Laura Brewis

Founder and Director

Laura is the founder of We Make Culture CIC and manages the day-to-day running of the organisation. Previously, she has worked at Sunderland Culture as Artist Development and Creative Industries Producer and was the Young People’s Programme Manager at New Writing North, developing their work with young people. She has worked as a consultant at ARC Stockton, Pop Recs and TOWN and she is a trustee of Southwick Reach. In 2021 she won a Local Hero Award from Association of Independent Musicians and in 2024 was named as one of the Big Issue’s Top Positive Changemakers 2024.

Marie Nixon

Director

Marie works across the education, culture and charities sectors as the Theatre Director at Sunderland Empire. Marie is also a musician and songwriter as well as a Trustee of Beamish Museum, AV Festival and the MAC Trust in Sunderland. She is a Fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme and is interested in the role of creativity in bringing about social change, particularly in the context of North East England.

Hannah Matterson

Director

COMING SOON

Nadedja Leal

Project Coordinator

Nadedja is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and musician who moved to North-East England in 2017. She brings a wealth of experience to her new role as Project Coordinator for We Make Culture, with a background in design from the USA/Brazil and Artist Development in the UK, alongside managing her own solo career. As an solo artist, Nadedja has been championed by BBC 6Music and BBC lntroducing, and has recently landed a sync deal with her track ‘Unfold’ featuring on ITV’s Love Island. She headlined the first ‘From the Glasshouse’ concert at Sage Gateshead, supported acts such as Mica Paris and Rose Cousins, as well as festival appearances including Latitude and Dot to Dot.

Get in touch with Nadedja with administration and marketing questions: nadedja@wemakeculture.co.uk

Beccy Young

Project Producer

Beccy recently joined the We Make Culture team as Project Producer, after being a group facilitator for our Young Musicians Project for many years. She is a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter based in Sunderland with a BA (Hons) in Creative Practice. Beccy performs solo as 'This Little Bird' and also in synthpop duo ‘Chat’, having toured across the UK and Europe. At We Make Culture, she now mentors young people in writing/performing and assists in producing our community music projects.

Get in touch with Beccy with questions about THRIVE Project and Hendon Creates: beccy@wemakeculture.co.uk

Eddie Scott

YMP Coordinator

Eddie Scott is a business owner, songwriter and musician from Sunderland. As a songwriter, Eddie has had his songs played on national TV & Radio (ITV, BBC 6Music), as well as performing up and down the country with a variety of bands for over 10 years. Educational workshops, in-person residencies and live touring performances all come together to form Write Your Song, a business Eddie founded in 2022. Write Your Song provides accessible opportunities for songwriters to collaborate and learn more about the music business.

Get in touch with Eddie with questions about YMP and Next Steps: eddie@wemakeculture.co.uk

Natasha Haws

YMP Music Leader

Natasha co-leads our Young Musicians Project, focusing on songwriting and lyrics, and has led the group since its very first session, five years ago. Once a signed singer-songwriter, Natasha supported The Futureheads, Alison Moyet, Jools Holland, Texas, Lucy Rose and many others. Her music was featured on BBC Radio 1, Radio 2 and 6Music. She is now an actor and director. Natasha is passionate about making the Young Songwriters Project a safe space for young people to explore their creativity without the restrictions of exams or marking schemes.

Marty Longstaff

YMP Music Leader

Marty is a musician, recording artist and songwriter from Sunderland. He is also a fully qualified Teacher (PGCE) with an MA in English Language & Linguistics, and more recently an Honorary Doctorate from Sunderland University for services to Music and Education in the City of Sunderland. Marty has worked all across the UK, Europe and the USA playing shows, writing & recording songs heard on the likes of BBC 6 Music, Radio 1, Radio 2, and Netflix. Marty loves nothing more than creating and collaborating with like-minded writers, singers and music makers, helping the region's young creatives to achieve their potential.

Holly Rees

YMP Music Leader

Holly is a musician, songwriter and music producer with worldwide airplay and support from BBC6 Music, Amazing Radio, BBC Introducing, as well as an impressive touring career, including a 2018 UK tour and a 2019 Canadian tour. Alongside her solo career, Holly is a music producer and mixing engineer, working in a freelance capacity out of Production Room in Newcastle, and her own home studio. Holly is passionate about breaking down the barriers to songwriting and music production, especially for marginalised groups, working as a lead facilitator for the Young Musicians Project at We Make Culture.

