About

Johnny is a Chartered Surveyor with 30 years’ experience practising in both public and private sector firms. He specialises in Urban Regeneration projects and is currently busy advising on the new Belfast Grand Central Station and Weavers Cross developments. Johnny developed a passion for live music growing up in Derry. He moved to Bangor 20 years ago and was thrilled to contribute to the Court House restoration project, recognising it’s potential to become Bangor’s premier music and arts venue, as well as a standout example of community led regeneration.

A Bangor native and a Chartered Surveyor with more than 30 years’ experience in urban regeneration and place management, Stephen has a passion for contemporary music and pushing the cultural renewal of Bangor City Centre. As a previous Green Party local Councillor he supports grass roots action that embraces diversity and positive change.

Chris is a Bangor resident with a passion for cultural-led regeneration, and considerable experience working across national government and the private sector, as well as leading his own cultural institutions. He is the founder of the Northern Ireland Science Festival and served as its Director for nine years, leading the festival from its conceptualisation to becoming one of the biggest festivals of its kind in Europe. With a keen interest in music, Chris has served on a range of cultural boards, including as chairperson of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and Out to Lunch Festival in Belfast. Currently, he is the Culture Development Manager at Belfast City Council, leading the Culture Unit and overseeing the development of the Cultural Strategy (A City Imagining) and the UNESCO City of Music programme.

David is a retired lawyer. He is a keen painter, musician, singer and historian. As Chair of Ards Comhaltas he welcomed 20,000 visitors to Bangor when it hosted the Ulster Fleadh in 2016. He helped establish the annual Columbanus Cross Community Folk Festival and is presently Vice Chair of The Friends of Columbanus. A stalwart of the local folk scene, he is a regular performer at the Court House Saturday session, and this August marks his ninth year on the critically acclaimed Folk on a Boat, which he describes as “a two hour flow of consciousness peppered by local bawdy songs and Bangor’s hidden history”.

Martin is a chartered accountant and tax adviser who spent 30 years with a global accountancy and consultancy firm. He is now (semi-)retired but continues to provide advice through his own boutique tax advisory business. Away from work, Martin has a wife and three grown up children, and a life-long passion for music, history, cycling and ornithology. He is originally from England but has made Bangor his home for the last 27 years.

Patricia is a qualified occupational psychologist whose main interests are in employee engagement, people development, organisational effectiveness and leading change. She has been involved in providing organisational consulting for more than 20 years for local start-ups through to global companies. She is passionate about community development, music and the arts and has been an Open House Festival volunteer for more than 10 years. Patricia is inspired by the incredible work of the dedicated staff and volunteers at Open House who are making such a difference for our community and is delighted to be on the Board.

Rachel Edwards is a strategist, storyteller, and critical thinker.  She is currently employed by the Strategic Investment Board, where her primary role is creating and connecting narratives to solve problems, and shape better experiences for people.

An experienced marketing and communications professional, and certified change management practitioner, Rachel has developed a wide range of strategic campaigns throughout the UK and Ireland, building brands across public, private and voluntary sectors to drive social, economic, and environmental change.

Sarah Jones has worked in the arts and culture sector for almost 20 years. She started at the British Council Northern Ireland, with event management roles at a range of festivals, organisations and venues including Young At Art, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Culture Night and Stendhal. For 13 years she ran The Black Box – an independent arts venue in central Belfast – and is now Director of the Northern Ireland Science Festival.

Stephen brings creative and branding strategic insights, drawing on 30+ years’ experience with some of NI’s leading advertising agencies and best known campaigns. He is Managing Director of krow Ireland, a Fellow of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, Past Chair of the NI Group IPA with a seat on the National Council in London, and currently sits on the Council of the NI Chamber of Commerce. Stephen is passionate about Bangor, and is a Committee member of North Down Cycling Club – but don’t hold that against him.