People

Midland Creative Projects Limited Staff…

Jonathan Davidson, Director

Jonathan Davidson has worked for over twenty-five years in arts management and literature development, including working as a literature officer for local authorities and a director of book festivals. He set-up Midland Creative Projects Limited in 2007. He is joint-founder and Associate Director of the Birmingham Book Festival and Chief Executive (p/t) of Writing West Midlands, the region’s Literature Development and Delivery Agency (an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation from 2012). In 2011 he jointly-programmed the Ledbury Poetry Festival. He is a writer. His radio plays are regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4. His stage adaptation of Mary Webb’s novel, Precious Bane, toured with Interplay Theatre during 2009. His second collection of poetry, Early Train, will be published by Smith Doorstop in Autumn 2011. He is a Fellow of the RSA, a member of the National Association of Writers in Education, The Poetry Society and the National Association for Literature Development. He serves on the National Poetry Day Steering Group, is on the Board of the National Association of Writers in Education, and jointly-convenes the national Writers’ in Schools Project Managers Network (a NAWE network group). He is on the Artistic Policy Committee of the Belgrade Theatre and on the Board of Directors of Artspace (both in Coventry). He lives in Coventry.

Sara Beadle, Project Manager

Sara Beadle is a Project Manager for Midland Creative Projects Limited working as Director of the Birmingham Book Festival. She was previously Festival Programmer for the Birmingham Book Festival as well as undertaking other project management work. She has an MPhil in Playwriting from the University of Birmingham and is currently working on her first novel. She is on the Board of Live and Local, the rural touring network for Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire, and is a participant on the National Association for Writers in Education Adanced Literature Development Mentoring Scheme. She lives in South Derbyshire.

Joanne Penn, Administrative Assistant

Joanne has a degree in Textile Design from the Birmingham Institute of Arts and Design at Birmingham City University. She previously worked as a trainee marketing assistant at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. She lives in the Black Country.