Realising Potential through Performance

Wootton Bassett Arts Festival

About Us

Phone: 01666 824410

E-mail: mshirnia@hotmail.com

In 2005 and 2007 we existed in our previous incarnation as the Wootton Bassett Music and Art Festival. However for 2009 we have an expanded Committee with a wider range of experience and are proud to be able to broaden the scope of the classes we offer—Creative Writing and Speech and Drama will be new for 2009.

Mrs Janet Chaplin—Chair

Before moving to Wiltshire Janet was a Senior Operational Civil Servant for 22 years leading a staff of over 1000 in and around London, with a budget of £53 million. Janet is also Chair of The Swindon Recital Series.

Mrs Miranda Shirnia—Marketing Director

Miranda has worked as a marketing professional for 12 years in the computing industry. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing and an MBA.

Mrs Sandra McDowell—Chair, Speech and Drama Sub-committee

Sandra McDowell LGSM, ALAM, has been teaching Speech & Drama to pupils of all ages for nearly thirty years, and for the past eight, has been an Examiner for the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA).  She has also been associated with the Mid-Somerset Festival in Bath for twenty years, helping to co-ordinate 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: S.A.L.O.S. (Swindon Amateur Light Operatic Society), W.B.L.O.S. (Wootton Bassett Light Operatic Society), G & S. (Swindon Gilbert and Sullivan Society), H.A.D.S. ( Highworth Amateur Drama Society). Sheila has had several lead roles in productions of all the societies listed above.

Mr John Davies—Music Sub-committee

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 some 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 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.