Abi Barton

66 Creative Producer

Abi retrained in Fine Arts, under the inspiring tutelage of Turner Prize winning Lubaina Himid, after a fifteen year career in educational publishing. She loves working in the arts and culture sector. She also produces work, collaborates artistically, exhibits and runs workshops. When she has any spare time she is either on the fells or cooking up a storm in the kitchen!

Lakota Kendal

Operations Manager

Lakota joins Eden Arts as a project manager, having found the perfect balance of a creative and organised job in this role. Her passions are good food, live music, and sleep! Lakota previously lived in Liverpool, where she worked on and coordinated a number of theatre projects and live arts events.

Gordon Rigg

Board Member

Penrith born Gordon Rigg graduated in Mathematics at Manchester University in 1972 and started a career teaching the subject. In 1976, however, the failing health of his father led him to join the family printing business in which he worked until his retirement in 2009, thirty years as MD and overseeing the development of Reed’s Ltd. (now H & H Reeds Printers) to become one of the leading print firms in the North of England. He was also non-executive Director of Penrith Building Society for thirty years, ten of these as Chairman. Married to retired schoolteacher Yvonne with two grown-up children Rachel, who became a sound engineer and Richard, an artist and gallery technician now working in London, Gordon’s interests include music and the creative arts, reading, fishing, wine and real ale (not necessarily at the same time!) walking, all sports including active cycling.

John Sidney

Board Member

John Sidney is the Head of Category Management for Sellafield Ltd. This is a major change programme to revitalize and develop the engineering supply chain for nuclear decommissioning. John has a strong focus on cross-discipline cooperation and creative problem solving. Having worked in the UK, Africa and the USA, he is currently based in North West England. He is a member of the steering group for the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven, a Governor at Furness College and a board member of Atlantic Gateway.

An avid consumer of modern and contemporary art, he firmly believes in an integrated view, and works to remove the boundaries between science and art and to encourage creativity from wherever it may come from.

Tom Lloyd

Cine North and EA Project Officer

Tom is an award winning film maker with an MSc in Creative Technology. When he's not working with Eden Arts, Tom can usually be found with his herd of Fell ponies www.fellpony.co.uk

Ann Marie Cowperthwaite

Board Member

Ann Marie is an Associate Director at Arup.

She leads on a diverse and exciting range of projects across Cumbria involving public and private sector and encompassing masterplanning, regeneration, industry strategy and engineering.

Miranda Kirschel MBE

Board Member

Miranda is Head of Business and Innovation at Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership. Miranda is a well-known face in the nuclear industry. She has worked for the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) as well as several companies in the sector in communications and business development roles. In the last few years, she has been pivotal in the promotion of the role of women in the industry as the Chair of the UK branch of Women in Nuclear (WiN) for which she was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List.

Kevin Beaty

Chair of Eden Arts Board

Kevin is an Eden based farmer and Local Eden District Councillor. He is former leader of Eden District Council and current chair Eden Arts Board.

Jo Bramley-Wright

Project Manager

Jo started working for Eden Arts in 2014 and recently returned after a 3 year break. Jo graduated with a BA in Fine Art in 2007 and started her career in Arts sector soon after graduating alongside continuing her own artistic practice.

When she isn't in the office Jo loves being outdoors, gardening, sketching and pursuing sports with her two children.

Debbie Clarkson

Finance and Office Manager

Debbie joined Eden Arts in August 2022 and looks after the office and financial side of things, as well as being an all-round general helper-outer.

When she is not in the office Debbie likes gardening and growing veg. She also loves the first sip of a beer after a decent walk from her home just outside Penrith.

Yaqoob Mohammed

Board Member

Director, Newcastle Mela. Yaqoob is a supportive and experienced programmer and cultural organiser.

Connie Dalton

Connie graduated with a BA in Fine Art and soon after started working in the arts and culture sector helping with the planning and installing of art exhibitions in her home county of Cumbria. She joined the Eden Arts team in September 2023.

When she's not in the office Connie loves exploring new places

Rosie Meredith

Project Officer

Rosie is an Art graduate and ceramicist and has worked in the arts and education sectors over the last 10 years. Originally from Birmingham and after spending several years in Sheffield, Rosie moved up to Cumbria in 2018 in search of new career challenges and some good fells to climb.

She was excited to join Eden Arts in September 2023 for the opportunity to work collaboratively on exciting projects with a creative team.