Making It Event
We're hosting a free one day event bringing creatives together to learn, share, and develop ideas.
When: Friday 27th June 2025, 11:00 - 16:00
Where: The Barrington Arts & Community Centre, Ferndown, BH22 9TH
About the Event
“Making It” is designed to support creatives at any stage of their career, whether they’re just starting out or well-established, by offering valuable opportunities to connect with others in the industry, refresh existing skills, discover new ones, and take part in inspiring conversations that spark fresh ideas and help shape their creative practice.
We want to debunk the concept of “making it in the industry” by creating a safe space for open discussion, inspiration and reflection.
What to Expect
The day is structured into four sections:
Inspiring speakers: The event will open hearing from a series of keynote speakers about their inspiring career journeys and the work they currently do across visual arts, theatre, film and music in Dorset.
Practical workshops: There will be the choice of attending one of two workshops to help develop skills in either marketing or funding.
‘Working Together For Creative Change’ panel: A panel discussion on ways we can work together for creative change.
What Next? Ferndown
There will also be time for open mic sessions, one to one sessions to get advice on CVs, interview techniques, project ideas or challenges from industry professionals and networking with other attendees.
Who’s it for?
The event is for anyone looking to enter or already in creative industry including Artists, Directors, Musicians, Writers, Curators, Photographers and Producers etc. This event is also open to university students (AUB/BU) and students attending schools and colleges in Dorset & BCP.
Access: We want this event to be accessible to a diverse range of people, and welcome access conversations to discuss how we can best support you to attend.
The Barrington Arts & Community Centre is entirely at ground floor level and wheelchair access is via the main entrance and they have toilet facilities for wheelchair users.
Please contact Nyah Boston-Shears for a conversation: nyah@theartsdevelopmentcompany.org.uk.
Speakers
We’ll be announcing the speakers throughout the coming months. Please check back regularly for updates
Keynote Speakers
Millie Lake - Visual Arts
A curator and creative project manager passionate about using art to spark conversations, connect communities and break down barriers to cultural spaces to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, can engage with art in a meaningful way. Rooted in collaboration, her work shines a spotlight on local voices with an emphasis on creating opportunities for emerging artists. Most recently, she transformed Bournemouth co-working space Patch into a pop-up gallery for At Home, an open-call exhibition showcasing the work of 31 artists from across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Jon Valendar - Music
Tenor Jon Valender has appeared in opera houses around the world from Bangkok to Berlin performing over 70 roles from Mozart to Wagner. Based back in his native Dorset he founded Destination:Opera passing on his love of his art form and creating unique experiences for audiences and participants alike.
Archie Rowell- Multidisciplinary Artist
Archie works across film and theatre as a director, but also as an actor, writer and cross-art form producer in Dorset. He is the Director of OffPiste Theatre - a National Youth Theatre Associate Company where they produce narrative film and theatre that explores the gaps between people. He has produced and directed film work that has been selected for BAFTA Qualifying Film Festivals, won awards...and lost loads! For his theatre, he has gained Arts Council Funding to work on projects that are driven by new writing, communities and/or physically-driven. His next show is going on tour during Spring 2026, and he's currently writing a new one man show seed-funded by the Almeida Theatre and supported by a DYCP Grant.
As an actor, he has worked for ITV, BBC, SKY and more locally in theatre and new projects in the region. He also freelances as an Arts Producer, predominantly working with organisations on specific projects/schemes such as CREATE! 2025, Portland and Weymouth Towns of Culture, Rediscovering High Angle Battery and producing advocacy documentaries for events such as The Script's The Thing festival.
You can find out more about Archie and OffPiste here: www.offpistetheatre.co.uk
Katherine Senior - Actor, Writer & Co-founder of Tilted Wig
Katherine is an actor, writer and co-founder of Tilted Wig. She also co-founded Creative Cow in 2007 and has toured extensively with both companies for over 18 years.
As an actor she has played lead roles in plays such as The Rivals, Travels with my Aunt, Merry Wives of Windsor on major national tours and as a writer, she adapted A Christmas Carol for Exeter Northcott in 2015, for a sold out run. She was dramaturg on a national tour of Great Expectations and has several audio credits for Big Finish. As a producer she has worked on over twenty UK tours working closely with creatives and actors and pulling teams together.
Katherine's debut play Spitfire Girls was developed at the National Theatre Studio as part of their Generate programme and is published and licensed world wide by Concord Theatricals for their Samuel French imprint. It has just completed a nationwide tour playing to sold out houses and five star reviews and is touring again in 2026 with London and Off Broadway transfers.
Katherine was long-listed for the Women in Theatre Lab playwriting prize 2024 as one of the UK’s most promising female playwrights.
Workshops
Ana Clara - Lunchtime Collage Workshop
Ana Clara is a multimedia artist. She started hosting Collage Workshops four years ago, wanting to bring a form of self compassion into an art form, from then it has developed a playful and fun way to bring presence and awareness to the present moment.
