Made With Many programme director leaves role after seven years transforming arts in Corby and Wellingborough

An arts consortium serving Corby and Wellingborough will have a new person in charge after its founding director took on a new role.

Staff at Made With Many paid tribute to Helen Willmott as she left to become executive director of Revoluton Arts in Luton.

During her tenure the Arts Council England-funded project has seen new cultural experiences brought at first to Corby with Made in Corby and then to Wellingborough under the Made With Many umbrella.

Rob Purdie, independent chairman of the Made With Many consortium, said: “It's been a pleasure to work with Helen over the last seven-and-a-half years.

“Always professional, she has led the team, supported the consortium and its members, raised additional funding and managed a complex organisation through some testing times with a smile.

"Most importantly though, Helen has cared deeply about Corby and Wellingborough, their communities and people - she has built great relationships with many individuals and groups and earned the respect of all. She leaves with my heartfelt thanks for all she has done and am sure she will be a tremendous success in her new role and future career."

Thousands of people have already accessed cultural activities, from festivals, performances and exhibitions to workshops and trips.

Vicky Frayard, interim senior producer at Made With Many said: “Helen’s legacy at Made With Many, which started as Made In Corby, is extraordinary and something we are all incredibly proud of.

"Helen will be sorely missed, not just by us lot that worked with her everyday, but also the communities which she cares about so dearly and worked tirelessly to support. Her dedication to building the programme and the staff team is a testament to her unwavering belief in the power of communities to create change. I know I speak for everyone at Made With Many when I say thank you, Helen, for everything."

In June, the Made With Many team masterminded the once every 20-year Corby Pole Fair.

Ms Willmott said: “Artistic talent really is everywhere, often where you least expect it. It has been my greatest joy to help discover it and to encourage people to step outside their comfort zone and try something new.

“People can’t consider cultural activities when they are hungry, cold, stressed, anxious, tired etc. We’ve needed to work with community partners who address those issues alongside the creative activity. As we face the toughest winter many of us will have ever known, this is becoming even more important.

“Places and communities are constantly changing. ‘Getting to know our community’ has been a constant job, not a one-time research task at the beginning of the programme. ‘Meeting people where they are’ is about so much more than geography.

"It’s been about making new friendships and joining together in our joy, pain and the nitty gritty of everyday life. That’s included sharing my own too.

“Art and creativity can transform people and their places. I’ve seen it in happen at festivals, through the creation of community murals and in the quiet corner of a workshop. It’s truly magical.”

A new programme director is expected to be announced by Made With Many in early 2023.