The Festival Team

Malcolm Creese - Artistic Director

Malcolm Creese combines jazz and classical performances at the highest level with extensive film, television and recording work. He was a chorister at St. John's College, Cambridge, and he studied cello at school and at London's Guildhall School of Music. He worked as a cellist in orchestras and chamber music groups after leaving college, and he switched to double bass in his mid-twenties.
Malcolm tourned the world with Cleo Laine and John Dankworth from 1991 to 2001, and with Stan Tracey for six years. He has performed or recorded with George Shearing, Mel Tormé, George Benson, Lee Konitz, Mose Allison, Sting, Diana Ross, the Divine Comedy, Depeche Mode, James Galway, John Williams, Sir Thomas Allen, John Rutter, the Allegri, Medici and Fitzwilliam String Quartets, and the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, English Chamber, Royal Liverpool, Hallé, Ulster, Hong Kong Philharmonic and Concertgebouw Orchestras.
Malcolm's numerous film soundtrack credits include Sinbad, Gladiator, Shrek, Cold Mountain, Lord of the Rings and Paddington. Malcolm is a member of 21st Century Baroque, Dodo Street Band and the highly acclaimed trio Acoustic Triangle which includes the pianist Gwilym Simcock and the saxophonist Tim Garland. The trio has performed in concert halls, churches and cathedrals around the world, released four albums and worked in collaborations with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, the King's Singers, the Choir of Westminster abbey, the Royal Holloway Choir, the Sacconi String Quartet, Carolyn Sampson and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.
Malcolm is an experienced record producer and runs his own label, Audio-B. He has taught and examined at London's Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music. Malcolm was formerly Chairman of Romsey Arts Festival and the Artistic Director of Petworth Festival. He began his Artistic Directorship of Swaledale Festival in October 2007.

Heather Hodgson - Marketing Coordinator

Heather lives on a working sheep farm in Wensleydale with her husband and young family and actively supports the Dales and the thriving communities within them. Heather comes to the Swaledale Festival with a history of teaching English in both primary and secondary schools and has a passion for history, Yorkshire’s Industrial heritage and geography. She loves to run and cycle in the Dales as often as possible.

Emily Rowe Rawlence - Marketing Coordinator

Emily has a background in arts administration. She lives in Hawes and as well as coordinating box office and marketing activity for the Festival, she manages The NASH - a rural studio venue on the Pennine Way that delivers arts and heritage projects. Before moving north she worked for several London-based arts charities including Shakespeare Schools Festival and arts-in-health pioneer Rosetta Life. She also worked for a successful artist-jeweller where she helped with all aspects of running and promoting a creative business.

Tim Slater - Production Manager

Tim studied for a Masters in Contemporary Theatre Studies at the University of Kent and spent a number of years performing in film, TV and theatre before he began working in technical theatre. Working in production roles for various UK festivals including Reading, Latitude and Lounge on the Farm, Tim developed an interest in lighting design and stage technology. As Technical Manager for The Point and Berry Theatres, Tim now designs lighting and production manages for many in-house and touring shows. Tim also enjoys working with youth theatres and advising emerging companies on technical theatre. He joined Swaledale Festival back in 2009 and has enjoyed making a great many friends through the network of volunteers and the venues and pubs that the Festival frequents throughout the Dales!

Chris Curry - Events Manager

Having grown up in Grinton, Chris has attended and volunteered at Swaledale Festival events for over fifteen years and officially joined the team in 2014. He is self-employed in a variety of fields including events management, joinery, property management and woodland conservation. Chris is a member of Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, is a keen caver, rock climber and fell runner, and is Ringing Master of the St. Andrew’s Bellringers.

Rosie Cattermole - Administrator

Rosie is the most recent member of the Festival team having joined in November 2018. She lives in the centre of Reeth where she works in financial management for the Department for Education. Rosie grew up in Sheffield and studied music at University, becoming particularly interested in World Music and Ethnomusicology. She remains passionate about music and enjoys the theatre, live concerts and Carnival events. She moved to the Dales in 2016 for a more peaceful life and enjoys walking, exploring and socialising.