Staff Team

Melissa Appleton
Co-Director: Strategy & Programme

Melissa (she/her) is a spatial designer, curator and director with a background in architecture. Melissa grew up in South Wales and her work is driven by critical questions around imagination, economy and social justice in rural communities. She has taught on architecture and fine art courses at The Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University, Royal College of Art, London and The Bartlett, UCL. Melissa is currently a research fellow at De Appel, Amsterdam and undertook the de Appel Curatorial Programme in 2022. 

Ellen Wilson
Co-Director: Young People & Programme 

Ellen (she/her) has been a youth worker for 14 years, running projects for Young People facing intersecting barriers in London, Bristol and Newport. Recent roles include: Community Youth Worker for Newport Council, Peak Peers Curator 2023 and Youth Voice Coordinator for the Creative Youth Network in Bristol, where she ran the youth voice programme and supported LGBTQ+ Young People. She has a masters in applied anthropology and youth work from Goldsmiths and this research shapes how Ellen works with and in local communities. She is particularly interested in how Young People can effect change in the world through activism and collective creative practices.

Elen Roberts
Co-Director: Operations & Programme
(Maternity Cover)

Elen (she/her) works across artist development and arts management, producing programmes in Wales, the UK and internationally. She has previously worked with the Arts Council of Wales and Wales Arts International, as both staff and in a freelance capacity. She has managed arts projects in Argentina, Canada, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the USA, and collaborated with a range of creative and governmental partners.  Elen recently managed the Wales Arts International programme Gwrando, supporting artists to listen across and between indigenous languages and cultures as part of the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages. She has also previously worked with Conwy County Borough Council on their arts & health programme, and National Youth Arts Wales to support young people to develop their music skills.

Cerian Hedd
Curator: Young People’s Programmes (freelance)

Cerian (they/them) has previously worked as a Youth Engagement Facilitator for Amgueddfa Cymru and co-created Bloedd, the museum’s network for young people aged 16-30. Cerian is also Co-Director of community arts organisations Umbrella and On Your Face. Umbrella platforms early career and often overlooked artists and makers, giving space for activism and radical organising to take place. On Your Face is focused on creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ artists and communities in Wales.

Polly Hunter
Community Co-Ordinator (freelance)

Polly Hunter (she/her) has worked as a baker for the last decade, moving to Abergavenny to establish and co-run The Angel Bakery. Polly has actively sought to make the Angel Bakery part of the local community, including reviving the annual Abergavenny Food Festival Community Feast. Previously, Polly worked at arts and cultural organisations in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and she’s also worked at the Royal College of Art. More recently, she undertook a Regenerative Horticulture qualification with Black Mountains College.

*Louise Hobson
Co-Director: Operations & Programme

*currently on maternity leave

Melissa Appleton
Cyd-Gyfarwyddwr – Rhaglen a Strategaeth 

Dylunydd gofodol, curadur a chyfarwyddwr â chefndir mewn pensaernïaeth yw Melissa (hi). Cafodd Melissa ei magu yn y de, ac mae ei gwaith yn cael ei yrru gan gwestiynau hanfodol am ddychymyg, economi a chyfiawnder cymdeithasol mewn cymunedau gwledig. Mae hi wedi addysgu ar gyrsiau pensaernïaeth a chelfyddyd gain yn Ysgol Gelf Ruskin, Prifysgol Rhydychen, Coleg Celf Brenhinol, Llundain, a The Bartlett, Coleg Prifysgol Llundain. Ar hyn o bryd mae Melissa’n gymrawd ymchwil gyda De Appel, Amsterdam, a chyflawnodd Raglen Guradurol Appel yn 2022.

Ellen Wilson
Cyd-Gyfarwyddwr: Pobl Ifanc a Rhaglen  

Mae Ellen (hi) wedi bod yn weithiwr ieuenctid ers 14 mlynedd, yn cynnal prosiectau i Bobl Ifanc sy’n wynebu rhwystrau croestoriadol yn Llundain, Bryste a Chasnewydd. Mae ei swyddi diweddar yn cynnwys: Gweithiwr Ieuenctid Cymunedol i Gyngor Casnewydd, Curadur Cyfoedion Peak 2023, a Chydlynydd Llais Pobl Ifanc ar gyfer y Rhwydwaith Ieuenctid Creadigol ym Mryste, lle bu’n rhedeg y rhaglen llais pobl ifanc ac yn cefnogi Pobl Ifanc LHDTC+. Mae ganddi radd meistr o Goldsmiths mewn anthropoleg gymhwysol a gwaith ieuenctid, ac mae’r ymchwil yma’n siapio’r ffordd mae Ellen yn gweithio gyda ac o fewn cymunedau lleol. Mae ganddi ddiddordeb arbennig yn y ffordd gall Pobl Ifanc greu newid yn y byd drwy ymgyrchu ac arferion creadigol ar y cyd. 

