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.
Louise Hobson
Co-Director: Operations & Programme
Louise Hobson is a curator, and she joined the Peak staff team in 2022. Louise's practice is guided by an interest in situated research, a commitment to artist development and a curiosity about the potential of long-term projects that merge fact and fiction to help us see the places we inhabit - and the futures they hold - in new ways. Alongside her work with Peak, Louise also curates SWAY, an ongoing invitation to artists, curators and writers to think and make from Barry's watery edges. Curated public programmes and exhibitions include gludafael / holdfast, Glynn Vivian (2023), Call the Waves co-curated with QANAT, Chapter (2022) and And what it became is not what it is now, Grand Union (2019).
Polly Hunter
Alternative Economies Manager
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 subsequently at the Royal College of Art following a Masters in History of Design. Polly begun working for Peak as Community Coordinator and continues to develop partnerships locally and explore future economic models for the organisation.
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.
Louise Hobson
Cyd-Gyfarwyddwr: Gweithrediadau a Rhaglen
Curadur yw Louise Hobson. Ymunodd â thîm staff Peak yn 2022. Ymchwil lleoledig sy’n llywio ei hymarfer, ynghyd ag ymrwymiad i feithrin artistiaid a chwilfrydedd am botensial projectau hirdymor sy’n asio ffaith a ffuglen i’n helpu ni i weld y llefydd lle’r ydym yn byw – a’r dyfodolau maen nhw’n eu cynnig – mewn ffyrdd newydd. Yn ogystal â’i gwaith gyda Peak, mae Louise hefyd yn curadu SWAY, sef gwahoddiad parhaus i artistiaid, curaduron a sgwennwyr i feddwl a chreu o ymylon dyfrllyd Ynys y Barri. Mae ei gwaith curadu ar raglenni cyhoeddus ac arddangosfeydd yn cynnwys gludafael / holdfast, Glynn Vivian (2023), Call the Waves a gyd-guradwyd gyda QANAT, Chapter (2022) ac And what it became is not what it is now, Grand Union (2019).
Polly Hunter
Rheolwr Economïau Amgen
Dros y ddegawd ddiwethaf mae Polly Hunter (hi/ei) wedi gweithio fel pobydd, gan ymsefydlu yn Y Fenni i sefydlu a chyd-redeg The Angel Bakery. Mae Polly wedi ymdrechu i sicrhau fod yr Angel Bakery yn rhan o’r gymuned leol, wrth adfywio Gwledd Gymunedol Blynyddol Gŵyl Fwyd y Fenni ymhlith pethau eraill. Cyn hynny, bu Polly’n gweithio mewn sefydliadau celfyddydol a diwylliannol yn Newcastle-upon-Tyne, yn ogystal â’r Royal College of Art, wedi iddi ennill Gradd Meistr mewn Hanes Dylunio. Dechreuodd Polly weithio gyda Peak fel Cydlynydd Cymunedol ac mae datblygu partneriaethau lleol yn parhau i fod yn rhan bwysig o’i gwaith, ochr yn ochr â’r gwaith o archwilio modelau economaidd ar gyfer dyfodol y sefydliad.
Board
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.
Lucy Shipp (Chair) 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.
Judith Musker Turner
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Sian Phillips is a co-opted advisor.
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.
Mae Lucy Shipp (Cadeirydd) 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.
Judith Musker Turner
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Mae Sian Phillips yn ymgynghorydd cyfetholedig.