José Forrest – Regional Artist Development Co-Ordinator (Midlands)

With an MA (Distinction) in curating and an MA in fine art, José commenced her management training in 2002 as an Arts Council Fellow based at Mac Birmingham. For the last 17 years she has developed innovative audience and community engagement projects with leading cultural organisations such as Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Wolverhampton Art Gallery and the National Trust both as an artist and a project manager.

She combined a recent role at Lapworth Museum of Geology at the University of Birmingham, developing their business plan, which included a four-year learning and outreach programme funded through Arts Council England — while juggling her own practice as an artist and digital curator to produce Future Possibilities Lab, a pilot project exploring connections with art and geological data to encourage audience engagement with galleries. Asked what drew José to Outside In and the regional artist development officer position, she said: “The role offers me the opportunity to raise the profile and to broaden the diversity of artists in the Midlands to engage with leading national organisations; Outside In, Pallant House, Fabrica and Compton Verney.” Email: jose.forrest@outsidein.org.uk Tel: 07496 997 333  or 01903 898171 ext 306

Marc Steene – Director

Marc sees his work as enabling people’s creativity, challenging concepts as to who is an artist and what art is. He seeks to create a fairer art world where a wider body of artists are recognised and have the opportunity to have their work seen and valued and gain opportunity in the art world.

He has been responsible for the programming and curating of acclaimed exhibitions of outsider, modern, historic, international and contemporary art, and for the presentation and interpretation of one of the most significant collections of Modern British art in the country. 

To contact Marc email: 

marc.steene@outsidein.org.uk or tel: 07814 831567

Matt Forbes-Dale – Communications Co-ordinator

Matt joined the Outside In team in September 2019. He has over 25 years communications experience, having worked both agency, client and freelance side for a variety of clients , and specialised in creative communications and strategy, driving arts-related projects for major brands as well organising international events and generating widespread publicity. Matt studied film and creative writing at UEA and has a passion for the visual arts, having also worked as a curator on various projects, and enjoys art, music, writing and exploring his new town of St Leonard’s in his spare time.

Email: matthew.forbes-dale@outsidein.org.uk
Tel: 07903 028452 or 01903 898171 ext 305