 Elen Roberts
Cyd-Gyfarwyddwr: Gweithrediadau a Rhaglen
(Cyfnod Mamolaeth) 

Mae Elen (hi) yn gweithio ym maes datblygu artistiaid a rheolaeth yn y celfyddydau, gan gynhyrchu rhaglenni yng Nghymru, gwledydd Prydain ac yn rhyngwladol. Mae hi wedi gweithio’n flaenorol gyda Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru a Chelfyddydau Rhyngwladol Cymru, fel aelod o staff ac yn llawrydd. Mae hi wedi rheoli prosiectau celfyddydol yn yr Ariannin, Canada, yr Almaen, yr Eidal, y Swistir ac UDA, ac wedi cydweithio gydag ystod o bartneriaid creadigol a llywodraethol. Yn ddiweddar bu Elen yn rheoli rhaglen Gwrando Celfyddydau Rhyngwladol Cymru, gan gefnogi artistiaid i wrando ar draws a rhwng diwylliannau ac ieithoedd brodorol fel rhan o Ddegawd Ieithoedd Brodorol y Cenhedloedd Unedig. Bu’n gweithio’n flaenorol gyda Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy ar eu rhaglen celfyddydau ac iechyd, a gyda Chelfyddydau Ieuenctid Cymru i gefnogi pobl ifanc i ddatblygu eu sgiliau cerddoriaeth. 

Cerian Hedd
Curadur: Rhaglenni Pobl Ifanc  (llawrydd)

Mae Cerian (nhw) wedi gweithio fel Hwylusydd Ymgysylltu Ieuenctid i Amgueddfa Cymru (Sain Ffagan, Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd, Big Pit ac Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau Abertawe), a bu’n rhan o’r gwaith o greu Bloedd, rhwydwaith yr amgueddfa i bobl ifanc 16-30 oed. Mae Cerian hefyd yn Gyd-Gyfarwyddwr ar y sefydliadau celfyddydau cymunedol Umbrella ac On Your Face. Mae Umbrella yn llwyfannu artistiaid a gwneuthurwyr ar ddechrau eu gyrfa sy’n aml yn cael eu diystyru, gan roi lle i ymgyrchu ac ymdrefnu radicalaidd. Mae On Your Face yn canolbwyntio ar greu cyfleoedd i artistiaid a chymunedau LHDTC+ yng Nghymru. 

Polly Hunter
Community Co-Ordinator (freelance)

Mae Polly Hunter (hi/honno) wedi gweithio fel pobydd am y ddegawd diwethaf, gan symud i’r Fenni i sefydlu a chyd-redeg The Angel Bakery. Ers sefydlu’r becws, mae Polly wedi ymrwymo i geisio sicrhau fod yr Angel Bakery yn rhan o’r gymuned leol, gan gynnwys adfywio Gwledd Gymunedol Gŵyl Fwyd y Fenni. Yn flaenorol, gweithiodd Polly ar gyfer sefydliadau celf yn Newcastle ac mae hefyd wedi gweithio yn y Royal College of Art. Yn fwy diweddar, enillodd gymhwyster Garddwriaeth Adfywiol gyda Choleg Y Mynydd Du.

Board

Stephanie Allen (CHAIR) is the Executive Director of Arts&Heritage. She has worked at many cultural organisations including the Southbank Centre, Artsadmin, Sidney Nolan Trust and Creative United and is a former Arts Council England Relationship Manager. Steph worked with Peak as a Nesta-appointed business adviser and then as Interim Creative Director during Rebecca Spooner’s Clore secondment in 2018.

Joss Allen is an artworker and amateur gardener interested in how art influences ecological ways of being and practices of care towards the more-than-human world. Between 2017 and 2020, they were the project coordinator for the Town is the Garden, a three-year creative community food-growing project run by Deveron Projects. Recently, he was co-artistic director (maternity cover) of ATLAS Arts with Yvonne Billimore. They are currently a PhD candidate at the University of Warwick's Institute for Global Sustainable Development.

Marva Jackson Lord is a writer and artist who has lived in the Brecon Beacons for almost twenty years. Marva’s work in the arts began with DJ’ing and programming in Canada, and she was one of the architects of Canadian Artists Network: Black Artists In Action (CANBAIA). Marva has produced a range of community events in Powys including 2 editions of Black Cultural Fest, poetry readings, music events and theatre productions. Marva’s artist practice explores place, community, autobiography and fantastical narratives.

Melissa Hinkin is the Curator at Artes Mundi. Since her appointment in 2012 she has supported five large-scale editions of the biennial exhibition. Melissa also works as a freelance producer and curator. She grew up in Powys and has a personal connection to rural mid-Wales. 

Lucy Shipp currently works as Head of Informal Learning and Public Programmes at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, following four years as Education Manager at Wysing Arts Centre. She has also previously held positions at Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village, Tate and the V&A. At the core of her practice is a passion for supporting young people and artists, celebrating the power of creativity to bring positive change.

Sarah Dickins is Chief Communications Adviser to the First Minister of Wales and her Ministers. Previously, she worked as a journalist and presenter on commercial radio, BBC radio and BBC TV for around thirty years. She focussed mainly on business & industry, labour relations and the economy.  Moving away from the BBC in 2022, she set up her own sustainable economics based on the organic farm that she’s been running for 28 years. It’s a small nature friendly farm producing organic purely pasture fed lamb and mutton. 

