The Guernsey Arts Commission is made up of a body of voluntary Commissioners and a board of Trustees. The Arts Development Team has been seconded to the GAC by the Culture & Leisure Department to build from their existing role in the community and to progress the aims of the Commission.
The appointment of a Community Arts Development Officer by the GAC gives added focus to consistently encouraging and promoting the GAC as a developmental agency across the arts, as well as reaching far into the community and embracing diverse work streams.
Commissioners
Chair – Tony Gallienne
Tony Gallienne has a passion for the arts. He believes they are vital for our individual as well as our communal wellbeing. Not only does he have an interest in the arts but he is also experienced in running organisations. He is Chief Executive ofthe NP Group, and past chairman of both the Workers’ Educational Association and the Institute of Directors on the island. He is the author of the book Guernsey in the 21st Century.
Dave Chilton – Commissioner
As Chief Officer of the Culture and Leisure Department Dave is the Arts Commission’s link into government. A keen music fan he has an extensive and eclectic vinyl, cassette and CD collection (in alphabetical order of course) and has finally succumbed to the joys of owning an I-Pod (12,000 tracks and counting). It is unwise to play Film Trivial Pursuit for money against Dave.
Catriona Stares – Chair of Film, Poetry and Prose sub-committee
Catriona Stares has a lifelong interest in the Arts and film in particular. She co-founded CinéGuernsey, was Chairperson for its first two years and has since continued to be active as Vice-Chair. She believes her experience with CinéGuernsey, which has won a number of awards for its marketing and community role, could be of use in strengthening and diversifying the arts in Guernsey. Catriona has over 20 years experience teaching modern languages to children and adults in the UK, Canada, France and Germany.
Eric Snell – Chair of Public Art sub-committee
Over the past 30 years Eric Snell has built up many contacts in the art world exhibiting
and lecturing internationally and on his return to Guernsey in the early 90’s he was
instrumental in setting up the Guernsey College of Further Education’s Art and Design
department based at Grange House. As the designer of the Liberation Monument,
co-founder of the International Artist in Residence Programme and recipient of the
Guiton Ambassador of the Year Award in 2005 for ‘View through to the other side of the
world’ project (realised in association with the Arts Council of England and the Institute
of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia). Eric Snell is totally committed to the formation of
the Guernsey Arts Commission and to the development of the arts on Guernsey.
Connie Helyar-Wilkinson – Chair of Fundraising sub-committee
Connie has spent much of the last twenty five years of her career in offshore banking and finance and more recently in private equity fund administration. Her earlier years were spent in various entrepreneurial projects one of which was Mill Street Picture Shop, which sold art and craft materials and paintings. This experience stood her in good stead for co-founding International Private Equity Services (“IPES”) which she did in 1998. She successfully sold the business last year to the management team and has reduced her role with the company. She is now using her creative and financial
networking skills to assist the GAC in its fundraising. She is an ACIB and a
Chartered Director and is married with one son.
Russ Fossey – Chair of Music sub-committee
The Managing Director of Quayside Home & Leisure, Russ has played the drums since his early teens (over 30 years!) and currently plays with the Usual Suspects. Russ has found throughout his life that the enjoyment of music and particularly playing with other musicians has given him immense pleasure, not only in developing playing skills, but also in building many long term friendships and developing life skills including. Recognising the immense number of talented musicians in Guernsey playing a wide genre of music, Russ is proud to be involved in the promotion and
celebration of this talent.
Hannah Beacom – Chair of Performing Arts sub-committee
Hannah Beacom has been MD of Island Coachways Limited since 1997, and is an accountant by training. Hannah has been heavily involved with the local Performing Arts community, and has been a member of Guernsey Youth Theatre since 1982. She took up the role of Musical Director of the GYT Singers in 2003 and has been involved in several musicals including “A Slice of Saturday Night” and “High School Musical”, which was part of the opening festival of the Performing Arts Centre. She is married with one daughter.
Graham Daldry – Commissioner
Graham Daldry is Creative Director at Specsavers Creative in Guernsey. Heading up the UK’s largest in house advertising agency, he has over 20 years experience of advertising and previously worked at Ogilvy and Mather in London. He has won industry awards for TV, press and posters throughout his career, most recently for Specsavers TV ad ‘Collie’, and was author of the famous ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ slogan.
Trustees
Joan Ozanne
The co-ordination of the arts by the formation of the Guernsey Arts Commission is an exciting prospect, and something which Joan Ozanne has wished to see happen for a long time. Joan has been involved in the arts in the island for fifty years, mainly in an organising capacity, rather than taking part, though she does write and paint. With others she helped to set up Theatre Projects, The Arts Council, Guernsey Community Arts Association, Guernsey Lily Film Festival and the BBC Local Radio Advisory Council and was a member of the States Arts Committee.
Peter Sirett
Deputy Pete Sirett is a long time friend to the arts. Since 2002 he was Vice President of
the States Arts Committee and when he was elected a Deputy in 2004 took on the
Ministerial role at Culture & Leisure. Married to Sylvia with two children and four
grandchildren he still finds time to target rifle shoot and paint Guernsey’s beautiful
landscape (mainly in watercolour). Since the 2008 elections Sirett has taken over as
Minister of the Environment Department and his interests include photography, skiing,
walking and sea angling.
Laurie Morgan
Laurie Morgan, born in London, has lived in Guernsey for forty years, for twenty five of which he worked in the financial services industry until he retired in 1993. For nine years after retirement he was a non-executive director of his former employers’ international holding company and of its captive insurance company. Laurie was a member of the States Post Office Board from 1982 to 1988, when he was elected a Deputy for St Peter Port and later as a Conseiller. He was Chairman of the Guernsey Financial Services Commission from 1991 to 2003 and in 2004 he was elected the
Island’s first Chief Minister, a position he held until 2007. Laurie did not stand for
re-election in 2008.
Mike O’Hara
Deputy Mike O’Hara recognises the important part the arts play across the entire age spectrum. He is pleased that his appointment to Minister of Culture and Leisure has enabled him to take a pro-active role wherever and whenever he can to promote the arts within Guernsey, and beyond our shores. Mike has been a member of the States of Guernsey for almost 9 years being involved with Recreation, Education, Tourism and Commerce. Mike enjoys all aspects of the arts and in particular the
performing arts. His other hobbies include extreme sports and sea angling. Mike is
also Chairman of the Dyslexia Day Centre.