The Team
Fenya Sharkey
Project Director
About
Fenya brings an asset based approach to social engagement through the arts and commitment to emergent design, Past projects have included working with adolescents, tutoring social arts for shared living with disabilities and developing a method for using the arts with advanced dementia. xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Charlotte Still
Lead Artist and facilitator
About
I am an artist working on socially engaged and environmental projects, inspired by nature and issues affecting my local area and community. I work together with a team of artists and volunteers to create a welcoming and supportive space for new participants to explore their own creativity and later join the Compass Artists in making artwork for the annual program of events and the exhibitions that we curate.
Lucy Calcott
Visual Artist and Poet
About
Lucy has a background in poetry after completing a MA in creative writing at Sussex University and a foundation diploma in art and design. She is interested in the connection between emotional honesty, spirituality and creativity and brings these elements into the sessions she runs at Compass Community Arts. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mary Thurston
Engagement and wellbing support
About
I have worked in the healthcare sector for many years as a Health Developement Advisor and Chaplain. I am interested in the theraputic nature of art and welbeing, in conjunction with spirituallity. I find the Lived Experience that is so often neglected has a wealth of knowledge and can positively influence future generations.
Lettie Hancock
Administrator
About
Lettie is a freelance administrator with 8 years experience in customer relations at a leading car dealership. She has two young children and is now part of the Compass Arts Team. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxx
Trustees
Jan Koops
Chairman
About
I have been very fortunate to live a rich and diverse life, despite the traumatic experience I went through in the Falklands war. I have come to understand the intrinsic value of the various mediums of creativity in finding a deeper inner reality and peace. xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx
Tyron King
Treasurer
About
Tyron joined the board of trustees in 2022. He is the Treasurer at Compass, helping with financial governance, planning and fund raising. He trained as a chartered accountant at EY in London where he spent a further 6 years working in the hospitality and nutrition industry. He has now moved back to East Sussex where he grew up and is the Director of Strategy at King & McGaw,
Mary Fox
Company Secretary
About
Mary is a retired social worker having specialised in Adoption work. She has seen the benefits of using a wide range of creative and artistic interventions when working with children with deep trauma. It is this understanding of the healing and therapeutic benefits of artistic pursuits that has motivated her to become a trustee with this particular charity.
Kim Carmichael
Trustee
About
Family, home, hospitality and friendship have been an important part of my life and my way of expressing the arts and culture. I have been able to extend this through the rich experience of being a foster parent and supporting charity work that addresses these fundamental needs for those who have experienced disruption in their childhoods. xxxxxxxxxx
Nicole Ball
Trustee
About
Nicole completed a BA Hons in Tourism and Business. She worked as a tour manager on overseas and UK sports events. After a few years, Nicole travelled again. On a trip to China, she found out what could be done with bamboo - 16 years later she remains a director of Bamboo Clothing founded by David Gordon. xxxxxxxxxxxx
Jilly Burnett
Trustee
About
Jilly studied drama at university, moving sideways both to Brussels and into radio and TV journalism. Once smitten theatre became a love for life, studying Tibetan dance with the Dalai Lama and becoming a film and TV producer in London. Luckily East Sussex called where Jilly and a fellow thespian created and ran their own comedy club for 20 years in a barn; finding talent such as Jack Whitehall, Lucy Porter, Tim Vine, Sean Lock, Nina Conti and Micky Flanagan, now all famous names.
Roxy Minter
Trustee
About
Roxy is an artist, curator and PhD researcher at Tate Britain. Her research explores the ways in which whiteness functions to position white people at the top of a racial hierarchy within art and the gallery. Her art practice currently focuses on tattooing as a living sculpture that takes on a life of its own beyond gallery spaces.
Kate Kong
Trustee
About
I am Kate Kong and as a former teacher and children’s therapist specialising in the expressive arts, I am delighted to be involved with Compass Community Arts. I support and value the work done here as it nurtures and develops valuable skills and joy and togetherness.’
Volunteers
Ben Ecclestone
Volunteer
About
xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kathleen King
Host Volunteer and Compass Pioneer
About
Kathleen is a pedagogue, action researcher and, more recently, textile artist. She loves working with people and is interested in art as a process of exploration and expression. xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
Liz Purkis
Volunteer Artist
About
Having completed an HND in Art and Design at Waltham Forest College in 2017, I then gave up my career in education in 2017 to follow my dream of doing creative stuff every day. I use any materials that express my fascinations – print, paint, earth, rock, paper, wire, textile, anything. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sue Lockhart
Volunteer
About
Sue has a passion for photography and works artistically with the images she creates. She is self taught and is always seeking to collaborate and co-develop, ideas and skills. She is part of a worldwide online community of photographers and often has photos featured and works with various organisations who have used her images.
John Myers
Volunteer
About
John Myers, volunteer with Compass Poetry Group, is co-host of Eastbourne's Poetry Cafe Open Mic where his known as "Mister John" xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Jane Moon
Leads the Walking Group
About
“I have worked for many years as a mental health nurse and have learnt the importance of a supportive community to maintain good mental health. I have been involved with Compass Community Arts for over 4 years; it is a positive, supportive and inclusive community, where everyone is valued equally in their uniqueness.”
Tim Farman
Volunteer
About
I obtained a combined Arts degree in Manchester, and love to explore using different media, including painting, clay sculpture, illustration and screen printing. Since then, I have continued exhibiting, self publishing books and collaborating with other artists. When I discovered Compass I immediately wanted to become more involved. It offers something uniquely beneficial to participants.
Clive Jarman
Volunteer
About
As an artist I work with the camera searching my environment and capturing ‘landscapes’, working primarily in black and white. I have been volunteering at Compass for 4 years carrying out a variety of activities from installing exhibitions to documenting the artistic outputs from the weekly sessions.
Sarah Mulholland
Volunteer
About
I am an artist who lives with mental & physical health disabilities. I came to Compass as a participant in 2014. I am now a volunteer who runs the Studio Space & helps out with the Youth Group. My art practice is inspired by nature, & is an exploration of Fragility; celebrating both its strength and beauty.