The Ford Collective is a group of artists, theatre makers, artisan workers, indeed anyone connected to the arts in the wider sense who have come together to raise the profile of the arts in Herefordshire and to maintain a presence during Lockdown. I was invited to join fairly early on and was reassured by the fact that everyone was in the same boat.
Being a member of the collective has been such a positive experience. It helps people to feel they are not doing it alone. I was fortunate to be mentored throughout my Arts Council funding application by Clare Wichbold who is head of fund raising at the Courtyard Theatre in Hereford. More recently, I have been involved in a Ford Collective collaboration, the results of which are yet to be shared – watch this space!!