She has always been involved with the local community both as a director of Abergavenny Food Festival and more recently as a Community Councillor .  

Sian Phillips is a co-opted advisor.

Liz Buckler is a co-opted advisor and our charity’s founder. A qualified teacher, trainer and writer, she continues to support Peak and promote an ethos that prioritises process and reflective thinking.

Stephanie Allen (Cadeirydd) yw Cyfarwyddwr Gweithredol Arts&Heritage. Mae hi wedi gweithio mewn llawer o sefydliadau diwylliannol gan gynnwys Canolfan Southbank, Artsadmin, Ymddiriedolaeth Sidney Nolan a Creative United ac mae’n gyn Reolwr Perthnasau i Gyngor Celfyddydau Lloegr. Bu Steph yn gweithio gyda Peak fel cynghorydd busnes wedi’i phenodi gan Nesta, ac yna fel Cyfarwyddwr Creadigol Dros Dro yn ystod secondiad Clore Rebecca Spooner yn 2018.

Gweithiwr celf a garddwr amatur yw Joss Allen  sydd â diddordeb yn y ffordd mae celf yn dylanwadu ar ffyrdd ecolegol o fod ac arferion o ofalu am y byd mwy-na-dynol. Rhwng 2017 a 2020, roedden nhw’n gydlynydd prosiect ar brosiect tyfu bwyd cymunedol creadigol a gynhaliwyd gan Deveron Projects. Yn ddiweddar, bu’n gyd-gyfarwyddwr artistig (cyfnod mamolaeth) i ATLAS Arts gydag Yvonne Billimore. Maen nhw’n ymgeisydd PhD yn y Sefydliad ar gyfer Datblygiad Cynaliadwy Byd-eang ym Mhrifysgol Warwick ar hyn o bryd.

Awdur ac artist yw Marva Jackson Lord sy’n byw ym Mannau Brycheiniog ers bron i ugain mlynedd. Dechreuodd gwaith Marva yn y celfyddydau gyda DJio a rhaglennu yng Nghanada, a hi oedd un o benseiri Canadian Artists Network: Black Artists In Action (CANBAIA). Mae Marva wedi cynhyrchu ystod o ddigwyddiadau cymunedol ym Mhowys, gan gynnwys Black Cultural Fest ddwywaith, darlleniadau barddoniaeth, digwyddiadau cerddoriaeth a chynyrchiadau theatr. Mae arfer celfyddydol Marva yn archwilio lle, cymuned, hunangofiant a naratifau rhyfeddol.

Melissa Hinkin yw Curadur Artes Mundi. Ers ei phenodi yn 2012, mae hi wedi cefnogi pum arddangosfa ddwyflynyddol graddfa fawr. Mae Melissa hefyd yn gweithio fel cynhyrchydd a churadur llawrydd. Cafodd ei magu ym Mhowys ac mae ganddi gysylltiad personol â chefn gwlad y canolbarth. 

Mae Lucy Shipp yn gweithio fel Pennaeth Dysgu Anffurfiol a Rhaglenni Cyhoeddus yn Amgueddfa Ashmolean, Rhydychen, yn dilyn pedair mlynedd fel Rheolwr Addysg yng Nghanolfan Gelfyddydau Wysing. Mae hi hefyd wedi gweithio yn Oriel Watts – Pentre’r Artistiaid, y Tate a’r V&A. Wrth wraidd ei harfer mae angerdd am gefnogi pobl ifanc ac artistiaid, gan ddathlu pŵer creadigrwydd i greu newid cadarnhaol.

Sarah Dickins yw Prif Ymgynghorydd Cyfathrebu i Brif Weinidog Cymru a'i Gweinidogion. Cyn hyn, rodd hi’n newyddiadurwraig ac yn gyflwynydd yn gweithio ar radio masnachol, radio'r BBC a theledu'r BBC am ryw dri deg mlynedd. Canolbwyntiodd yn bennaf ar fyd busnes a diwydiant, cysylltiadau llafur a'r economi. Ymddiswyddodd o'r BBC yn 2022 i sefydlu ei chwmni ymgynghori economeg gynaliadwy ei hunan ar y fferm organig mae’n ei ffermio ers 28 mlynedd. Fferm fach gyfeillgar i natur yw hi, sy’n cynhyrchu cig oen a chig dafad organig sydd wedi'i fwydo ar borfa yn unig.

Mae wedi chwarae rhan yn y gymuned leol erioed fel un o gyfarwyddwyr Gŵyl Fwyd y Fenni ers blynyddoedd lawer ac yn fwy diweddar fel Cynghorydd Cymuned.

 

Mae Sian Phillips yn ymgynghorydd cyfetholedig.

Mae Liz Buckler yn ymgynghorydd cyfetholedig ac yn sylfaenydd i’r elusen. Yn athro cymwysedig, hyfforddwr ac awdur, mae hi’n parhau i gefnogi Peak ac i hyrwyddo ethos sy’n blaenoriaethu proses a meddwl myfyriol.