Celebrating Medway’s Leaders in Culture and Diversity

Blog

At Creative Medway, Supporting Diverse Creatives was one of our core priorities in 2025, shaped directly by the sector’s own voices and needs. Earlier this year we launched the new Creative Medway Diversity Toolkit, designed and tested by members of Medway’s cultural community to help creatives and cultural organisations turn good intentions into tangible change with guidance, best practice and resources.
👉 Explore the Creative Medway Diversity Toolkit

This year we also saw the work of Medway’s cultural community recognised at the  Sankofa Young Black Achievers Awards, Young People United Awards, and Diversity Awards. The awards hosted by the Medway African and Caribbean Association (MACA) honoured over 30 remarkable individuals and organisations and celebrated excellence in citizenship, diversity, culture and service.

“It’s brilliant to see Medway’s creative sector leading the way on diversity – celebrating heritage, amplifying new voices, and making inclusion real in practice. These awards recognise the people and organisations who inspire us all to build a cultural community where everyone belongs.”
Dr. Carol Stewart, Chair of Creative Medway

We’re proud to spotlight some of the nominees and winners whose creativity is shaping Medway:

• Lyrici Arts – recognised for transformative community engagement, from bold productions like SOUL FOOD and SHOWDOWN to year-round participation programmes that open doors for diverse voices and stories across Medway.
• Director of Mrs Baker’s Medway Theatre Company, Kate Mechedou – for championing inclusion by raising awareness of Black heritage in Kent. With projects such as the upcoming Story of Sara Forbes Bonetta, and collaborations with MACA on The Showman and The Chartist, Kate uses theatre to break down cultural divides.
• Royal Engineers Museum – recognised for playing host to major diversity events, including a carnival and a commemoration of the African and Caribbean contribution to VE Day.
• Paul Cowell – as Head of Culture and Libraries at Medway Council, Paul has championed diversity while securing investment and national recognition for Medway’s cultural sector, showing what’s possible when communities collaborate.
• David Lawrence – celebrating David’s career as a trailblazer in music and media from early DJ work and Destiny Records’ role in the rise of Neo Soul, to TV production and a powerful Windrush exhibition at Chatham Historic Dockyard. David now shares Black history across schools and organisations, enriching local understanding.
• Elizabeth Abedi – recognised for her incredible work with young people, including unaccompanied asylum seekers, teaching African heritage through art, crafts, and cooking.

Feeling inspired to do more to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of your work in 2026?  Check out the Creative Medway Diversity Toolkit for suggestions on where to start.