools and family
inclusion in ValeFest activities, and the development of
ValeFest’s arts and crafts programmes.
Background: Alison
has spent 30 years in primary education as a teacher, consultant and
schools inspector, outdoor education centre manager and organiser of
creative play schemes.
She has long been concerned that children and their families should
have opportunities to participate in community projects linked to the
arts and believes working alongside gifted artists and musicians
releases creativity and generates enthusiasm and motivation in primary
aged children, shared in turn with their extended family members.
What Alison makes
time for: Learning Spanish.
Says of ValeFest:
“ValeFest shares a passion to provide easy access, high
quality musical and artistic opportunities for all; bringing excellent
performers and artists into contact with the wider community through
schools and community-based programmes.
“ValeFest provides colourful, enjoyable, entertaining events
that are open to all, which children, parents, families and school
governors all see as worthwhile and want to be a part of. Come
and join us!”
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Name:
Brynley Jones
Real life role: Singer /
songwriter
ValeFest role:
Performer
Background:
Born in South Africa, Brynley now lives in Keyworth, on the western
edge of the Vale of Belvoir.
His early musical influences are eclectic, including Sixto Rodriguez,
Jimi Hendrix and many of the soul & rock ‘n roll
artists of the 1950's and 1960's.
With a distinctive, breathless and soulful voice, Brynley has been
compared with Ray LaMontagne, while his song writing is full of emotion
and crafted to make the listener think.
Driving Force: Music is Brynley's
single passion and anchor.
Says of ValeFest:
“Taking part in ValeFest activities presents a great
opportunity for local musicians to showcase their talents
to a wide range of audience who ordinarily might
not go out to see live music. Hopefully that will encourage
them to take note of the vibrant and exciting local live music
scene in the future.
“Whatever their musical aspirations, ValeFest’s
events are a great way for musicians to make new fans and
friends.”
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Name:
Claire Kiernan
Real life role: Cartoon
artist
ValeFest role:
Logo and specialist artwork creator
ValeFest
responsibilities: Claire is
a remarkable artist; not only able to interpret ideas, she also
contributes large amounts of time to the ValeFest project. You wondered
where ValeFest’s little sheep characters came from?
– that’s Claire! At the moment she’s
producing a rather unusual map for the Glorious Belvoir Festival and
it’s going to be GREAT!
Background:
Claire graduated with an animation degree and elected
to put her characters on canvas rather than on screen. She sells her
work online, at events and exhibitions and also devotes a proportion of
her time to freelance illustration, developing logos, greetings cards,
children's books and even toy design.
Initially funded with help from the Princes Trust, Claire is now a
Young Business Ambassador for the charity, helping others to become
similarly inspired and self-employed.
Claire’s
personal motivation: Making
her artistic passion fun for others.
Says of ValeFest:
"ValeFest is fantastic exposure for talented musicians and bands, plus
it’s a GENIUS way of bringing them to our attention through
local venues and events. It seems crazy that no-one has done this
before! I was at the launch in 2008 and the variety of bands and
standard of musicianship was amazing - there are some really quirky
performers out there and they deserve to be given this opportunity and
heard by as many people as possible. I really do believe that
ValeFest will be a HUGE success and produce major events on the
calendar for bands and music fans alike"
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Name:
Charlie Charlton
Real life role:
Paediatrician
ValeFest role:
Leader of Charlie's Ant ceilidh band
Background:
Charlie's Ant is an energetic and fun acoustic ceilidh band
that includes fiddles, cello, whistle, flute, mandolin, accordion,
guitars, and bodhran. Band members come from all cultures and
backgrounds.
In Ireland to go ceilidh-ing is to visit neighbours to exchange the
'craic', with stories, songs, music and dance, hence the
saying "Dance around the house and mind the dresser!"
Ceilidh-ing provided entertainment long before the
TV, cinema and computer.
Charlie's Ant also play and call barn dances but primarily
they carry on the ceilidh tradition with up to 11
members in the band at any time and English,
Scottish, Welsh, American and Isle of Man tunes and songs in their
extensive and varied repertoire.
You might remember
Charlie: Because
he sports striped seersucker jackets!
Says of ValeFest:
"ValeFest has opened new audiences and venues for our ceilidh
band. In recent months we have had lots of fun bringing live
music to the Vale of Belvoir.
"The project has struck a chord with us, and we have
played several gigs at new venues and for fresh audiences in
the Vale. And each one has generated further bookings and
opportunities! So if you are a musician tune up your instrument and if
audience get your foot tapping for this unique initiative to make and
celebrate live music in the Vale!"
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Name:
Paul Quilter
Real life role:
Trustee, Takeover
Radio
Children's Media Trust
ValeFest role:
Festival walks developer
Background:
Hard as it is to believe, Paul once had a good head of
hair and set a fine example of his own barbering skills! These
days he's usually to be found in Leicester, at the unique chidren's
online and FM radio station, Takeover Radio.
A founding trustee of the station, Paul's interest in radio
dates back some 40 years and includes running and presenting a
variety of RSL licence stations in the East Midlands,
including event RSLs managed by Mitch de Faria, ValeFest
founder.
Paul also has long-standing interests in theatre, and
has written for, produced and directed many shows for amateur
companies. In his day he claims to have been a very fine pantomime dame!
Having interviewed theatrical celebrities for radio, Paul now reviews
theatre productions and has latterly extended his writing skills (and
some might say his theatrical manner!) to the development of
illustrated walks in London and around Leicestershire, including those
for ValeFest's Glorious Belvoir Music Festival, providing visitors with
even more reason to enjoy the area.
Most likely to be
heard saying: "These
trousers were supposed to be waterproof."
