International Women's Day - Women Who Make

Women Who Make is a year-round programme of gatherings celebrating artists, makers, designers and activists who identify as women.

We can now announce the team of curators who will shape the programme with Derbyshire Makes Creative Director Claire Tymon:

Sophie Gresswell

Sophie is an artist, poet and arts practitioner exploring interconnected ‘living’ heritage. She aims to
encourage us in sitting with unknowns and finding space for a deeper sense of connection
which transcends our individual lifespan, and amplifies the way our human stories intersect
over generations, through cultures and between historical narratives to bring us to the
current moment in time, and inform the very people we are today.

She often partners with community organisations such as charities and museums, and has
worked extensively within educational settings to engage various groups in conversations
around belonging and intersectionality.
Sophie has had work featured on BBC Arts, Radio 6 music and exhibited in UK, China and on St
Helena Island.

Samantha Whelan

Samantha is a Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Platform Thirty1, a women-led organisation based in Derbyshire. They use creativity and the arts to work on generating agency and power, so that those they work with can tackle any societal, environmental, political, personal or cultural problem that is important and impactful to them, their family and/or their community.

She leads their strategic planning and partnership work, business growth and the sector development delivery strand. This includes being Chair of the Black Shale cultural education partnership and Lean On; a professional development programme for women working in arts and culture that seeks to improve their financial resilience.

Samantha is currently interested in the strategic and operational connector roles that enable front line services and professionals to thrive, and the conditions and input required to do this well. Aligning with this, she is working on the next phase for the Lean On women’s development programme, which uses action learning, mentoring, training and collaborative experiences to bring women together to improve their financial resilience.

Platform Thirty1’s other work includes creative holistic activity for women and children in domestic abuse refuges, and co-creating with ex-industrial communities to improve outcomes for people and places.

Stephanie Walsh

Steph has worked within the cultural sector in Derbyshire for over 20 years. Currently in post as Senior Economic Development Officer at DCC, with a remit for culture, tourism and international links. Steph is a project manager for Derbyshire Makes and manages the international partnership between Derbyshire and Toyota City in Japan.

Steph is also a photographer, creative practitioner, workshop lead and guided walk facilitator with a passion for arts, wellbeing and nature connection.

Previous large-scale projects include the Derbyshire Food & Drink Fair, Festival and Awards, Steph is currently the Derbyshire correspondent for the Great Food Club.

Steph is a committee member for Wirksworth Twinning and has lived and worked in France, Africa and Japan, as well as managing a variety of international artist exchange projects. In 2024, she curated an exhibition of Derbyshire artists for the Chatillon Arts et Vigne Festival in France.