Vanessa S E Bone
1950 – 2008
A personal appreciation from Brian Mitchell

Vanessa and I founded Creative Cultures in August 2000. From our first discussion Vanessa put forward clear principles that would guide our work – we would seek out interesting and challenging work and we would strive to leave clients satisfied and with something tangible to guide their own work. Nothing that Creative Cultures would produce would be designed to stand unread on a shelf.

We had both worked in arts organisations, in local authorities and the arts funding system. We had already worked together as colleagues at the then Greater London Arts with Vanessa going on from there to South East Arts where she was Deputy Director and pioneered area wide cultural planning. We felt, with some justification, that we could bring our varied experience to benefit our clients.

For Vanessa culture was an absolute passion, it played an enormous role in both her private life and professionally. She fought the case for culture with great verve and tenacity. From our first consultancy task together – the production of ‘101 Ways to Develop a Cultural Strategy’ for the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management – Vanessa was on a mission, to deepen understanding of the importance of culture in our lives, both as individuals and within our communities.

Vanessa made a tremendous contribution throughout her professional life, taking on a role representing the arts for ILAM, chairing conferences and seminars, producing vivid articles on arts and regeneration and as a board member on Emergency Exit Arts. She is sorely missed by all those who knew her, worked with her and loved her.

Brian G Mitchell
Partner, Creative Cultures