Rachel is named arts champion

Photo: Alan Hamer

HEARTS for the Arts award winner Oldham Council arts development officer Rachel Wood.

DEDICATION and commitment to Oldham's arts scene has earned Rachel Wood the title of Best Local Authority Arts Champion.

Oldham Council arts development officer Rachel was named joint winner of the Officer category at the inaugural Hearts for the Arts awards.

Organised by the National Campaign for the Arts and What Next?, the Hearts for the Arts awards were set up to show "love and support for those who try to make life more interesting through art and culture".

Rachel, who has worked for Oldham Council for 20 years, was named the winner of the award for working "tirelessly, cheerfully and with an unerring professionalism".

This year she faced her biggest challenge when tasked with developing and delivering the opening spectacle for Oldham's new cinema in the restored Old Town Hall building last October.

The "On the Shoulders of Giants" performance involved Rachel working across the whole council, with senior leadership, Odeon cinemas senior management and local partners including Oldham Theatre Workshop, to deliver the spectacle.

One of the award judges, AL Kennedy, said: "Rachel has shown long term commitment to arts activity, running a number of programmes in key areas with intelligent strategy and success."

Over her career Rachel has also developed Oldham Council's in-house theatre company for people with learning disabilities, Chrysalis, as well as community initiatives such as the Limehurst Arts Society and the CHAI women's group.

She was named joint winner with Pokuaa Osei of the London Borough of Haringey.

Oldham was also nominated in two other categories at this year's awards.

In the Best Local Authority Arts Initiative, Oldham was nominated for the Limehurst Arts Society, a project aiming to integrate art into the community through a sustained programme of activities.

The Earthed project, which saw Oldham Theatre Workshop explore community frictions in the Clarksfield area with performances and workshops, has been nominated for the best Local Authority Arts Project Encouraging Community Cohesion award.

Samuel West, National Campaign for the Arts chairman, said: "It's a tough time for local authority spending, and we know councils are feeling the pressure of central government cuts.

"But there are some places where elected representatives stand up for the arts, and fight to protect the tiny amount of investment that goes into arts and culture."