Sarah Gregson Appointed as Take Part Director of Wiltshire Creative

Wiltshire Creative has announced that Sarah Gregson has been appointed as Take Part Director. Gregson joins Wiltshire Creative from Salisbury City Council where she is Head of Community Services.   Also announced today, Dave Chapell, Nick Humby, Rosemary Macdonald, Roisin McCay-Hines and Birthe Mester join the Board of Trustees.

Sarah Gregson said, “I am delighted to be joining the team at Wiltshire Creative! This role felt like the perfect opportunity for me to bring together every aspect of my career to this point and to work to make our local and cultural communities happier, healthier and more creative, every day. I have had the pleasure of working alongside the Take Part team on various projects over the last 6 years and I can't wait to work to build on their skills and ideas. Many people are unaware of the incredible work they do, and I look forward to shouting proudly about the impacts the arts, and the team, have on children and adults alike.”

Rosa Corbishley, Executive Director of Wiltshire Creative commented, “Sarah brings a huge skill set to Wiltshire Creative, with her background in producing theatre, community projects and education settings. Wiltshire Creative's Take Part programme reaches 15,000 people every year across the region, and we can't wait for Sarah to bring her enthusiasm and her talents to enable our Take Part projects to grow, to transform more lives and to give more joy to the people of Wiltshire and Salisbury.”
Sarah Gregson brings a wealth of strategic leadership in Engagement having worked as Head of Community Services at Salisbury City Council where she was instrumental in developing partnerships with local people and the voluntary sector to improve wellbeing. Prior to this role she held positions as Community Curator for Salisbury and Wiltshire Museums, and Learning and Participation Manager at Corn Exchange Newbury. In these roles she developed key outreach strategies for youth participation and the importance of the arts for health. Gregson began her career as a freelance community theatre maker and practitioner as Learning Officer at Oxford Playhouse bringing accessibility to the arts for local audiences.
 
Dave Chapell worked in the Construction industry up until his retirement in 2024 – with his roles ranging from Operations Manager to Contract Manager for various National and Regional Construction companies.

Nick Humby is a retired qualified Accountant – with several roles across TV, Sport and Theatre. He was instrumental in his role as Finance Director of Thames TV/ Pearson TV during its transformation from Broadcaster to Global Production company, with his prior role including Finance Director of Manchester United plc. Humby has held several Executive and Non-Executive Director positions in both sport and theatre – as senior Executive Director for the Lawn Tennis Association and The Football Association, and the role of Non-Executive Director on the Board of The Ambassadors Theatre Group. He also acts as a Trustee of the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, and a Director of Trafalgar Releasing, and a Governor of the London Film School.

Rosemary Macdonald has been a long-standing supporter of Wiltshire Creative having been on the Board of Salisbury Playhouse from 2011 until 2019 – with a key involvement in the merger of Salisbury Arts Centre and Salisbury International Arts Festival with Salisbury Playhouse. Macdonald has also held positions as the Chair of Trowbridge Town Hall, a Trustee of Sarum College and CEO of the Wiltshire Community Foundation, which she stepped down from in 2024. Macdonald also acts as a Lay Canon at Salisbury Cathedral, on the Bishops Council and acts as an ambassador for Julia's House Children's Hospice.

Roisin McCay-Hines is a freelance director, playwright and practitioner. McCay-Hines returns to Wiltshire Creative following her role as Associate Artist for Wiltshire Creative's SHIFT initiative, which platforms young artists at the Salisbury International Arts Festival. Her work spans across new writing and adaptations having worked with some of the UK's leading theatres venues including The Old Vic, Theatre503, Taunton Brewhouse, Old Joint Stock, Exeter Northcott and the Minack Theatre. McCay-Hines is currently the Young People's Support Lead at the Royal Shakespeare Company and is a recipient of a 2023 MGC Futures Bursary Award.

Birthe Mester is a board level advisor and thought leader for organisational culture, mediator, coach and conference speaker. She brings a wealth of cross-industry and global experience having held key leadership roles across banking and consultancy. Prior to these roles she was a German diplomat in Paris, Belgrade, Tashkent and Washington DC. Mester also acts as a co-optee to the Board of Trustees for the national charity We Are With You.