Meet Our Creatives
Matthew Rea - Founding Director
I’m 60 years old and a lifelong photographer. I bought my first camera in 1976 and thus began my creative journey which has bee on of my main inspirational outlets for nearly 50 years. As a job I spent my working life in IT working with one of the world’s largest travel hospitality companies managing a team of 175 people. The end result is that I am a fusion of visual creativity with pragmatic business sense and a passion for working with teams to exceed expectations through drive, imagination, and a relentless ability to never admit defeat
Whilst photography always remained a passionate hobby for many years I have recently changed my life to put it as a central element of what I do and who I am. This change was catalysed through my partner Bridget who is an all-out artist. Together we hatched the dream of Cotswold Edge Studios as a haven of art and creativity but delivered in a way that contravenes the typical corporate mantras of “time is money” and “profit is king”. At Cotswold Edge Studios time is a flowing stream of ideas and inspiration out of which we work with customers to craft breath-taking visual assets and experiences. Profit is just one of our rewards, fundamentally we are driven by the reward of helping customers achieve beyond their expectations.
We are fortunate to have been joined recently by Tom our new Creative Director who brings much valued experience in digital and social media and shares our passion for swimming against the tide of convention.
Being only a small team makes it very difficult for us to have tightly defined roles and we all do a bit of everything. I like to think we are the proof that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, but perhaps put another way – if you work with us then the get to enjoy a bit of the best of each of us.
When I’m not in the studio or office then you can find me in a canoe or a kayak, or perhaps out walking the beautiful Worcestershire countryside. I’ve learned the importance of surrounding yourself with nature’s creativity – so I seize every opportunity I can.
Tom Sedman - Creative & Operations Director
From as early as I can remember, I've been creating. From wanting to become an Actor until I was 16 to going through periods of producing music and taking up photography, it was pretty obvious that I was going to end up doing something creative.
After landing a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, I realised that working in marketing and creative services was the perfect way for me to channel my passion into my career. Nevertheless, I've always been ambitious, so when it became clear I needed a change of scenery from my 9-5 marketing job, I made the gutsy decision to help Matthew build Cotswold Edge Studios as the Creative Director.
My vision for CES has always been to strip back the corporate jargon and do something real and down-to-earth: to help local businesses and people grow through providing affordable yet high quality creative digital services and a versatile venue for hire. I'm the kind of guy who has to be really on board with what I'm working on, and after working for a small business and recognising both the passion that goes into them and their importance to the local economy, I feel a strong urge to help these businesses thrive.
When I'm not busy being a Creative Wizard, you'll catch me out on a 5k run, playing video games with my mates, or out exploring a city.
Bridget Steel-Jessop - Resident Textile Artist
I have a strong love of fabric and thread, which I believe comes from my childhood. My mother dressed antique dolls which meant sacks of Victorian clothes were always in our home - they were divided into their component parts and therefore I was surrounded by an incredible array of textiles.
Fabric and thread are my paint and brushes. The stitch I use is simple, yet when it's repeated, it can create the most intricate of drawings. The need to create is innate in me, and I feel this medium connects me to all the women who came before me: the Spinners, Weavers, and Menders.
At Cotswold Edge Studios we have a vision to create a community of Artists, and whilst this is just a vision for now, I am currently a Resident Artist utilising one of the CES studio spaces, my own studio.
I produce hand stitched, two-dimensional textile pieces which are mainly inspired by cartography - a birds eye view of man, the world, and human form. My work attempts to tell a small part of a person's story, a moment of time, and then I incorporate that with the intricate beauty and symbolization of a map or birds eye view.
You can find out more about me and my work by clicking here. I'm also part of a cooperative of Artists at the Gallery at the Guild in Chipping Campden and a member of S.E.W. which promotes textiles as a fine art.
When I'm not working on my Art, which is my passion and takes up a lot of my time, I like to attend a life drawing group, cook, and walk our dog, Maya.
Not-So-Human Resources
Providing vital support to Cotswold Edge Studios.
Maya - C.W.O.
As the Chief Walking Officer (C.W.O.), it's my job to ensure that all the staff receive a satisfactory level of exercise throughout the day. Mostly we go for walks together, but I also make them take part in football to switch things up every now and then - football mostly involves me running around with the ball however.
A little known fact about my role at Cotswold Edge Studios is that I'm also responsible for Office Inspection! Every day, I make sure to have a good sniff and explore round the Office, to ensure everything is clean, neat, and tidy.
When I'm not motivating the team, you can find me sleeping in my bed, hunting for treats, and playing even more football.
Flames - C.R.O. (Our cat didn't want to be photographed - turns out we can't capture *everything*!)
Being the Chief Relaxation Officer (C.R.O.) at Cotswold Edge Studios, I have to get up, walk down the stairs, and find somewhere new to relax every day. At this point, I've napped in every possible part of the house.
It's not all about finding new locations however - sometimes I catch mice, and that adds some well needed variety to my routine.
Outside of the Office, I do the same thing! Relaxing, catching mice, and I do love it when my colleagues show up to feed me.
