25: From Fashion Dreams to Crafting an Arts Legacy with Laura Wasley

Shaping a fresh brand identity is something a younger Laura Wasley might have envisioned—but back then, it would have been for a major fashion house rather than an arts venue and educational charity. Now CEO of the prestigious Make South West, Laura originally set her sights on becoming a buyer for the iconic London store Harvey Nichols, leading her to study fashion. After a brief stint in visual merchandising at GAP and running her own clothing store, her career took a different turn—one that merged creativity with education. Laura joined Arts University Plymouth, https://www.aup.ac.uk/ where she played a pivotal role in external projects and student development. Her dedication to helping undergraduates connect with the creative industries, and prepare them for the world after graduation, earning her well-deserved recognition.   In early 2020, Laura stepped into a new challenge at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, just as the world was about to shut down. The Covid lockdown made running an arts venue incredibly tough—but it also created the perfect opportunity for something long overdue: a rebrand. Laura led the transformation, working with members and trustees to give the organisation a new identity—Make South West—and collaborating with local design agency 51 Studio https://www.51studio.co.uk/ on a fresh, modern logo inspired by the organisation's archives. In our conversation, Laura shares what it's really like to run a creative organisation that's also a charity, the ongoing need for funding, and why having a small but highly efficient team is essential. Harvey Nichols' loss was the South West's gain! You can find out more about Make South West at https://makesouthwest.org.uk/ and on instagram at @makesouthwest.   

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