About us

A freelance arts and heritage journalist, and audience development consultant, Laura has spent the past 25 years writing about people’s lives, dreams and ideas. While she feels privileged to tell those stories, she believes that everyone should have the chance to express themselves in their own way and is excited to be using her skills and experience to support them in that.

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Laura was previously Senior Editor (Customer) North West and North Wales for Reach Plc,  devising and implementing audience development strategies for two of the UK’s biggest regional news brands, the Liverpool Echo and the Manchester Evening News. She also held the post of Arts Editor on both the Liverpool Daily Post and the Liverpool Echo, and now writes the newsletter Stored Honey about the best of what's on in the North West cultural scene. She is a graduate of the University of Lancashire's Journalism Innovation and Leadership Programme, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Oral History Society.

With more than 25 years of experience in the third sector, from heritage sailing vessels to multi million pound cathedral capital build projects, Amy has a wealth of expertise from the arts, culture, and heritage arenas - with a foundation in the visual arts, maritime heritage and the preservation of traditional skills.

She is dedicated to cultivating initiatives that celebrate and champion our diverse national cultural identity. She has extensive experience in fundraising and bid writing, and the delivery of cultural events and activities spanning traditional music and dance, and heritage and arts-related festivals in front-line delivery roles. Additionally, she is a skilled painter, and singer of folk music.

Maeve Connolly has been a journalist in Northern Ireland for 25 years, working across print, online and radio for the Irish News. She was the head of audience strategy and growth and the deputy digital editor at the Irish News after spending 15 years in reporting roles.

Maeve has a particular interest in next gen audiences and the role of journalism in a post-conflict society, plus she has an MA in Journalism Innovation and Leadership from the University of Central Lancashire.