Meet the Roche Court Educational Trust team

Laura Joy  is a qualified teacher and artist-educator, who has devised and delivered high quality arts education programmes and projects for over 25 years, including with the National Trust, the British Library, and Arts University Bournemouth.

Her BA in Fine Art/Art History at University of the Arts London and MA in Fine Art (Distinction) from Winchester School of Art, strengthened Laura’s passion to extend experiences of the arts to all, in order to utilise art as a force for good in society.

Laura’s aim is to facilitate exciting projects and learning experiences that help to develop qualities such as resilience, confidence and independence, and to act as a conduit, connecting groups, organisations and individuals to create equality of access to the transformative power of the arts.

Holly Dennison is our Learning Participation Manager. She joined the trust in Spring 2023 having previously worked for Cambridge City Council leading activities for children and young people. She also tutored at Squeaky Gate, a charity that works with adults with learning disabilities.

Holly graduated from Cambridge School of Art with a BA in illustration and keeps a daily observational drawing practice to explore visual ideas and record experiences.

Sharing knowledge and engaging with the sculptures in the beautiful setting of Roche Court underpins Holly’s drive to facilitate conversation and creative practice for visitors of all ages.

Emma Kerr is one of our freelance art educators. Since 2009 she has enjoyed working with individuals and communities by leading projects and workshops in art galleries, museums, and schools. Emma’s purpose is to find ways of engaging everyone’s creative potential, which drives her passion for art education.

She studied BA (Hons) in Fine Art (First Class) at The Arts University Bournemouth and received a full scholarship from The Arts and Humanities Research Council to complete an MA in Sculpture at Wimbledon College of Art.

While in post as Head of Education at the Roche Court Educational Trust (2012-2017), Emma received the Marsh Award for Excellence in Gallery Education in 2016 from Engage-The National Association of Gallery Education.

Chess Mclean is one of our freelance art educators. She has worked as a Graphic Designer for both the New Art Centre and Educational Trust for over 6 years, creating maps, invitations, activity packs and even our fabulous sculpture explorers’ booklets. Due to Chess’ extensive knowledge of the park and much experience in working with schools and the community, she is an asset to our educator team.  

Chess studied Drawing and Applied arts at the University of West of England and achieved a Distinction for her master’s in Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts. She now works as a Freelance Illustrator and designer, using gouache and ink stamps to create illustrations and pattern designs inspired by the English countryside. Chess also runs her own workshops in calligraphy and gouache as well as working as an art practitioner for local arts organisations. You can find her website here.

Aurelia Cooper is one of our freelance art educators. Aurelia has a background in Arts and Education. Since she completed a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art, she has worked as a teaching assistant in a variety of schools, alongside establishing a Fine Art practice, conducting creative workshops at both her current artist in residency in a North London school, and at a Community Centre for over 55s.

She loves encouraging all kinds of making and creativity, with a particular interest in colour, organic forms, graphic novels and collage. She’s looking forward to producing a mural in collaboration with the school children at her residency soon.

Rebecca Churchill founded the Multi Sensory Art Project. She is passionate about making sure art is truly accessible for all. 

In a varied and eclectic career, she trained as a jeweller and sculptor at Middlesex university, worked as a playworker in east London for ten years, trained as a pyrotechnican and toured with theatre arts collective Blagart. She also founded Escrapology, an arts collective with a punk ethic that used found and recycled materials to create large scale play and public installations. Since 2000s she has taught in schools and become a trauma mentor. 

Art, play, well-being, and the re-use of found materials, inspire her practice today.

Julieann Worrall Hood is Creative Education Consultant to the Roche Court Educational Trust. An artist educator with over twenty years experience of devising and leading projects in schools, museums, communities, theatres and art galleries, before joining the team at Roche Court, Julieann was a lecturer and subject leader on the Contemporary Arts Practice degree course at Bath Spa University.

Creative, interdisciplinary and multi-sensory engagement with the arts can develop critical thinking and enquiry, problem solving, intellectual curiosity and self esteem and Julieann’s mission is to continue to find and create opportunities for all to take part in wonderful moments of shifted perception, insight and enjoyment of modern and contemporary art.