WVRF aims to connect communities, inspire and support creativity, and to interpret and celebrate our outstanding landscape. This includes working with partners to make arts accessible for all, embedding new skills that support individuals on their personal creative journeys, whilst fostering a deep appreciation of the environment.

To extend the range of the festival’s creative connections we recruited five dynamic ‘Creative Community Champions’ who worked across the area throughout 2022. All are talented local creatives who have been developing projects with local communities to build confidence, ambition, and skills. Their collaborations featured in the festival and built lasting networks and partnerships that will enable the development of a year-round WVRF creative programme.

Check out their individual pages to find our more about what they have been up to.

The 2022 Creative Community Champions & Projects:

Aimee Blease-Bourne – Queering the Wye Valley

Catherine Hawkridge – I Live Here

Chez Dunford – Exploring Thrutopia

Claudia Peake – Altered places, changing spaces

Nichola Goff – Youth Banner Project