About Us
Arts by the Sea was launched by BCP Council in 2011 and has grown from strength to strength, becoming an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in 2015. The festival is Bournemouth’s annual celebration of art, culture, people and place, through which we strive to enhance a sense of community and raise Bournemouth’s profile on a national scale as a leader in culture.
Our festival is an intriguing, exciting and unique carnivalesque celebration of art across many forms. Participatory experience, diverse music, art and dance, site-specific installations and large-scale spectaculars in Bournemouth’s beautiful locations are key to our programme of events.
We aim to increase opportunities for people to participate in the arts, incorporating experiences that offer depth, insight and excitement for our audience. We value work that can make a strong impact on our audience and our town, supporting artistic work that is relevant, connects with and is meaningful to our audience. Inclusivity, accessibility and diversity are at the heart of Arts by the Sea and we value talent and high quality work supporting emerging and established artists.
As a festival that takes place in a coastal location of outstanding natural beauty, we recognise in the importance of safeguarding our natural environment and are working hard to reduce our impact on the environment.
Andrea Francis
SHE/HER
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
BCP COUNCIL
Andrea is Festival Director of the Arts by the Sea festival within her role as Cultural Development Manager for BCP Council. Her role includes elements of strategy and policy making, funding bids and grant distribution, partnership management, placemaking projects and public realm art, community participation and of course managing the Arts by the Sea festival.
BCP Council’s Arts & Culture team is very small and covers a wide range of projects. They work closely with colleagues from other departments within the council and are lucky to have the expertise of From the Fields and Hotshots to produce the Arts by the Sea festival. Originally from Kent, Andrea studied Classics at Reading University, worked in London for several years and then found her way into the creative industries as Business Manager at the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone. She moved to Bournemouth in 2016 and is delighted to call it home, enjoying the cultural offer and outdoor lifestyle the area presents.
Dr Roxy Robinson
SHE/HER
FROM THE FIELDS LTD
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Dr Roxy Robinson is the Creative Director of From the Fields Ltd, the company behind multi award winning festivals Kendal Calling, Bluedot and a portfolio of cultural events. Roxy is also an author, speaker and festivals consultant, having published her book ‘Music Festivals and the Politics of Participation’ with Routledge in 2015. In 2012, she completed an interdisciplinary PhD on the evolution of festival culture and the influence of Burning Man on British festivals.
Roxy was appointed Festival Director of the inaugural Festival of the Sky by NEL Council in 2019, winning Best New Festival and Best Non Music Festival at the 2019 UK Festival Awards. Roxy leads the artistic programming of Arts by the Sea, a National Portfolio Organisation now in its 10th year, which attracts over 100,000+ to Bournemouth every September.
Roxy remains responsible for the creative department at From the Fields Ltd, which manages performance and installation artworks across the company’s portfolio of events.
Leigh Hayler
SHE/HER
SENIOR BUSINESS SUPPORT OFFICER
BCP COUNCIL
Leigh is the Arts by the Sea Festival Engagement Officer within her role as Senior Business Support Officer for BCP Council. Her roles involves overseeing engagement between festival artists and local schools, universities and organisations, running the festival volunteers programme and managing student placements. Leigh also works on funding bids and manages all the festival administration including payments of artists. She is an Equality Champion for BCP Council and represents the team on the Council’s Climate Emergency and Green Agenda.
Leigh was born in Bournemouth and has always worked for the Council, previously within Finance, Regulatory Services and Housing. Her local knowledge and previous experience helps engage the festival with the local community. She enjoys being in a role that brings people together through culture and creativity.
Tom Powell
HE/HIM
EVENT MANAGER
BCP COUNCIL
Tom is an Events Manager at BCP Council. Amongst many other events, his role is to implement the logistical arrangements required in order to deliver the Arts by the Sea Festival. This includes liaison with artists on their technical specifications, developing event management policies with key stakeholders and other Council departments, and managing the Events and Stewarding teams over the festival to ensure we deliver a save and successful event.
Sally Turner
SHE/HER
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
SALT HUB
Sally is the Arts by the Sea Festival Business Development Manager, working one day a week with the team to develop partnerships, create sponsorship activations and formulate a long-term fundraising strategy, aimed at sustainably growing the festival in size and scale.
Sally is also the Director of Salt Hub, which supports benevolent organisations and communities on sustainable projects involving outdoor recreation and promoting environmental awareness. Starting out as a Marine Biologist, Sally spent a long stint working in the environmental sector across the UK. She moved back to the south coast 10 years ago to join BCP Council to promote the sustainable economic regeneration of the Boscombe area. Sally managed RECREATE in Bournemouth, a European Union (EU) INTERREG Cross-border partnership project, aimed at harnessing the potential of the creative industries sector to stimulate job creation, economic growth, social regeneration and prosperity. Sally is a passionate environmentalist with a love of art and culture and is delighted to be working with the team on a festival which reflects all of this and more!
