Who We Are
Rye Creative Centre Community Interest Company (Reg 12873626) was formed in 2020 to undertake the running of Rye Creative Centre on behalf of Martello Developments when they took over the lease with East Sussex County Council.
Samara Streeten
Arts & Centre Manager
We are delighted to welcome Samara Streeten to our management team in the role of Arts and Centre Manager. She has a creative and commercial background having started her career as a headhunter in the fashion industry.
After taking a break to focus on family, Samara has been working in the charity sector, most recently at Little Gate Farm. In her role before moving to Rye Creative Centre, she worked in Employer engagement, helping people with learning difficulties and autism into paid work. She also played an important role in event management at Little Gate Farm.
She grew up surrounded by art, as her father has had a successful career as a dealer in modern and contemporary British Art. She is very excited to be joining the Rye Creative Community.
Martin Geldart
Centre Manager
Martin has a creative and entrepreneurial background, having been a successful photographer in London for over ten years working for a popular car magazine, tabloid newspapers, and some of the biggest photo agencies in the world. He later became a partner of a successful photo agency, coordinating a team of photographers worldwide.
After relocating locally, Martin worked for himself as a web designer and developer, a skill that he taught himself as a teenager before Google was born, later becoming a certified social media manager and marketer and running his own online store. He also takes part in several charity organisations, as he is currently a Helmsman at his local lifeboat station, the highest rank on the boat, and is also a member of the Hastings Winkle Club.
Board Members
Sarah Kowitz –
Chair of Trustees
Sarah Kowitz is an active supporter of the arts and as a Trustee of Hastings Contemporary, Hastings International Piano, and the Fairlight Arts Trust has considerable experience of arts management. She is the Co-Founder of Bridgepoint Rye and a Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex.
Ian Roberts –
Trustee
Ian Roberts is a well-respected arts professional who has supported and directed some of the most prestigious events in the UK and in Europe, bringing over 20 years of experience in the arts, entertainment and cultural industries.
Julian Day –
Trustee
As Curator at Rye Art Gallery, Julian has a wealth of experience in both the performing and visual arts, he’s worked at Reed Elsevier as a director on International exhibitions and was responsible for development at Compton Verney Art Gallery.
Studio Holders
Rye Creative Centre is home to 37 artists, designer-makers and creative companies, with studios or archives permanently on site, known collectively as New Road Artists . See here for a full list of our current studio holders.