Bideford Bay Creatives was created in July 2009 in response to the fact that there are a large number of creative practitioners in Bideford, Northam, Appledore and Westward Ho! but with no formal way of being brought together to network, share ideas and generate new projects to bring vibrancy and creativity to the town centre. The emphasis is on cultural tourism, economic regeneration, community involvement and partnership working whilst offering professional and business development opportunities for members.
Bideford Bay Creatives are a not-for-profit community group who wish to raise their profile, whilst creating opportunities for the local community (people, businesses, voluntary groups, arts organisations) to host events and activities and get involved with the arts. The slideshow is from our first event ‘Culture Show’ which ran for the whole of October 2009 in 14 businesses in Bideford.
The group’s Chair is freelance Project Manager Sadie Green, with support from fellow Committee members: Rosie Burns, secretary (sculptor, painter, multi media), Dave Green, membership (photographer), Janis Glover (painter), Duncan Hopkins, webmaster (painter and designer), Gillie Jackson (painter and photographer), Sue Russell (carnival), Rachel Sumner (textiles, painter, found objects) and John Butler, treasurer.
The aims of Bideford Bay Creatives are to:
- Promote awareness of the arts as a means for creative people and communities to share their experiences with each other and with other practitioners
- Promote awareness of the arts as a means for creative practitioners to share their experiences with communities on a District/County, Regional, National or International scale
- Create opportunities for new projects that will promote practitioners, create new work and develop audience for the arts
- Seek to develop partnerships with other arts and non-arts organisations, community organisations and businesses in the area
- Set up and up-date a blog/web site
- Provide information about current exhibitions and events throughout the Bideford Bay area
- Actively encourage and promote the work of its members and others within the Bideford Bay area
- Work towards setting up a database of members, interested bodies, contacts, funding, exhibiting opportunities and residencies
- Support and develop young emerging creative practitioners
- Further the continuing professional, and business, development of members through provision of workshops and training
- Work towards sustainability, to recognise and protect the high quality natural environment and for the Association’s activities to continue long-term
Members of Bideford Bay Creatives can be found on this website by searching through the members list. Here you will find an image that represents their creative work and a summary of their creative practice. There is also a link to their own website / online space, where they have one. Membership is open to creative practitioners of all art forms, who live in Bideford and Northam parishes and their adjoining parishes and who consider Bideford to be their main town.
