Droitwich Arts Network Community Interest Company, Directors and Management Committee 2026
Chairman and Director – Rhys Jones
Rhys spent his whole career working in IT services mainly as a project manager. He has always been interested in the arts, particularly photography. After taking early retirement, Rhys worked for a few years as a freelance commercial photographer, but these days his photography is just a hobby. Rhys is the Chairman of Droitwich Arts Network. He has strong organisational skills and has a reputation for getting things done.
Secretary and Director – Rosie Philpott
After graduating from Worcester University with a degree in both Fine Art and English Literature, Rosie is now working as a freelance artist / illustrator. As a youngster she revelled in writing stories and bringing these to life through drawing and words. She is regularly producing greeting cards, paintings for children’s bedrooms and original commissions. She also exhibits in the Jinney Ring Craft Centre, following her appearance on the BBC program ‘Paul Martin’s Handmade Revolution’. Rosie occasionally works with local school children, is a member of the Salvation Army, and is active in all DAN activities.
Newsletter Editor – Tina Watkins
Tina Watkins is a mainly self-taught artist who moved to Droitwich from Kenilworth. Since taking early retirement Tina has enjoyed revisiting her interest in painting. She started again on a painting holiday in Greece where she discovered she hadn’t quite left it too late to relearn! A year at Warwickshire Art College, many and various painting clubs and several years of art tuition later she finds she is still learning. Tina is currently serving on the committee as Membership Secretary for the Coventry & Warwickshire Society of Artists and Newsletter Editor for Droitwich Arts Network. She is also a member of Droitwich Art Club.
Membership Secretary and Outreach – John EvansI took up art after I retired and just before the pandemic lockdowns began. I work mainly in watercolour with occasional excursions into pastel, ink, coloured pencil, and charcoal. I have benefitted from learning from other artists since I joined Droitwich Arts Network and in turn I am happy to share my own thoughts, experience, knowledge, and encouragement within DAN, and the wider community whenever I am able to do so.
Tara is a Droitwich resident who balances working full-time as a security professional in a high-pressured role with postgraduate studies. This demanding combination has given her a deep understanding of the vital importance of wellbeing practices and creative outlets. As an art enthusiast working primarily in mixed media and watercolour, Tara has experienced firsthand how creative activities can provide balance, reduce stress and foster mental clarity. She is passionate about making wellbeing accessible to everyone in the community, believing that practices such as mindful creativity, connecting with nature and exploring new skills can transform how we manage the pressures of modern life.
I trained and worked as a Primary School Teacher, before retiring early to take on grandchildren duties! I have been a member of DAN for a few years and am also a member of the WI, U3A and Droitwich Spa Art Club. I describe myself as a “Blue Peter” type of artist, experimenting with all kinds of art, still trying to find my own “niche”!
Committee Member and Director – Nicola GilesNicola is a self-taught artist passionate about traditional abstract art, working with oil and acrylic, as well as digital mediums. She also enjoys exploring new creative activities like needle felting and origami. Nicola believes in trying new artistic activities and always encourages others to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. Previously, Nicola worked as a designer for Kenji, where creating designs like the Rex range sparked her interest in Droitwich Arts Network after moving from Preston to Droitwich. Nicola recently obtained her MA in Human Resource Management.
Our Honorary Patron is Tristan Harris, Editor of the Droitwich Standard.