About Creative Factory

Meet the team

Directors

Deb Slade

Deb has over 30 years’ experience in the development and delivery of Community Arts both as manager of Walsall Council Creative Development Team for over 10 years and working freelance and as a youth worker across the region. Deb's specialisms over the years have been in the development of community cohesion and inclusion programmes and the coordination of large projects enabling of local people to bring their experience and skills together celebrating local culture.

The Creative Factory Workshop enables Deb to get back to more face-to-face work and build community activities based around a neighbourhood venue. BA Hons Fine Art, JNC3 Qualified and training delivery for Youth Community and Play workers.

Projects example: Black Country Echoes
Role: Co-ordinator, events and exhibition curator and marketing

Ruth Radcliffe

Ruth has been working as a freelance creative practitioner & illustrator for many years. She has had a passion of Art and illustration since she could first hold a pencil. Ruth has extensive experience delivering workshops and creative activity to children of a school age and toddlers to combine Art with play and is also accomplished in communicating with parents and grandparents, providing emotional and therapeutic support in children’s learning and family dynamics.

Ruth has previously worked at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, hosting drawing sessions, as well as delivering drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture & collage workshops at the New Art Gallery Walsall, BMAG, Symphony Hall, Wolverhampton Art Gallery & many local schools and nurseries. Ruth also worked as the illustration tutor at BMETC Brierly Hill Campus for 2 years & has also worked as a private Art Tutor. Ruth also practices as an Artist.

Projects example: Made By... collective designer group, https://instagram.com/ruthyradcliffe
Role: illustrator and creative practitioner

Martin Griffiths

Martin has 25 years’ experience working in marketing agencies, providing brand development and other marketing services for corporates, SMEs and start-ups from diverse industry sectors. This has given him a good understanding of a broad range of organisations and knowledge of effective marketing processes in different situations. Martin’s is experienced both in strategy and the hands-on delivery of creative campaigns, large and small events, photography, video and other digital media projects.

With a lifelong interest in art and design, languages, and a desire to contribute to the community, he hopes to bring to bear a marketer’s approach and help WCF match the needs of the community with those of its stakeholders. BSc Joint Hons International Management and German. CIM qualified.

Jamilla Fazal

Jamilla is respected and popular member of the Asian community, local faith groups and school mums.

She a qualified ESL teacher with experience working with people from wide reaching nationalities such as China, Philippines, Iraq, Pakistan and India. She has experience working with groups and on a one to one basis with adults and children.

She has extensive experience composing learning objectives and worksheets and used her knowledge and understanding to deliver personal learning plans for individuals English as a second language. Jamilla is fluent in Tagalog, Urdu and Punjabi with further basic conversation in Mandarin.

Sukanya Patel

Sukanya has worked in many settings from schools, family-owned businesses to Blue chip corporates. The key learning has been how people and organisations work. Her day job is running a recruitment consultancy with a focus on women returners to tech roles.  Well-being, sustainability and connectivity are close/key to my being.

She is the club secretary for the Walsall Arboretum Community Cycle club which she helps run on weekly basis, litter picks regularly with my daughter, and work to promote 'girls in tech', through mentoring and delivering training programmes in collaboration with BCU.

Barbara Praetz

Barbara is the founder of The Bridge Art Project an informal group under the umbrella of Creative Factory. The group works with Polish and other European families with problems including domestic violence, using art as mindful therapy and to develop vocabulary about emotional issues in English for use to engage with services. The group has become part of the Creative Factory community integrating with other communities.

Barbara is an arts graduate, an experienced professional artist and holds a diploma equivalent to a B Ed in Child pedagogy, she is also fluent in many languages.

David Calcutt

Awaiting biography.

Associate artists & partners

Anna Roginska
Caldmore Community Garden and community cohesion projects

Barbara Precz-Glasor
Artist and Art Therapist

Bruno Edwards
Creative filming, arts and technology

Gemma Ince
Graphic design and Made by... designer maker group

Jamilla Fazal
Community Liaison

Kim Fuller
Writer, singer and Community arts development

Maxine Hayward
Ceramicist, ceramic artist, artist and designer

Richard Franks
Graphic design, animation and video

Stephanie Hasketh
Textiles, Illustrator, Tailor and Dress-maker

Steve Pottinger
Poet, Writer and project development / management

Wayne Fox
Freelance photographer, web site development