Mandy Boughton
Co-Founder & Volunteer Lead on Sustainability and the Environment
Mandy is one of the three founding directors of Beach Creative. She graduated with a BA from Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts in 1984.
After a career in marketing she became a full-time artist in 2000. She paints seascapes, landscapes and portraits. Her work is in collections of private individuals and corporations in England, France, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark, United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Carla Sheppard
Administrator
Carla, in the past, has worked in the NHS, private sector and education in London and various parts of the country, latterly working in General Practice in the Canterbury area.
As Carla's two sons grew up and followed an interest in art both obtaining Fine Art Degrees, Carla also became interested in art. Her youngest son continued his artistic endeavours and six years ago rented a studio at Beach Creative. Always wanting to support her sons Carla immersed herself into the art scene around Beach Creative and her interest and opinions on the subject of art have continued to grow.
Carla has now taken on the role of administrator and is looking forward to contributing to the day to day running of Beach Creative.
Gill Wilson
Co-Founder & Educational Programmer
Gill is one of the three founding members of Beach Creative and plays an active role in community outreach. A former University for the Creative Arts (UCA) senior lecturer, Gill still works closely with UCA to deliver outreach programmes within the local community., such as the very successful Cultural Ambassador course which has supported participants to step into further or higher education for the first time.
Gill’s first degree was in graphic design and she ran a design business for over 20 years - spanning the move from analogue to digital - before she became involved in education. She taught at UCA for many years, teaching across arts disciplines and age/levels. She has a Doctorate in Education and led the Research Units for the Master of Arts in Creative Arts Education at UCA for 3 years.
As well as teaching, she was involved in the political landscape of widening participation in the arts in education with Aimhigher, and worked as a consultant for the Specialist Schools and Academies and Learning and Skills Network in the last Labour government. She was an author for Pearson Education, writing Student/Teaching Guides in arts qualifications. She has a studio at her home and works across disciplines.
Mandy Troughton
Co-Founder & Director
One of the three founding Directors of Beach Creative in 2012 and responsible for the gallery bookings, and day to day running of the Beach Creative building and our sister gallery, Bay Art Gallery.
Since gaining her fine arts degree at the Kent Institute of Art and Design (now UCA), Mandy have worked chiefly as a sculptor with a specialism in perspex and plastics.
Jason Hollingsworth
Finance Advisor
Jason, from Evolve 360 Solutions, is a Chartered Accountant who specialises in supporting Charities and not-for-profit organisations develop and realise their objectives and business plans. Jason has been working with Beach Creative since early 2021 and has helped create and implement plans to purchase Beach House, helped secure development funding and worked with the Directors towards ensuring Beach Creative's financial sustainability.
As a Director of Bayguide CIC, the organisation behind the Duchamp Festival and the annual Herne Bay Cartoon Festival, Jason is passionate about developing Herne Bay’s artistic, cultural and educational offering. Jason is very pleased to be playing a part in securing Beach Creative’s future, it is a fantastic grass roots organisation that has played a pivotal role not only in the arts and culture but also supporting the community in many other ways.
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David Cross
Director and Chair
David studied Fine Art at St Alban’s College of Art and the West of England College of Art between 1967 and 1971, successfully avoiding any idea of a career in favour of a life of serial enthusiasms. Including: printer, furniture maker, graphic designer, illustrator, exhibition designer, shop owner, builder and decorator and finally exhibition officer for Canterbury Museums.
A founder member of the steering group for Herne Bay’s Duchamp Festival 2013, curating all the exhibitions during the award winning three-week event. Over the years, David has appeared in various group shows both in Kent and Cornwall (UK). He has work in a number of private collections.
Jane Priston
Interim Business advisor
Jane began her working life in the London Criminal Courts. Her gender prevented her from pursuing her dream career as a RAF Fighter Pilot but it fuelled a fierce drive to campaign for diversity, equality and inclusion.
