In 2005 and 2007 the Wootton Bassett Arts Festival existed in our previous incarnation as the Wootton Bassett Music and Art Festival. In 2009 the Festival was expanded to include Speech and Drama and Creative Writing with the result that there were around 500 entries to the Festival.
In 2010 the Festival Committee are pleased to be able to say that we will be reinstituting the Art Section and look forward to developing this along with the rest of the Festival Classes.
Mr. John Davies – Chair
A Wootton Bassett resident for almost 40 years, John returned to serious piano playing 25 years ago when his duties in Youth and Community Service allowed him spare time. He has accompanied several choirs and groups in the Swindon area and has been principal rehearsal and performance pianist with SALOS, Swindon’s premier musical theatre company.
Mrs. Miranda Shirnia – Marketing Director
Miranda has worked as a marketing professional in the computing industry for over 20 years. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing and an MBA. Miranda designed and created the Festival website as well as all promotional materials including the Syllabus and Programme. Miranda is the primary contact for press enquiries.
Mrs. Sandra McDowell – Chair, Speech and Drama Sub-Committee
Sandra McDowell LGSM, ALAM, has been teaching Speech and Drama to pupils of all ages for nearly 30 years, and for the past 8 has been and examiner for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). She has also been associated with the Mid-Somerset Festival in Bath for 20 years, helping to coordinate the Festival run each year which attracts entries from several counties.
Mrs. Sheila Dunn – Music Secretary
Sheila retired from the National Health Service having worked for 28 years at the Hawthorn Medical Centre, Gorse Hill, Swindon. Sheila had previously worked at the Rodbourne Cheney Junior School. Sheila’s hobbies include singing in the Light Operatic Societies of Swindon: SALOS (Swindon Amateur Light Operatic Society), WBLOS (Wootton Bassett Light Operatic Society), G&S (Swindon Gilbert and Sullivan Society) and HADS (Highworth Amateur Dramatic Society). Sheila has had several leading roles in productions of all of the societies listed above.
Mrs. Daxa Jannaty – Finance
Daxa Jannaty, Masters in Organic Chemistry, worked in the Agro-Chemical industry for 5 years in Cambridge as a Senior Analytical Chemist followed by 3 years in the Pharmaceutical industry in Swindon. Please contact Daxa for all finance related issues.
