Wigan Cultural Partnership has appointed Venessa Scott as new chair

Venessa is an award-winning creative leader, artist and social entrepreneur with more than twenty years' experience leading strategic partnerships that use the power of culture to transform places, strengthen communities and create opportunities for people to succeed.

As Chair of the Wigan Cultural Partnership, Venessa is committed to ensuring culture plays a central role in shaping the borough's future. Bringing together partners from across Wigan, she champions culture as a powerful driver of wellbeing, regeneration, education, opportunity, and inclusive economic growth, helping to create a borough where creativity is accessible to everyone and communities are empowered to shape the places they live.

Venessa is Co-Founder and Director of SevenThreeOne, the award-winning not-for-profit organisation established in 2015. SevenThreeOne has developed pioneering programmes that use the creative industries to improve education, employability and wellbeing for serving prisoners, people leaving custody and disengaged young people. Working across the cultural, public, education and voluntary sectors, she has built impactful partnerships with organisations including the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, local authorities, education providers and community organisations, delivering innovative projects with lasting social impact.

An internationally recognised public artist, Venessa's collaborative practice explores the connections between people, place, nature and heritage through ambitious public art commissions and community-led cultural programmes. Her work demonstrates how creativity can build civic pride, strengthen local identity and support sustainable regeneration.

Prior to SevenThreeOne, Venessa held leadership positions in further and higher education, where she led curriculum innovation, quality improvement, employer engagement and strategic partnerships with industry. Her work focused on creating pathways between education and the creative economy, enabling learners to develop the skills, confidence and opportunities needed to succeed.

Venessa has also worked nationally as a presenter and creative educator with the BBC, reaching global audiences through BBC Bitesize, CBeebies, Blue Peter and BBC Live Lessons. Through this work, she has championed the importance of creativity and learning and access to cultural opportunities, inspiring young people and communities to engage with the transformative potential of the arts. With a deep personal connection to Wigan, Venessa is passionate about ensuring that culture remains central to the borough’s future enabling communities to shape, participate in, and benefit from a vibrant cultural landscape that reflects the creativity, heritage, and aspirations of its people.

Venessa takes over as chair from Derri Burdon, CEO at Curious Minds, who stood down in Summer 2026.