Meet our staff and board members.
Fareham Creative Space is proud to present its board of trustees, staff, tutors and volunteers.
Board of trustees
Claire Bleakley, Chair
Julie Lewis, Treasurer
Maureen Hyett, Marianne Linton
Staff
Operations and Human Resources Manager: Claire Bleakley
We are pleased to welcome Claire Bleakley as the acting operations manager at Fareham Creative Space. Claire brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to our mission, and we look forward to her leadership during this time. Please join us in welcoming Claire to her new role!
If you wish to discuss being part of our small team and have experience is running an art and craft workshop contact Claire at chair@farehamcreativespace.nz.
Coordinator, facilitator, outreach and pottery manager: Joanne Ridley-McBeth
Joanne is our Lead Coordinator and has been the main driver in getting Fareham Creative Space up and running. She has formal qualifications in 3D Art, Fine Art and Sculpture & Installation and has previously worked at Alpha Art Studio in Wellington as a Team Leader. She has a passion for community creative spaces by making art & creativity accessible for all and believes in bringing hauora/wellness to the community through creativity. She loves to focus on the moment of creation 'the flow of inspiration' and tries to bring this practice into her everyday life.
Facilitator, registrations, outreach and tutor: Taralee Freeman
Taralee Freeman is an Abstract Artist with qualifications in Creative & Visual Arts and 20+ years of experience in the NZ Creative Industry. She is a versatile and skilled Artisan, renowned for her unique and personal style. Her work has been exhibited nationally & internationally and she has also been a 5x finalist in the World of Wearable Arts.
She encourages you to always be reminded of these words by Henri Matisse 'Creativity takes courage', so… be courageous, fellow artists.
Volunteer: Samantha Ridley-McBeth
Samantha Ridley-McBeth loves the magic and transformation which can be summoned forth from a static object, such as fabric or paint. She specialises in fabric creation, however in 2020 she mounted her own solo exhibition featuring Luna (above). Samantha is also certainly a Performance Artist and is currently FCS’s resident Hatter.
External tutors
Ali Little, Ani Ross, Anne Benson, Diane Coe, Edith Rolls, Mary Bennett, Stace Robertson, Katrina Mclellan.