Who We Are

We’re a social enterprise with a small core team and rotating field of specialist associates. We’re experts in using culture to make positive change, enabling people and places to flourish.

  • Wootton Fitzpaine to Charmouth boundary by Greta Berlin. Image by Pete Millson.

  • Chettle Wassail. Image by Jayne Jackson.

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We’re responsible for Dorset’s Cultural Strategy, which unites and harnesses the sector in shared ambitions. We have an excellent track record in the strategic development of culture, working collaboratively across the sector and with health, tourism and placemaking.

We formed in 2015 as a spin-out from Dorset County Council. We’re both proudly committed to Dorset and driven to find new ways of operating.

Based in the heart of Dorset, we operate from The Little Keep, a 150-year-old barracks that we now run as a creative workspace for artists, producers, and social enterprises.

We’re always keen to hear from new friends. If there’s something you’d like to work with us, or tell us about something you’re doing, please drop us a line on hello@theartsdevelopmentcompany.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you

Image: Landance by Jayne Jackson.

Meet the Team

  • Gemma is a theatre maker and community artist, specialising in arts and wellbeing practice. She has co-founded two arts and health organisations, been artistic director to a theatre company, led artistic engagement programmes for charities to theatres, transformed a garage into a black box studio, led socially engaged festivals, programmed for an arts centre, taught higher and further education, and regularly uses her wide range of skills as a feelance producer.

    Gemma is based in Bournemouth, she regularly works as a producer with Diverse City, is a co-director of CoCreate, an arts and wellbeing CIC, and writes and performs her own work.

  • Nyah is interested in contemporary and interdisciplinary visual arts and is passionate about championing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity when considering how we can make arts, culture, and heritage more accessible to the public.

    Nyah graduated in 2023 with a BA(Hons) in Art History & Visual Culture and English from the University of Exeter. While studying, Nyah was a member of the Youth Panel and an Exhibition Guide for Earth Spells: Witches of the Anthropocene at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery.

    Nearing the end of her degree, Nyah interned as a Festival Assistant for Kensington and Chelsea Art Week 2023 through Professional Pathways in Arts, Culture, and Heritage at the University of Exeter.

    Since graduating, Nyah has volunteered as a Festival Ambassador for Bournemouth Arts by the Sea 2023. She has also worked as an Evaluative Surveyor for Inside Out Dorset 2023 in Poole and as part of the Artistic Support Crew for Transe Express in Weymouth.

  • Sophie has a diverse professional background, having worked across various sectors including the arts, photographic production, mental health, and community engagement.

    Sophie studied Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art and Design, after which she ventured into photographic production. During this time, Sophie organised photoshoots both on location and in studios across Europe, collaborating with renowned photographers such as Tom Craig and Emma Summerton. 

    Eight years ago, Sophie relocated to Dorset, where she initially worked in mental health services before transitioning to a role in community engagement at Dorset Council. Over the past five years, she has dedicated herself to working with communities across Dorset to reduce waste and enhance water quality along the Dorset coastline. As the leader of the ‘Litter Free Dorset’ campaign, Sophie has introduced numerous initiatives aimed at changing behaviour and influencing policy. 

    In addition to her professional achievements, Sophie completed her yoga teacher training in 2020. She is passionate about engaging with people to find creative ways to spark conversations about the issues that matter most to the communities in Dorset.

  • Matt provides direction and management for the organisation as it develops and grows, building new connections and sparking new ideas. He works with staff across Real Ideas to make sure the work we do has real impact socially and economically, and that those impacts are understood and communicated clearly inside and outside of the organisation.

    For Matt, it’s all about how public services can be delivered in more ethical, efficient and effective ways, how we can all better realise the full potential of children and young people and how individuals can make real change happen for themselves.

    From resettling refugees overseas, to delivering major community regeneration schemes, from running the Creative Partnerships school creativity programme in Bristol to advising on environmental policy in Whitehall, Matt’s career to date has reflected these interests, so he can draw on every aspect of his wide professional experience in his work for Real Ideas.

  • David’s interest is in working collaboratively to develop radical creative solutions to increase social justice, using art and culture to enable change across a range of contemporary challenges.

    Previously co-founder of award-winning Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter and Director at Trowbridge Town Hall, David has a track record of reenergising places with community, art and culture at their heart.

    David was instrumental in securing £8.1 million for Trowbridge Town Hall’s capital development from the Future High Streets Fund and the organisation’s shortlisting for Bringing Communities Together Award at the Locality Awards.

