News about Torbay Culture
New members appointed to the Board of Torbay Culture
These are progressive times for culture in Torbay. As part of our ambition to see the bay become a healthier and happier place - in keeping with the ‘Health & Happiness’ civic motto of Torbay - Torbay Culture has been recruiting new Board members.
Following an open call during the autumn, we are pleased to share news that two new members of our advisory board have been appointed. Victoria Grimberg and a member of the team from Doorstep Arts will be joining the board for an initial term of three years with effect from January. We are very pleased to be welcoming them.
Read more about the new members below:
Victoria Grimberg has experience of bid writing and project management, both on a national and international level. Born and raised in Sweden, Victoria moved to Torbay seven years ago where she has participated in multiple local community projects including the ‘Postcard from Chelston’ and ‘Celebrate Chelston’. In March 2021 she became one of the directors of the Community Interest Company (CIC) Taleblazers CIC
Doorstep Arts is currently the only Arts Council national portfolio organisation in Torbay. Jade Campbell, Erin Walcon and Polly Ferguson-Carruthers will share the Board membership role. All three are Doorstep Co-Parents looking after the core strands of Doorstep’s work & strategic direction.
Erin is one of the Co-Founders and Co-Directors. She is a Paignton-based director, writer and educator with a PhD in Applied Theatre. Erin lectures at the University of Exeter drama department & in the Graduate School of Education.
Jade is one of Doorstep’s Co-Founders and Co-Directors. A Brixham local and Dartington graduate, she holds an MA in Applied Theatre from the University of Exeter. Jade also works for Theatre Royal Plymouth.
Polly is the musical theatre specialist for Doorstep, serving as Lead Artist for all the Doorstep Studio Courses. She lectured at NW Kent College, and is a Dartington graduate, where she specialised in Balinese puppetry and dance.
Torbay Council’s commitment to culture
Another recent development relates to Torbay Council’s commitment to culture. The Council wants to ensure the strategic leadership for economic strategy and cultural strategy are within Torbay Council, and better able to influence wider decision-making. From 1 December the roles of Director of Economic Strategy, and the Executive Director for Torbay Culture moved from TDA to the Council.
TDA has been the accountable body for Torbay Culture since its inception in 2015, and throughout this time the executive role at Torbay Culture has been line managed by the lead for economic strategy, ensuring a clear link between strategies and plans. This will continue with the new arrangement.
The emphasis on improving our places for people fits with the aims of the different strategies, and we want to strengthen this in the future. Torbay Council has committed to supporting regeneration, growth and place making leadership, with a stronger focus on culture and heritage
‘On behalf of Torbay Culture we are very pleased to welcome Doorstep Arts and Victoria to the Board. We all share a commitment to improving Torbay and championing culture, and we very much look forward to working together as we enter 2022. At the same time, we also wanted to welcome the commitment being shown by Torbay Council to culture. The move into the Council of the post of Executive Director of Torbay Culture will enable greater joining up and planning for the future. It also indicates the importance the Council places on the work we are all doing.
We want to thank TDA for the valuable support it has provided since Torbay Culture’s inception, and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership to make our home, Torbay, a better place in which to live, work, learn and visit.’
-Jacob Brandon, Chair, Matthew Harbour, Vice Chair, and Martin Thomas, Executive Director
