People have a wry smile when you say the arts are life-changing, but they really can be. They create opportunity, change emotions and can enhance lives in myriad seen and hidden ways. That’s what I love the most about Harrogate International Festivals.

I’m from Harrogate originally, grew up here and had the benefit of the Festival offering me BB King, the Halle and a host of world famous artists on my doorstep growing up. Did the obligatory decade away for uni and worked in the travel trade running music tours across the world before returning north for a job in the Local Authority – which was the moment I realised I didn’t have the patience for some of the decision making – before happily ended up at the Festivals.

I moved to England 12 years ago to follow up my dream of working in Hospitality after finishing my degree (and to prove a point to my then English teacher who told me I would never be able to speak English).

I joined the Festival in 2021 as I found it was a great way to combine my passion of customer service and my love of events, and to work alongside a fantastic team to bring great events to Harrogate – my second home.

I find the arts make you Feel. From reading a book and being able to connect with the protagonists and escape to a different reality, to putting on a song or piece of music that can bring tears to your eye or make you remember a found memory. As a lover of history, I also enjoy Renaissance architecture and will do my best to visit Royal Palaces across Europe.

The arts are joyful and enlightening, challenging us to see the world from new perspectives. I love the way festivals bring people together to celebrate this.

I was born in Wakefield but migrated South when I left school, eventually making my way back to Yorkshire via London and Bristol. I’ve lived in Harrogate for three years with my husband and young family, enjoying the best of both worlds with the dales on the doorstep and all the town has to offer.

I come from an agency background, having worked in CRM, print fulfilment and media evaluation and planning for clients ranging from small charities to global tech giants.

After growing up in Harrogate, I moved to Sheffield for university, then to Saltaire and now back to Harrogate to start my events career with Harrogate International Festivals.

Art and culture can create connections between individuals, groups, and communities in unique and engaging ways. I think it has the power to enrich lives in deeply personal ways and can create space for enlightenment. For these reasons I decided to study Arts and Cultural Management at university. I particularly became interested in women in the music industry which was the focus of my studies.

Originally from Cornwall I moved to Yorkshire in 2005 and to Harrogate in 2018. I am a widow with two grown up children and one grandson.

I have a very diverse taste in music and love to attend live concerts and gigs, whether it be modern or classical. I also have a love of the written word and enjoy reading crime fiction, historical novels and autobiographies. I also enjoy writing and in the last year or so have started writing a novel, which one day I hope to finish and get published.

I have worked for HIF since January 2019 with a two year break because of Covid, but I am now back and loving every minute of it.

The arts can be lifechanging for so many people in so many ways – I know they have been for me – so it is wonderful to be part of a team that brings music, literature, art and immersive experiences to communities of all ages and backgrounds in Harrogate.

I have worked with Team HIF in various guises since 2015, from supporting teenage mothers and their children through Musical Mums to dealing with the tantrums of some of the world’s most famous artists – you’ll need to buy me a beer if you want to hear those stories!

Although I am not from Harrogate, (I currently live in Huddersfield), it is always great to deliver events in such a beautiful town that is filled with friendly and welcoming audiences.