Says of ValeFest:
" ValeFest is a terrific project with wide-ranging potential for young
and old alike; not only does ValeFest promote talented young
people, it helps Vale businesses and if it's well supported will do
much more to assist the local community. For this reason I'm pleased
the local community radio stations and Grantham and Melton
newspapers are also involved.
"I'm delighted to help and wish the organisers every success."
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Name:
David Popple
Real life role:
Cultural Services Manager, South Kesteven District Council
ValeFest role:
Champion
ValeFest
responsibilities: To be
occasionally available so the committee may take advantage of his wide
ranging expertise; ValeFest gets to use his name and with it his
excellent reputation as Artistic Director of Stamford
Arts Centre, which we think is a
great deal! Having David and all our other Champions support us is a
huge boost to the committee’s confidence and to
ValeFest’s standing in the local and artistic communities.
Background:
An accountant by trade, David moved into arts and theatre management
more than 20 years ago, working in theatres before moving to
Lincolnshire to take up management of arts centres.
He has worked with the British Council and Visiting Arts to deliver
training to arts organisations in India and Africa, been a board member
of the Arts Marketing Association and chair of the Lincolnshire Cinema
Exhibitors Consortium.
David has considerable experience in venue management, developing
audiences and delivering high quality programmes of performing and
visual arts.
Secret obsession:
Ballroom dancing.
Says of ValeFest:
“We’re assured of long term public spending cuts
and for this reason it’s even more important to recognise the
value of the arts delivered through organisations like ValeFest.
“There’s no doubt ValeFest and organisations like
it, will help deliver on many of the priorities now recognised by local
and central government, including social inclusion and the building of
safer and stronger sustainable communities.”
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Name:
Peter "Treaders" Treadwell
Real life role:
Classroom assistant, radio presenter and stand up comedian
ValeFest role:
Lead Marshal
Recent delights: Singing
and dancing
Says of ValeFest:
“I am pleased to be part of ValeFest, to support such a
wealth of local talent.
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Name:
Becca O'Hara aka Becky Stickland
Real life role: Development
officer, Making Music East Midlands
ValeFest role:
Performer
Background:
Becca believes her musical passion was forged at the age of three on
being presented with a descant recorder. The xylophone came next, then
the piano. Then cigarettes and boys, both of which diminished her
musical output.
She took up the guitar in her twenties and was soon writing songs in
the privacy of her bedroom. Then, while working in Tanzania, the
consequences of a nasty bout of malaria made Becca question why she
wasn't singing publicly, the one thing she really
wanted to do.
Now back in the UK, Becca is a regular on the Leicester area acoustic
circuit and she and her gentle, melodic songs are becoming increasingly
popular.
Role models:
Dolly Parton, Joan Armatrading and Bianca from Eastenders!
Says of ValeFest:
"It's been fantastic to be involved with ValeFest; as a performer it
has really opened up all sorts of opportunities and resulted in some
fun and exciting performances and experiences.
"I always look forward to finding out about what they're planning next."
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Name:
Ben Atkinson
Real life role:
Student, radio presenter and published
author
ValeFest role:
Webmaster and performer
Background:
Currently studying in Melton Mowbray, Ben is actively involved in a
number of local arts projects, on and back stage with Melton
Musical Theatre Company, presenting various
shows on 103 The Eye FM and working with
website and video production. In the past two years Ben has also
published a debut novel, "The Kraken's Curse" and is currently
working on a second book. He hopes to study Media &
Performance at Salford University from September 2010.
What Ben makes time
for: Open University YASS
program in Marine Biology
Says of ValeFest:
“I first got involved with ValeFest at its launch
on a cold and wet weekend at the East Midlands Food &
Drink Festival. It was a big gig and very special for
my friends and I, and we were supported by our good friend Peter
Treadwell.
"It was the first time I met Mitch de Faria, and we have been
friends ever since, I remember her getting me involved straight away,
designing a Myspace page!
"All of that is nearly a year ago now, and it is truly amazing to see
how ValeFest has progressed and expanded over that time, into a well
known and well supported musical project in the Vale of Belvoir and
beyond."
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Name:
Mitch
de Faria FRSA
Real life role: Events
& PR consultant, broadcaster & voice-over artist
ValeFest role: Founder
& Festivals Director
ValeFest motivation: So many
talented
local musicians want to play more frequently. At the same time lack of
local infrastructure and facilities, the cutting back of bus services,
closing of village Post Offices, schools, shops and village pubs across
the beautiful but little-known Vale of Belvoir, means the village
communities of the Vale now have little to draw them together or to
take them beyond their local environment. ValeFest uses cultural
activities to address these wider concerns.
Background: Well
educated but not all that bright (according to her), Mitch was a nurse
and lecturer before running her own event management and PR company.
The
Event Makers Ltd specialised in
originating unusual events and high profile awards ceremonies, where
events such as the Jubilee
2000 Human Chain, Asia
Bus
Response and Notting Hill
Carnival helped forge Mitch’s reputation as an creative
organisational force.
Now disabled, Mitch remains an event consultant, presents and
syndicates a music show on local radio and is a promising (her word)
voice-over artist.
As well as founding ValeFest, Mitch created the voluntary lobby group,
Melton First, which unsuccessfully fought to keep a historic market
town hospital for the local community.
Mitch’s
inspiration: A quote by
Pablo Picasso, “I’m always doing the things I
can’t. That’s how I get to do them.”
Says of ValeFest:
“The needs of our community are clear, the opportunities for
development, up-skilling, employment and tourism through the
introduction of ValeFest’s cultural activities are realistic
and wide-ranging.
“The fact that the Vale crosses three county boundaries means
the project faces political and logistical challenges, but the passion
and dedication of performers, musicians and artists, of the schools,
venues and volunteers already on board is truly inspiring. And the
music is just wonderful!”
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