Creative Lives welcomes new chair

GAVIN STRIDE has been named the new chair of Creative Lives, Succeeding DAVID BRYAN, who has stepped down after seven years at the charity.

Stride is currently establishing Creative Island as the cultural development agency for the Isle of Wight. He was previously chief executive of Farnham Maltings in Surrey.

He has been chair of Wildworks in Cornwall, Crying Out Loud, and the Independent Theatre Council and served on the South East regional council for Arts Council England and East Midlands Arts board.

Stride said: “Whilst I’ve made my entire career as a theatre maker, and supporting other people to do that professionally, it feels completely exciting to explore a more radical shift to how we ensure that everybody, whoever they are, is in touch with their own creativity.

“I would contend that you don’t have to paint or draw or compose to be creative. Surely creativity is about being in the world, making sense of it and re-articulating it for yourself and others – and that’s something we should be doing in order to live fulfilled lives. All of which feels central to the work of Creative Lives.”

ROBIN SIMPSON, chief executive of Creative Lives, added: “Gavin’s career has focussed on leading place-based creative organisations, and he has been a prominent champion of everyday creativity for many years. He has extensive and wide-ranging experience but he also brings an inquisitiveness and mischievousness that will helpfully challenge Creative Lives as we enter the next phase of our development.”