Each quarter, you'll meet one of our partners, giving you insight into the unique ways we collaborate with such a broad range of organisations.

This time, we spoke to Richard Fearn from the Doe Lea Centre to hear about their experience partnering with us.

The Doe Lea Centre is a Community and Resource Centre in Bolsover, hosting activities for all ages. The Centre is eager to grow its cultural and artistic offering of the area by hosting live shows, craft fairs, local artist exhibitions, art workshops and more regular groups.

Which organisation do you work for and what does your role involve?

I work for a small charity called theAult Hucknall Parish Community Association, which operates a community centre called the Doe Lea Centre. My official title is Community Development and Business Manager which involves growing and developing activities, events, workshops and weekly sessions alongside the local residents. It also includes fundraising, marketing, recruiting, managing volunteers and project managing our Bolsover Cultrual Corridor project.

What do you most enjoy about your role?

I get to meet so many fascinating people with a whole host of skills and stories. We’ve worked with miners, doctors, refugees, actors and those from all walks of life. People are definitely the key to everything we do be it music, crafts, yoga or jujitsu.

How did you hear about Orchestras Live and when did you begin working with us?

I originally came across Orchestras Live when I provided the sound for a project in the High Peak back in the early 2010’s. When I started working at Doe Lea, the opportunity came along to work with you on a project celebrating our local sculpture "The Dancing Flowers of Doe Lea" which I jumped at the chance, we worked alongside children at the local primary school to create a piece of music that included found sounds and their voices alongside orchestral musicians to an incredible effect.

What’s the most memorable thing about the partnership project?

Definitely getting the opportunity to work alongside the Consone Quartet and the local Primary school children again. They were so enthusiastic and willing to take part in creating a new piece of music, it was a fantastic opportunity for the young people to creatively collaborate on something original. Either that or our two-year-old percussionist!

How has the partnership project impacted your community?

The project has had an incredible impact locally with many people expressing their enjoyment of something they would not normally get the opportunity to see and take part in. The project has also inspired some of our partner organisations in the Cultural Corridor to try new things with the communities they serve and we hope to see more music and arts projects, exhibitions and performances in the future.

Describe working with OL in three words.

Energetic, creative and different.