Maritime Mix

I was appointed as Arts Development Officer for Weymouth and Portland in 2007 to develop arts infrastructure, a public art programme and participatory cultural events for residents. This became the ‘Maritime Mix’ (London 2012 Cultural Olympiad By The Sea) programme and I became the Cultural Coordinator for the 2012 Operations Team, collaborating, managing and co-producing 60+ events with Richard Crowe, LOCOG Creative Programmer for the SW Region.

It was an extensive, unique programme, underpinned by complex partnerships, funding relationships and agreements, together with a layer of bureaucracy imposed by national security and international law. It supported and dovetailed with local authority objectives in regeneration, social cohesion, priority communities and health & wellbeing. It was the biggest challenge of my career in arts management.

My role varied from project to project. I invented and developed some projects such as ‘b-side’ and ‘Moving Tides’ due to an identified strategic need. I project managed others like ‘Olympic Deckchairs’ and the ‘Newstead Rd Bridge’. I acted as liaison officer between the producers and the various other agencies involved in delivery of multi-layered, regional projects e.g. ‘Battle For The Winds’, the ‘Boat Project’ and ‘Nowhereisland’. I personally raised over £1M of the £7M programme.

Download the Maritime Mix Report here

Photographs: ACESW, Vincent Lucas, John Snelling and Alan Rogers.