Meet our Festival Team for 2009

Steve Brookes (Chairman)
	As chairman, Steve’s key role has been the overall coordination of the Voluntary Group and taking a lead role in fundraising. Steve is a former Town Councillor and a former senior police officer and is now a Senior Fellow at Manchester University (Manchester Business School) where he lectures and researches public policy and management. He does not have a background in music but "knows what he likes" and is a fan of 60s/70s music and classical.
click here to contact Steve Brookes

Kate Moss (Overall Event Co-ordinator)
Kate’s role has been to co-ordinate the events and programme during the 2008 Festival. Kate is a former Town Councillor and in her professional life, Kate is a Reader in Law at Wolverhampton University having previously been a criminologist and lecturer in law respectively at Loughborough and Staffordshire Universities. Music has been a key part of Kate’s life having studied music before entering law and she was a member of the Staffordshire Youth Orchestra as a flautist.
click here to contact Kate Moss

Natalie Hall (Honorary Member)

Natalie has been involved throughout in coordinating the young musicians events including the Youth Music Festival in 2007 until she left home to study law at Durham University. However, members would wish to ensure that Natalie remains as an honorary member of our group

click here to contact Natalie Hall

David Peel (Voluntary Group Member)
David is a former BBC Journalist and takes a lead for the Music Festival in all matters relating to the media and marketing.
click here to contact David Peel

Paul Walker (Artist Coordinator)
	Paul is a professional musician is known locally as Mr Music. Paul took a key role in coordinating artists and acted as stage manager during the 2008 Festival. He can be found every Monday evening at Granvilles where he hosts an open mic evening.
click here to contact Paul Walker

Phil Barber (Voluntary Group Member)
Phil is the owner of the well known Barber Lutherie Musical Instruments shop in the town (and, as this picture shows, the very proud owner of his very first reflective jacket!) and has been a strong supporter of the music festival from its inception. In addition to providing his expertise in relation to music, and donning the odd spanner he was also very active throughout with his camera and it is with thanks to Phil that we have so many photographs of our festival!
click here to contact Phil Barber

Adam Jones (Voluntary Group Member)

Adam - well known proprietor of Granvilles in Stone - has been a stalwart supporter from the beginning and was also able to bring his previous experience of arranging street parties and artists to the group. Adam was key in the arrangements to secure Nick Hancock for the opening and China Crisis as our headline band for the Saturday. A lover of all types of music, Adam is a key member of our group.

click here to contact Adam Jones

Dave Williams (Artist Coordinator)

Dave, together with Paul Walker, has responsibility for speaking to bands and artists who wish to perform and to support the developing programme of events. Dave - a recently reitred police officer - is often seen around the Town and elsewhere playing in several bands. For example, he played with Lost Dog in last years festival

click here to contact Dave Williams

Tim Toft (Classical Coordinator)

Tim is another well known businessman who specialises in violins. For a number of years Tim has arranged classical concerts within the town and has been a source of real inspriation during the first music festival and made the arrangements for the superb performances by Atsuko Sahara (seen with Tim in the photograph) and in arranging the inspirational opening by the String Quartet with a special arrangement of Delilah - the Stoke City theme tune - to accompany the official opening by Nick Hancock.

click here to contact Tim Toft

Joe Barber (Young Musician Coordinator)

Joe has played a key role in working with Natalie to arrange the very important youth music stream of the music festival. He is no stranger to music himself and is the drummer in the well known local band Skin Deep. His expertise in relation to sound systems was a real help during the actual festival itself and, in particular, during the youth gig at the Den on the Thursday evening. Joe is seen here in deep conversation with Natalie during the finale.

click here to contact Joe Barber

Collin Taylor (Compere)
	Collin joined the group having been asked to compere the finale on the Sunday. In his professional life Collin is a seasoned civil servant undertaking a very taxing role but perhaps he has miissed his real calling in life. Those who were there will know what an excellent job Collin did - and he enjoyed it so much that he agreed to join the group to support us in preparing for 2009.
click here to contact Collin Taylor

Malcolm (Security Coordinator)

No festival - such as that witnessed in Stone this year - could take place without security. Malcolm provided invaluable support on the run up to the festival and during the festival in providing the much needed safety and security support that was needed. He was able to call upon his vast professional experience in managing the security of large events.

click here to contact Malcolm

VACANT
	Join our Team - go to our Contacts Page using the link opposite
click here to contact VACANT

Mark and Kristen Green (Mayor and Mayoress)

Not members of the group but most certainly active supporters. Throughout our planning and execution of the music festival our Mayor and Lady Mayoress were never far away and could be seen really well scrubbed up and donnng the chains one minute and then changed into less formal attire to help with spanners and barriers. Our Mayor Mark Green is seen here presenting the prize to the winner of the busking competition.

click here to contact Mark and Kristen Green