Lucy Base
SHE/HER
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
HOTSHOT AGENCY
Lucy has worked in the creative industries for nine years both overseas and in the UK. Lucy began her career working in the music and events industry, after completing a degree in Media Studies at Portsmouth University. Throughout her early career, Lucy furthered her passion, developing skills in marketing and branding within organisations operating in the leisure, lifestyle and entertainment sectors. Lucy has overseen creative communications for brands including Pukka Up, Siksilk, House In Paradise and globally renowned venues, OBeach and Atlantis Dubai.
Lucy is the Content and Communications Manager at HotShot Agency, joining the company in 2018. Lucy oversees the creative process for client projects from conceptualisation to execution. Lucy’s most recent projects include Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival, All in the Mind Festival, We Wonder Festival and Clifton Park Museum, developing branding, artwork and creative communications to connect with audiences.
Joshua Makinson
Joshua leads the marketing strategy and digital development for Arts by the Sea Festival as the Managing Director of HotShot Agency. Joshua started his career by developing a number of global youth event brands, that now operate in 12 countries and attract over 200,000 customers per year. In 2018, Joshua launched HotShot Agency to deliver turn-key, integrated marketing solutions to businesses and events operating in both private and public sectors. Since its conception, HotShot Agency has delivered marketing strategy and design services for international brands including, Tomorrowland, WE ARE FSTVL, TUI, Captain Morgan, Johnny Walker and Absolut.
Rachel Maddix
Rachel has been the Arts by the Sea Outreach Coordinator since 2019. Her role is to work directly with local creatives & communities. She is passionate about inclusion and enabling under-represented groups to access quality performance.
In 2019 Rachel coordinated the first Arts by the Sea Community Party. In 2020 she is back with the West Howe Tail Trail. Both events aim to provide access to the Arts for communities outside of Bournemouth Town Centre, as well as opportunities to pursue their own creativity.
Rachel’s approach to inclusive participatory activities and events is built on 20 years in Arts Education & Management. She currently teaches Acting for Adults and Youth Theatre classes at DFA Studios and is in the process of launching Mavris Maddix talent agency for performers on the South Coast.
Tor Byrnes
Tor is the newly appointed Programme Coordinator for ABS working for From the Fields, her role is to find the best in arts locally and nationally to provide a diverse and exciting programme along with the rest of the team.
She’s a strong advocate for festivals, music, and maintaining the importance of culture here in the BCP region. Having worked freelance with ABS over many years, in a multitude of capacities it’s great to be part of the team.
Owning her own company, We Broke Free, an independent events and promotions company based on the south coast of the U.K, she along with her partner are a multi skilled team with a wealth of experience within the events and festival industry. Including
Live show promotions, Event & Festival DJing Artist liaison and stage management, Festival stage hosting & curation and Radio show Hosts. Her main focus since starting the company was to continue to bring the best new music from across the globe, but also make space for local’s to shine.
Also known by her DJ persona ‘Tor Da Force’ her gift for making people move has taken her across the UK and abroad, where she holds residencies in numerous venues and festivals. An original member of the all-female collective Frau DJs for over 10 years.
Exploring the artistic theme ‘connect’ and humans being social creatures we aim to create an inclusive environment. We are committed to ensuring that all people find the festival a safe environment where diversity is embraced, which is especially pertinent in this Census 2021 year in which the question of your gender identity has been asked for the first time in UK history. We are taking positive action to ensure that everyone can attend the festival or find alternative ways in which they can fully participate and enjoy the experience on offer. If you need any assistance or have any comments please contact leigh.hayler@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
Arts by the Sea works with a wide range of partners and sponsors who help us produce such a wonderful event. For investment into the 2019 festival we would particularly like to thank our Sponsors Bournemouth University and the Town Centre BID. If you would like to work with us in the future, please get in touch through the link on our Opportunities page.
Bournemouth University
Arts by the Sea is delighted to have partnered with Gold Sponsor Bournemouth University in 2018 and 2019. BU has provided the festival with a unique strand of artistic content by sharing their cutting-edge academic research across the festival in a number of different ways. In 2019, fascinating talks, activities and an immersive soundscape were just a few things hosted by Arts by the Sea, linked to our Mind Matter theme and sustainability message. We’re very happy to have showcased the work carried out by BU’s award- winning researchers and content-creators.
Town Centre Bid
Arts by the Sea is delighted to be building a long-term relationship since 2018 with the Town Centre BID. Both Arts by the Sea and the BID aim to increase the number and diversity of people enjoying the town centre. In 2019 investment from the BID allowed us to increase the scale of our parade, Submerge: Carnival SOS, and provide a whole new programme of entertainment throughout the day in Horseshoe Common on Sunday 29th September. Visitors are encouraged to support local businesses and mouth-watering array of restaurants and food traders in the BID area, in particular along on Old Christchurch Road, while they enjoy the festival entertainment.
OutdoorArtsUK
Arts by the Sea is proud to be a member of OutdoorArtsUK – a national membership and strategic organisation that aims to bring together the many diverse parts of the Outdoor Arts sector. OutdoorArtsUK celebrates the wonderful work, amazing talent and tremendous achievements of the brilliant individuals, companies and organisations working in this most accessible of art forms.