With a portfolio career, Jane is the Founder and Director of the Amy Johnson Project, promoting women in aviation and engineering, and working with schools, colleges and universities as a STEM ambassador; she is also a successful researcher, speaker and historian in this field. Jane is an experienced Project Manager, Fundraiser and Community Engagement professional and is responsible for commissioning, fundraising and delivering the bronze statue of Amy Johnson on the Herne Bay seafront and was awarded the Women’s Engineering Society’s 'Amy Johnson Inspiration Award' in 2016 for this work. She is a multidisciplinary artist with experience in mediums from ceramics to tattooing.
In recent years her work has focused on business development support working with organisations from charities and training providers to a fine art casting foundry.
Francesca Renny
Website & Social media
Francesca completed a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at University for the Creative Arts Canterbury before going on to specialise in Photography for her Bachelor of Arts at Arts University Bournemouth.
Initially gaining work experience in fashion and lifestyle photography, assisting and production, her career path moved into arts education, returning to work at UCA Canterbury for a number of years within the Lens Based specialism and as a workshop facilitator.
Francesca went on to work within programme coordination at Ideas Test, a Creative People and Places project before becoming coordinator for the Anglo-French Art, Society, Nature Fine Art Masters Programme at The Margate School.
Francesca is very excited to have recently joined the Beach Creative Team, becoming a part of the organisation's next steps in developing communications and marketing. Having grown up locally to the area and now also raising her baby daughter, Francesca is invested in Beach Creative's future as a thriving community centre for creativity and wellbeing.
Daphne Bird
Director
Daphne graduated from Canterbury College of Art in 1972 with a DipAD in Graphics; she worked in advertising as Designer then Production Coordinator for over 25 years. Work included artwork, illustration, proof-reading and print-buying..
Having lived in Whitstable for many years, she was involved with the museum and the samba band, as well as other community groups. She and her late husband Jon were part of the local art scene, running their own gallery for a few years, and then Jon became the prime mover in setting up the Fish Slab Gallery.
Since moving to Herne Bay in 2014, Daphne has helped with exhibitions at the Seaside Museum and Beach Creative, as well as continuing to be part of Samba pelo Mar, and also trading in collectables at Faversham
Graham Cooper
Commercial Director
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Ali Skinner
Director
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Ray Cordell
Director & Treasurer
Ray was born in Herne Bay and has spent most of his life here. Most of his working life was with Lloyds Bank, in East Kent and South London. He happily took early retirement when he was a Branch Manager and for 9 years he was then Practice Manager at a large local Doctor’s surgery. He has always been involved in the local community. For over twenty years he was a member of the Herne Bay Rotary Club and during that time he was Treasurer, Secretary, and President. He has been a Trustee of the Strode Park Foundation for ten years, and stood down last November (2021). He was Chair of the Board of Management for seven of those years. During his time there, the Foundation grew from one site with an income of just over £4 million to five sites with an income of £11 million. It was a busy, challenging and very rewarding time.
He has many interests and is a long-time member of the Ramblers Association. He has served five-year periods as both Secretary and Chair of the Canterbury group. He still leads walks with them and he also leads walks in the Canterbury Festival and the Canterbury Walking Week.
He has always been a keen gardener and has had an allotment for twenty years. It was through that he became involved with Herne Bay in Bloom and he has been Treasurer of that since its formation.
He has always enjoyed sport and still plays golf locally.
His family have had a beach hut here since 1950 and much of his childhood was spent there. Now he loves to be down there with his family and see his grandchildren also enjoying it. He has swum in the sea since an early age and continues to do so, although only when it is a bit warmer.
He has been a supporter of Beach Creative since it started and could not resist the opportunity to help in a more pro-active way. He thinks it meets a need in the community and we are very lucky to have it. He is delighted to be part of it.
Claire Hutton
Director
Claire started out in photography and photo processing after leaving school before embarking on a career in retail management for over 20 years. During that time she specialised in pharmacy and qualified a dispenser.
Claire is interested in Art & Design and is a keen crafter, specialising in Needlework crafts and Mixed Media. She is enjoying trying new Art disciplines and is currently studying at UCA following on from participating in the Cultural Ambassador’s Course.
Some of Claire’s other hobbies include reading and creative writing. She also enjoys volunteering locally for a creative wellbeing support community and is really excited to be working with the Beach Creative team.