Gemma Kerr

Hi I’m Kelly, a resin crafter (Resin Expectations), author (Beyond the Ordinary, Crafting in a Crisis, and Selling at Craft Events – A beginners Guide) and director of The Crafters Collective – Princes Mead Farnborough. As a female, neurodivergent, creative business owner, my mission is to help people be their authentic selves. Whether that’s with my creations – inspired by goth, fantasy and steampunk genres – or giving other crafters a space to sell their work, and express themselves through their creations, I want to make the benefits of creativity accessible to all. Crafting has been a focus throughout my life, whenever things have been difficult, and I want to share its mental health benefits with everyone.

I’m an artist and creative producer with a wealth of experience of founding arts ventures and running arts venues, programmes, events, exhibitions and festivals – with a focus on fun and innovative approaches to animating underused spaces. Most recently I’ve had the privilege of setting up Saint John’s Arts’ Programme, collaborating with a large Education Trust to provide new exciting opportunities for young people to get involved in the arts in Gosport. I’ve also worked as Producer for Journeys Festival International, and held previous roles at ArtSpace Portsmouth, Liverpool Biennial and founded The Royal Standard (gallery, studios and social workspace), and Mighty Oak Creative Agency.

Assembled Moments is a female-led physical theatre company based in Lymington in the New Forest, with a focus on creating new work. Assembled Moments is led by writer/director Stacie Bates. Stacie Bates has a Masters in Theatre from the Guildford School of Acting and a PGDip in Classical Acting from The London Academy of Performing Arts. Stacie has written for Ink Festival, The National Flash Fiction Anthology and most recently wrote and directed the play Future First, an ecoplay co-created with local teenagers at Forest Arts. Assembled Moments’ work has kindly been supported by Hampshire Cultural Trust, Forest Arts Centre, New Forest Council, Culture in Common and the ACE.