    The Bike Shed was named UK Theatre’s Most Welcoming Theatre in 2013 and became a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England in 2015. The Guardian credited it with “keeping theatre alive in Exeter”, whilst its cocktails led to it being awarded Best Bar in Exeter!

    David was also a Trustee and later Vice Chair of Libraries Unlimited, a £7 million turnover spinout from Devon County Council. He’s developed cultural projects with the University of Exeter and theatre company Wise Children. In 2015, he undertook a Clore Leadership Fellowship, during which time he spent three months at the Royal Opera House.

  • Tazmin is passionate about making arts and culture more accessible for communities in Dorset.

    Tazmin graduated in 2022 with a BA(Hons) in Early Childhood Studies from the University of Roehampton. Her role as president of the Kpop society whilst at university kickstarted her interest in marketing leading her to take part in virtual internships with Bright Network, Girls in Marketing and The Grad Soc.

    Tazmin also volunteers as social media assistant at the Mowlem Theatre in her hometown of Swanage. She focuses on creating engaging content to promote films and national theatre live screenings for Facebook and Instagram.

    In her free time Tazmin enjoys reading, films at the cinema and making polymer clay earnings.

The Board

  • Hazel has enjoyed a successful career as a violinist, artists’ manager, cultural strategist, leader and mentor, spending a large part of her career at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden where she led considerable change through periods of intense stakeholder scrutiny – first as Director of the Orchestra and then Director of Planning.

    Passionate about music and music education she now works independently holding a portfolio of chair, non-executive and executive roles in the cultural and higher education sectors.

    Hazel is a governor of the Royal Northern College of Music and chairs the Dorset Music Education Hub. She has led business development projects for Welsh National Opera, for the National Dance company of Wales and for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, she is sought after as a sounding board for leaders, decision makers and high performing individuals and she regularly contributes to industry research projects.

    Her particular expertise is in complex problem solving and relationship management and she has a distinctive ability to dismantle and communicate complex ideas and processes in ways that include rather than disenfranchise, and to develop and sustain the professional relationships that engender trust and confidence. Above all she is known for being kind, calm, optimistic and pragmatic.

    Hazel is an alumna of the Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Cranfield School of Management and is a member of the Women on Boards network.

    She lives in Bridport, is a year-round sea swimmer and gig rower, still plays the violin (tho’ not quite as well as she once did…) and is an active long-distance walker, having recently completed the southwest coast path.

  • Dougie Scarfe joined the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra as its new Chief Executive in July 2012 after a successful career as performer, Manager and Director at Opera North.

    Whilst at school Dougie was Principal Horn in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, before studying at the Royal Northern College of Music and winning the Hiles Medal for Orchestral playing.

    In 2000 a serious playing-related jaw condition ended Dougie’s performing career. After four years as Executive Assistant to the General Director at Opera North, in 2006 he became Chorus & Orchestra Director and Concerts Director and was widely credited with transforming the concert and recording programme at the Company.

    Outside Opera North, Dougie maintained strong teaching and community links and remains passionate about the importance of Music Education and creating opportunities for young people to learn and experience live music of all genres. He played an important role in the founding of Yorkshire Young Musicians (YYM). Dougie was a Founder Trustee and also Chairman of the YYM Board of Trustees from 2005-2007.

  • Currently residing in Bournemouth, Ebi Sosseh brings a vast amount of knowledge in community development, engagement, equality diversity and inclusion as well as Project Management.

    Ebi is well familiar with the wider Dorset area due to previous work in mapping the needs of diverse communities, being a co-founder of the Southwest Dorset Multicultural Centre and a mentor for young people living in rural settings. He is a musician with afro-ethnic fusion bands as a music composer and keyboardist within the BCP area. Ebi is also passionate about linking organisations and individuals together to make change possible as well as Woden participation to marginalised groups. Ebi has three daughters and his happily married to his partner and Liverpool FC.

  • Sarah is a freelance bookkeeper working for various Arts organisations in Dorset and has been with the Arts Development Company for two years. She has a background in Project Management and worked in Further Education for over 20 years before specialising in project work in the Arts sector.

    Sarah currently enjoys a mixed portfolio of work which includes being a celebrant for weddings. She has a passion for photography and appreciates visual and performing art in all its forms.

  • Seth is currently head of School of Creative Industries at Weymouth College and the professional Theatre programmer at the Bay Theatre.

    Following 3 summer seasons at the National Youth Theatre and a degree in Creative Arts, Seth moved into a career in television drama. Whilst working at a children’s summer camp, Seth discovered that teaching was his real vocation.

    Seth lives in Purbeck. In his spare time he can usually be found outdoors, and in or on the sea as often as possible.