Team

MSL celebrates individual creativity, community and place. Established in 2005 by Margaret Sheehy, MSL produces and manages projects under three company brands: 

MSL Projects is centred on theatrical performance or installation and consultancy; MSL Digital explores the potential to open up narrative of place using AR, VR and mobile technology; MSL Discover is a not-for-profit development vehicle for community and individual learning.  

MSL is able to bring together associates from all areas of art and performance to create each project so that it is delivered by experts in their fields. The company itself is run with the minimum of overheads, ensuring value for money for funders and sponsors, safe in the knowledge that the vast majority of investment is spent on the project in hand.  For more information on our associates, go to our Partners page. 

MARGARET SHEEHY
Margaret is a director, writer and producer with experience in both the commercial and subsidised arts sectors. She has delivered community and large-scale festivals as well as ambitious and complex projects such as Creative Partnerships London and the initial cultural consultations for London 2012. Since establishing MSL in Hastings in 2011 she has produced over 20 highly original projects for the company. Margaret has a PhD in Drama from the University of Kent, is on the board of Greenwich & Docklands International Festival and was formerly Chair of The Audience Agency, the audience development agency for England.

JON PRATTY
Jon is a senior-level content consultant, an experienced digital publisher and a creative producer, working across a wide range of public and private sectors. Jon has also worked as a professional journalist, principally as a digital, arts and society writer on newspapers such as The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph. He worked at Arts Council England for five years as Area Relationship Manager, South East, based in Brighton and Cambridge. He was Creative Director of Culture24 for eight years. He initiated and was the Chair of Brighton Digital Festival, and his input was key to the successful development of Culture Kent. Jon is a Director of MSL Discover and an Associate of MSL Digital.

ARETHA GEORGE-TOOLEY
Aretha is a Culture Manager and an advisor on community engagement, audience development and diversity and inclusion. She has worked in the Arts, Heritage and Culture sectors for over 20 years. With experience of working for national funders including the National Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England, working on strategies to identify and remove barriers which prevent wider participation and engagement from diverse communities. Aretha currently chairs St Leonards Festival Committee and is a Director of MSL Discover.

SOPHIE GOLDSTONE
Sophie has twenty years experience of producing, developing and managing multi-art form content, productions and programmes. She has worked on a diverse range of creative projects at organisations including Vogue Magazine, BBC, and Melbourne International Film Festival. She believes that art in all its forms should be accessible for all and has the power to enhance people’s knowledge and wellbeing. She particularly enjoys working with creative teams and our local community to develop projects that resonate with audiences, bring spaces to life and inspire and engage people of all ages. Sophie is currently Executive Producer at MSL, overseeing project development and management, marketing and community engagement. 

HELEN SAMUELS
Helen has enjoyed roles in administration, venue management and PR within arts organisations and the independent film sector for a number of years. She strongly advocates for the inclusion of diverse and neurodiverse participants in the arts and has worked with Emerging Filmmakers’ Night and Oska Bright Film Festivals to promote this. She is a practicing painter and published writer, and her lifelong interest in environmental issues and the outdoors informs her creative work. Helen is currently Project Assistant with MSL, offering support in the areas of bid writing, environment awareness raising and engagement with the outdoors.

KATE HODGES
Kate Hodges has written nine books that have been translated into eight languages. Her titles include biography collections Warriors, Witches, Women and I Know A Woman and a novel, The Wayward Sisters. She has over 30 years writing experience on magazines, having been a staffer on publications including The Face, Bizarre, Just Seventeen and Sky, and written for many more. In her spare time, she plays in bands Ye Nuns and The Hare and Hoofe. Kate is currently social media and web site editor for MSL.