By Claire Cooper

For Lindfield businesswoman Gabrielle Hall, life is getting ‘curiouser and curiouser’ – and she is delighted to have taken on a very creative role.

From establishing three of the village’s best loved shops, then moving on to set up a centre for creativity, spirituality and wellbeing in Ardingly, life rarely stands still for Gabrielle who is looking forward to her next exciting challenge – directing next year’s Lindfield Arts Festival, which she describes as stepping into ‘Wonderland.’

“I’ve always been very driven, with a strong sense of community,” said Gabrielle, who lives in the village with her two sons. “There’s a huge part of me that’s incredibly creative, so it’s natural for me to be involved with the Arts Festival. I studied fashion and textiles at art college many years ago and still enjoy creating art.”

After agreeing to take up the role of Director for the 2013 Arts Festival, which runs from 10th-12th May, Gabrielle’s first job has been to shape the committee and register the Festival as a charity. “I’ve been delighted by the group of talented people who have volunteered their services,” she said. “We now have a committee of 20 plus people full of ideas and enthusiasm who share my vision and passion. This means we can really push the boundaries and already have some amazing ideas that could take the Festival to a whole new level!”

The theme of next year’s Festival is Imagination, Fantasy and Fairytales. “It’s all about stepping out of our normal reality and into wonderland,” said Gabrielle.

Excerpt from December 2012's magazine. Read more in the magazine, p.28