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WHO THE FUNK ARE
EDEN ARTS?

Award Winning
Artist Led
Strategic Thinking
Ideas Generating

Based in Cumbria Eden Arts are an artist led company dedicated to creating and facilitating change through culture and arts activities. These can be very small (and sometimes far away), intimate projects as small as 1-1 things, or larger things like town festivals and regional strategic plans. It is always about finding creative solutions.

Scene 31

30 Years of Eden Arts

1990 - 2020

2020 saw us reach a milestone of the big 3 - 0. We dug through the archives to find 30 things the company has achieved since being formed in 1990.

Find out all about it here

The Team

Click on the staff pics to see their bios

Adrian Lochhead

Director

Adrian’s early career encompassed theatre, TV and Radio as a performer, director and writer, as well as with educational arts companies. He is passionate about the relevance of art and culture in enriching all of our lives.

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.

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

Project Officer

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.

Jody Ferguson

Board Member

Jody has worked across Cumbria on projects and campaigns that use culture, heritage, landscapes, and the environment to benefit communities, encourage positive actions, and support people. She's passionate about collaborations that celebrate Cumbria, generate conversation and positive actions, and make people's lives brighter.

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  • Eden District Council
  • Supported using public funding by Arts Council England