About FESPA

Georgie has been President of FESPA for 5 years. As an actress, she is only too aware of the challenges facing the performing arts. They have, of course, always been in need of support and patronage but never more so than now. She is proud to represent a group of committed, like minded friends whose aims are to raise funds, in imaginative ways, in order to be able contribute to the vital role that the performing arts play in all of our lives.

Barbara discovered Southwold through her good friend Jill Freud - she and her brother Alan Horne have subsequently worked in local Suffolk theatres over the last 40 years. When not treading the boards, she is in the North Sea with the year round Sole Bay Swimmers.

Margaret joined as the Membership secretary in 2009 and eventually became the Treasurer as well. After retiring she became a regular volunteer at the local transport museum in their entrance pay kiosk so her 51 years in banking has stood her in good stead!

Kate shares her time between London and Southwold, ensuring that the Nellie is never left unvisited for too long. When she is not working as a Magistrate or as a Chair of Governors she is reimagining an unfulfilled childhood dream of becoming an actress.

Caroline has lived in Southwold (having moved from Cambridge) for about 7 years though she sometimes wonders if she's actually in Heaven! She enjoys volunteering, particularly for the INK festival, including the initial reading of scripts at the Biscuit Club, though of course the highlight is seeing all the plays every April. She also loves to swim all year round and can often be found at the beach.

Phyllida is delighted to have joined the Trustees this year after visiting Southwold for many years. Her first visit was as a member of the Southwold Summer Theatre in 1989, when she fell in love with the place. After working in the theatre for several years, she now works as a coach helping people with presentation and management skills and comes to Southwold as often as she can for dips in the sea and catching up with friends.

Nikki's been part of the arts scene her whole life. By day, she's worked in engineering industries, supporting the technical side of live entertainment. She's pleased to support the local arts scene, following in the footsteps of her extremely talented parents, who relocated to Suffolk decades ago following their retirement from their careers in the tv and theatre industries.

Christine Webb co opted into FESPA in 2017 and was chair person until 2024. She set up and helped run the FESPA Showbiz Quiz and her husband has delighted FESPA audiences with his ukulele playing at our Open Mic event and Wangford Summer Concert. Christine lives locally and helps run a Charity Shop in Southwold High Street.

James has been coming to Southwold all his life. After recently retiring he joined the FESPA committee. He looks after the Bursary and Grant applications. He also volunteers weekly at the RNLI shop in Southwold – all activities he enjoys as they allow him to maintain happy links with Southwold.

Charlotte moved to Southwold in 2003 to take up her post as the manager of Southwold library, after a lifetime of holidays in the area. She runs a number of literary and arts events as part of her role and became a FESPA Trustee in 2023. She is also involved in a number of local charities and community organisations.