The Committee
Aretha George -Tooley
Committee Chair
Aretha George-Tooley has lived in St Leonards for five years and has worked in the Arts, Heritage and Culture sectors for over 20 years. She currently works for the London Borough of Hounslow as a manager for culture which includes developing strategies to enable more people to participate in the arts.
Aretha has Chaired St Leonards Festival Committee since it formed in 2018
Ann Tucker
Committee Member
After officially retiring from an teaching in South London. Ann has lived in St Leonards for 13 years. Since arriving in St Leonards Ann has been involved in setting up several groups that support carers and others in the area.
Ann became involved in community activities soon after she had arrived, Initially by volunteering at St Leonards Festival in 2009. From then on Ann has continued to be involved in helping to fundraise, raise awareness and gain support for the festival generally and then finally became a committee member within recent years.
Ann is also a member of the St Leonards Town Team and helps to establish links and mutual support to ensure we work together to maintain and develop the vibrant and exciting town of St Leonards.
Ruby Cox
Committee Member
Ruby Cox studied sculpture at St Martins School of Art and has a degree in fine art. Ruby has been a Labour party councillor for Central St Leonards for four years and is also Deputy Mayer, chair of the Combe Valley Countryside Park, Older Persons' Champion and Vice Chair of the planning committee.
Ruby has a special interest in promoting Universal Basic Income and is currently arranging a public meeting to get residents of Hastings Interested. Ruby is also working alongside Hastings Voluntary Action and making Hastings a more age friendly and becoming part of the international network of Age Friendly cities.
Anna Sabin
Committee Member
Anna Sabin is a printmaker and an advocate for sustainability and the environment. She loves to plant trees and cycle and walk as much as she can. Her main focus for the environment is greener travel and promoting the use of more sociable and functional roads that are free of big motors.
Dawn Borthwick
Committee Member
18 Hours Production Team
Producers
18 Hours' experienced team creates and delivers events and education across Hastings and Rother with a focus on global citizenship and diversity.
They have been producing Hastings Storytelling Festival since 2012, under the Creative Direction of Founder, Mandy Curtis.
As the Development Education Centre (D.E.C.) for East Sussex, 18 Hours networks closely with local teachers to give them the skills, confidence and practical approaches to incorporate active global citizenship into their curriculum.
18 Hours is not-for-profit.