Meet the Team

Kate Adams is an artist, advocate and activist, and Director & CEO of Project Art Works. She co-founded the organisation in 1997, developing collaborative practices with neurominorities, families, care services, artists and galleries. Her work challengesassumptions about disability, identity and care, exploring alternative ways of being, seeing and belonging.

Leila McMillan is a multidisciplinary artist with a background in fine art and sculpture, alongside skills in knitting, sewing and fiddle-making. She moved to St Leonards-on-Sea in 2005 and connected with Project Art Works through her daughter, Eden. After working on projects as an artist, Leila is now the resident archivist.

Georgie Scott is a photographer and artist with a degree in photography from the London College of Printing. Her socially engaged practice explores storytelling through photography, film, audio and participatory workshops. Georgie is currently completing a Masters in Art Therapy.

Patricia Finnegan has worked with Project Art Works for over ten years, supportingartists and large-scale projects. Her practice spans painting and printmaking, creatinglayered images inspired by nature and the human form. With an MA in Art and Design in Education, Patricia combines research, facilitation and creative practice, exploring the arts’ role in wellbeing.

Jessica Courtney Bennett leads communications across the charity, sharing its work with local, national and international audiences. Jessica also manages the In Residence Gallery at 12 Claremont and runs Art on Loan, championing neurodivergent artists through inclusive, accessible platforms.

Sara Dare is a painter and installation artist who has exhibited internationally and curated group exhibitions in London. With a BA in Fine Art Painting and PGCE in Art and Design, she applies her experience to socially engaged practice. At Project Art Works, Sara has worked as a lead artist, project coordinator and collaborator with families, carers and partner organisations.

Katie Taylor has over ten years’ experience as a creative producer and project manager, working across community engagement and participation. She is also a writer and performer developing sensory approaches to storytelling. At Project Art Works, Katie manages the in-house creative programme, supporting artists to collaborate, developtheir practices and realise their creative ambitions.

Helen Charlton, Development Director, joined Project Art Works in 2019. She has extensive experience across social care and cultural sectors, specialising in projectmanagement, professional development, audience development, marketing, communications and fundraising. With qualifications in Visual Culture, Arts and Cultural Management, Film Production and Marketing, Helen is also Project Art Works’ deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Mental Health First Aider.

Wendy Routley is Head of Finance & Operations at Project Art Works. She joined theorganisation permanently in 2004 after working as a freelance finance officer. Her role has evolved to encompass financial and operational planning across the organisation. Wendy is also the Designated Safeguarding Lead and a Mental Health First Aider.

Tim Corrigan is an artist, filmmaker and Creative Director at Project Art Works. He has worked with the organisation since its foundation, contributing significantly to its leadership. Through his filmmaking practice, Tim has shaped the organisation’s use of moving image to create environments, support activism and advocacy, and enableneurodivergent people to challenge perceptions and representation.

Sarah is an artist facilitator, advocate, activist, poet, mediator and teacher at Project Art Works. Her creative practice spans poetry, photography and ceramics, inspired bypeople and their stories. With a background in social care, education and healthcare, Sarah brings interconnected experience to her work, supporting self-expression, individual creativity and empowerment.

Gabrielle is an experienced philanthropy and fundraising professional with over twodecades’ experience building partnerships across the arts, education and international development sectors. Having worked internationally, she has led major giving programmes for organisations including Oxfam and The Nature Conservancy. Based in the UK, Gabrielle supports Project Art Works through values-led fundraising.

Lorenzo is a Birmingham-based artist, musician and researcher with experience workingacross archives. He studied at Dartington College of Arts and holds a Master’s in SonicArt and PhD in Music from the University of Sheffield. His work includes cataloguing theLongplayer Archive, and roles with Dudley Archives, Modern Records Centre and Birmingham Media Archive Project.

Oliver Crowther is an artist working across a range of media. His practice considers the role of the artist in contemporary society, exploring agency and autonomy through image-making, sound and built environments. Before joining Project Art Works, Oliver taught on the Hastings Foundation Course and has an MFA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths University.

I make foxes, swim in the sea, and draw every day. Wild encounters inspire my work, including my ‘Skulk’ Project, where I recreate each fox I see in clay, carefully matchingits colours and markings. I’ve completed 500 foxes, alongside daily sketches and life-sized animal artworks exploring fur, feathers, and observation.

Dion Downes is an artist and specialist support worker living and working in Hastings. Since 2012, he has studied health and social care, supporting people with learning disabilities to develop and maintain independent living skills. Alongside this, Dion creates art exploring optical illusions and dimensions. He advocates for social inclusion, personalisation and neurodiversity.

Annis Joslin is an artist and filmmaker who has worked with Project Art Works as Lead Artist Associate since 2003. Her collaborative practice explores lived experiencethrough conversations, participation and playful, reflective processes, creating lens-based digital artworks. She also works with Sarah Cole as Cole & Joslin and co-directs Corridor, a South East social arts organisation.

Tom Lepora is an artist, painter, maker and breaker. His varied background spans mentalhealth, boat restoration and third-sector environments. His practice focuses on relationships with people who have been marginalised, with connection and trust at its heart. Using found materials, Tom creates objects that are kept, recycled or gifted, alongside workshops exploring making and breaking.

Peter Quinnell studied at Chelsea and the Royal College of Art and has worked with collage and assemblage for 30 years as an artist and illustrator. From 1984–1999, he was half of pioneering collage duo Archer/Quinnell. His work spans magazines, books, music, advertising and exhibitions. He teaches and leads community workshops in Hastings.

Maya Shapiro Steen studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art and completed anMA in the Anthropology of Visual and Material Culture at UCL. Her practice explores social and cultural contexts of making, alongside their uses and boundaries. Through arts education and facilitation, she is particularly interested in access to meaningful, expressive engagement with materials.

Charlotte studied illustration at Camberwell School of Art and has built her career supporting artists. She has worked with arts and health organisations, including the NHSmental health service in Sussex. Currently at Outside In, she delivers exhibitions. Charlotte is committed to learning and unlearning through inclusive creative collaboration, exchange and art.