She has hosted Workshops for a few charities now, including Mind. Her monthly Cosy Collage Workshops at TOSH over the Winter have been a great success to join the community and also bring forth seasonal topics, bringing new perspectives through poetry and art
Joanne Griffin - Marketing Yourself & Growing Your Income as a Creative Workshop
Struggling to turn your talent into consistent income? You’re not alone, but there is a better way.
In this focused and practical session, you’ll learn how to:
Focus on the marketing and offers that actually work for you
Use storytelling to build connection and trust
Create content that engages your audience (and leads to sales)
Whether you're feeling stuck or ready to scale, this workshop will help you simplify your strategy, show up with confidence, and finally grow a business that supports your creativity and your bank account.
Hosted by Joanne from The Creative Flow Collective. She helps creative businesses price with profit, plan with purpose, and scale your sales with confidence.
With 17+ years in retail and e-commerce (including 7.5 years at notonthehighstreet.com), Joanne has supported thousands of product businesses - from behind the scenes and as a seller herself.
With the right numbers, a simple plan and increased confidence in your decisions. You’ll build a strategy that brings in consistent, reliable sales.
Introduction to Funding Workshop with Arts Council England and ADC’s CEO, David Lockwood
Arts Council England (ACE) will open this session with a brief explanation of ACE funding.
Following this, our CEO David Lockwood will share his own insights and top tips for securing funding, drawing on years of experience in the field. The workshop will also include interactive group discussions, giving you the chance to talk through your project ideas, ask questions, and support one another in thinking about what you want to fund and how to approach it.
Working Together For Creative Change Panel
Jayne Jackson - Photographer, Activist & PhD Researcher
Jayne Jackson is a photographer and activist whose PhD research explores historical women’s narratives through participatory photography and theatre.
Her work empowers communities through visual storytelling and social justice, including the award-winning “Asking For It” series tackling violence against women. She is also co-creator of Foxstrut UK, a joyful protest reclaiming public space through craftivism and performance.
Maddison Collymore - Full-time Artist and Arts Educator
Maddison Collymore is a Dorset-based full-time artist and arts educator whose work spans installation, curation, and public participation.
Her practice explores themes of travel, migration, world-building, and sea life, using imaginative storytelling to engage with ideas of queerness, race, and belonging. At its core, her work is rooted in the story of her Great Grandmother’s immigration from India and the layered narratives that surround it, opening up shared spaces for dialogue and reflection.
Maddy holds a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Arts University Bournemouth , where she was awarded the Graduate Artist in Residence position. She later secured a sponsored studio at spudWORKS and continues to serve as a Trustee on their charity board. She has developed a curatorial practice through roles with BEAF Festival and the b-side Young Curators programme, and has delivered community art projects and workshops across Dorset since 2022.
Maddy currently teaches as a Visiting Tutor on the BA Fine Art course at Arts University Bournemouth and as a Fine Art Tutor at Arts Academy Bournemouth. She works from her studio at CODA Music and Arts Trust. Recent exhibitions include Moving, Belonging, and Boundary at Lighthouse Poole, Seaweed Explorations at b-side Arts Festival, and Azeline: a journey with Hidden Voices, BEAF.
Ed Lee - Freelance Music and Wellbeing Practitioner
Ed is a freelance music and wellbeing practitioner, SEND music leader, community musician, and performer based in Dorset. He works with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) Participate team, focusing on wellbeing and community development.
He also works with local music services such as Soundstorm and CODA in schools, hospitals and community settings, as well as having music leadership roles within SEND schools, specialising in delivering accessible music enrichment sessions for children on the Autistic spectrum.
With the BSO he is part of a long-term project partnered with the NHS providing music sessions across various wards in hospitals in collaboration with the hospital staff, supporting stroke rehabilitation, dementia care, and paediatric recovery. He is also part of an ongoing community music group based in Boscombe which facilitates access to the arts for locals residents, and works on short-term and one-off projects such as Poole Pride and the Heritage Action Zones project.
As Musician in Residence at Portfield School, Ed leads creative music making sessions as well as composing and conducting accessible music for performances, and at Linwood School he leads the Open Orchestra ensemble.
Ed completed his BA in music performance in Brighton, and went on to study an MA in musicology at the University of Southampton, writing his thesis on SEND music education in the UK. Following this, he was accepted onto the BSO’s Young Associate program, where he had the opportunity to gain experience in music leading.
One To Ones
You can get advice on CVs, interview techniques, project ideas or challenges.
You will be able to talk for 15 minutes with one of the following industry professionals:
Paul Newman the creative director at Dorset Visual Arts
Archie Rowell the Director at OffPiste Theatre
Martha Earley the Creative Engagement Manager at Poole Lighthouse
Kate Wood the Executive and Artistic Director at Activate Performing Arts
The one-to-one sessions will need to be pre-booked for timing reasons, and booking details will be shared with registered attendees closer to the event date.