Find out more
Without Walls
In 2019 Arts by the Sea was the first South West coast festival to become part of the Without Walls Touring Network partnership. Without Walls has an international reputation for supporting ambitious outdoor arts, commissioning and supporting the development of over 140 shows touring to 22 countries worldwide since 2007. This partnership is enabling us to bring more of their high-quality, world-class, free outdoor shows to Bournemouth’s unique and beautiful locations.
The Mela Partnership
Arts by the Sea is proud to be one of just a few non-Mela partners of The Mela Partnership, led by Nutkhut. The partnership is a national membership organisation which supports the development of the sector and supports and mentors the next generation of Mela Makers.
Arts by the Sea recognises the natural beauty of Bournemouth and the work already taking place to safeguard the natural environment in our local area. We aim to build on this, becoming more sustainable, reducing our own environmental impact and using our experience to encourage other organisations to do the same. We’ll use our programming to raise awareness of global environmental issues and support green projects and partners, helping artists, residents, businesses and visitors become more environmentally friendly too. We also pledge to show our support for farmers and producers in developing countries by promoting Bournemouth’s Fairtrade Town status.
The Arts by the Sea festival is committed to reducing its own environmental impact and to leave no trace. We have an Environmental Policy and Action Plan in place to help us do this, and Green Riders for our Artists and Venues to help them do the same.
Arts by the Sea Environmental Policy
Arts by the Sea Environmental Action Plan
On 16th July 2019 BCP Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency, later incorporating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into its Corporate Strategy. They pledged to make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030, and to work with the wider community to look at how early the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole region can be made carbon neutral ahead of the UK target of 2050.
Transforming Travel supports BCP Council’s climate emergency ambition with an emphasis on sustainability, tackling air quality and the new focus on walking and cycling through the government’s Gear Change initiative.
Bournemouth is recognised as a Fair Trade Town, a Sustainable Food City and is the world’s first Sustainable Fish City. The conurbation has nineteen Green Flag Awards for its Parks and Gardens, eight Blue Flag Awards for its beaches and a Site of Special Scientific Interest amongst its nature reserves in Hengistbury Head. Bournemouth is one of 5 UK towns and cities praised as global climate leaders by carbon disclosure charity CDP on their ‘Cities A-List’.
BCP Council’s Parks Department have a herd of 10 goats grazing on the cliff to the east of Boscombe Pier. They help control the non-native plants which are taking over at the expense of the natural heath and grassland habitats and associated wildlife. Click here for more information.
There are also around 60 cattle. These are located at Stour Valley on the North West edge of Bournemouth. Click here for more information.
Bournemouth is the World’s First Sustainable Fish City. So many businesses and organisations have signed pledges to ensure only sustainably sourced fish will be used in any of their activities that we’ve now generated over 4 million sustainable fish meals a year. Click here for more information.
Arts by the Sea would like to work with green partners. If your organisation is doing something environmentally friendly and you’d like to get involved with the festival, please get in touch.
Arts by the Sea would like to work with green partners. If your organisation is doing something environmentally friendly and you’d like to get involved with the festival, please get in touch.
The Seafront team have been working since early 2018 with their suppliers to ensure that wherever possible all single-use items, such as coffee cups, stirrers and straws are now either fully recyclable or fully compostable. This means that since the spring, all 330,000 coffee cups and the majority of other takeaway packaging has been much more environmentally friendly in line with the Leave Only Footprints campaign. Most seafront catering sites, plus all of the seafront taps, are all now part of the Dorset Refill scheme and identifiable via the app.
The Parks team have launched reusable cups in the Woodpecker Café. View them here.
Yellow Buses are committed to minimising the environmental impact of their operations.
From 1 May 2017, six new double-deckers, described as the most environmentally friendly diesel vehicles on the road, went into service. The British-built Alexander Dennis MMC (Major Model Change) E400 vehicles have ultra-low carbon Euro 6 engines and the latest stop-start technology, which along with their lighter weight helps to reduce emissions, noise and fuel usage.
In 2018 Yellow Buses celebrated the tenth anniversary of its innovative Carbon Stoppers scheme. Since 2008 the bus company has held a ‘Thank You Thursday’ each week when every trip taken by passengers on the day contributes to a Community Chest, with Yellow Buses pledging a minimum donation of £50 a week. The scheme began as a way of encouraging people to cut down on their carbon footprint by catching the bus but has ended up raising more than £30,000 for 80 local charities and good causes.
Click here to contact Arts by the Sea
Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival
BCP Council
Town Hall Annexe
St Stephen’s Road
Bournemouth BH2 6EA
01202 454746
Arts Award's mission is to support children and young people to enjoy the arts, to connect with and take part in the wider arts world, and develop creativity, communication and leadership skills. Arts by the Sea are proud Arts Award Supporters, please get in touch for more information on how the festival can help with your award. Email us at: arts.bournemouth@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