David Brewis

YMP Music Leader

David Brewis is a musician, songwriter and producer from Sunderland. Since 2005, David and his brother Peter have recorded and released over a dozen albums as Field Music, and toured across Europe and North America. At their studio in the city, they have worked on various records for artists including The Futureheads, Paul Smith, Rachel Unthank and Roxy Girls. David has also supported a number of talent development programmes and has provided mentoring and workshop support with organisations such as Brighter Sound, New Writing North and We Make Culture.

Robyn Walker

YMP Music Leader

Robyn is a vocalist with a decade of background in writing, performing and recording music in different bands over the years. After graduating university with a BA Honours in Music, she’s focussed on playing as much as possible as part of bands bigfatbig and PICNIC; these two bands polarise one another in genre but both have succeeded in their own ways. Numerous national radio plays, tours, releases and shows later, Robyn is now excited to play a part in developing the next generation of talent, by transferring this industry experience to young people in the region she is so passionate about.

Lesley Roley

YMP Music Leader

Lesley Roley is a singer, songwriter and guitarist based in Gateshead. Since training as a community musician at The Glasshouse, she's been making music with various groups of different ages and abilities. As well as performing her own music, Lesley loves being witness to people's growth and seeing how much of an impact music can have on so many aspects of a person's life. 

Elizabeth Liddle

YMP Music Leader

Elizabeth Liddle is a singer/songwriter from County Durham taking inspiration from the sound of the 70s and is also a member of Middlesbrough Funk outfit Moon Wax. She has played festivals alongside artists such as Jake Bugg & Stereophonics as well as supporting the likes of Lindisfarne and Craig Charles Funk and Soul show. Receiving regular radio airplay and praise from BBC Intro North East & Amazing Radio, Elizabeth has performed up and down the country. Alongside this she works as a community musician, delivering workshops in a variety of different settings for various companies such as Musinc, Integrating, Sunderland Music Hub, and now We Make Culture.

Ashleigh Lowes

Project Musician

Ashleigh is a Community Musician and Vocalist from Sunderland. She co-leads our Front Street Songs project, YMP Peer to Peer Project and Thrive project, as well as various other project based activities. Ashleigh has been a Community Musician for many years after studying and graduating from the BA (Hons) Community Music degree at Sage Gateshead. She has also completed a Masters in The Teaching Musicians with London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Paige Temperley

Project Musician

Paige Temperley is a musician from the North East of England. She's a performer, writer and music facilitator with a Degree in (BA Hons) Community Music. Paige has worked alongside a number of amazing organisations including We Make Culture, Sage Gateshead, Brighter Sounds & Sunderland Music Hub to deliver various music projects across the North East.

Bridie Jackson

Project Musician

Bridie Jackson is a composer, performer and creative facilitator, regularly working with organisations such as Jack Drum Arts, New Writing North, Curious Arts and We Make Culture. Whether leading a mixed ability choir of 70+ singers, facilitating creative workshops or teaching songwriting in schools, she aims to bring an ethos of inclusivity, joy and collaboration to her creative projects. As a performer, Bridie is best known from the folk band Bridie Jackson and The Arbour, who received national recognition after winning the 2013 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Contest. She now performs regularly with the Newcastle based duo, Brick.

Liz Corney

Project Musician

Liz Corney is a musician, songwriter and facilitator delivering projects and commissions with New Writing North, Equal Arts and We Make Culture. Her work includes composing music for WhippetUp CIC and their touring puppet shows, and the Care Home Choir; the songs for which were performed by the Northern Sinfonia Chorus. She has written music with prisoners from HMP Frankland and devised and lead Generators WeCreate songwriting program, among various other projects. As a performer Liz sings with The Cornshed Sisters, who have supported Elbow and The Proclaimers, and played keys for Field Music on their tours in the UK, Europe and the US as well as major UK festivals. She is currently looking forward to releasing her solo project and DJing at more silent discos on the beach!