HERITAGE + ENVIRONMENT PROJECTS
In 2024, Didier was awarded funding from Creative Scotland to undertake an arts-heritage project exploring the creative potential of Scottish wetlands - Drowned, Drained, Swamped & Bogged Down: Initiating A Creative Exploration Of Mythterious Scottish Marshes & Wetlands.
In 2023, Didier supported a pair of Folkestone-based artists (Sound Emergence) to secure funding from Arts Council England for a soundbath “pilgrimage” of medieval churches in Kent. Didier is helping to producing to the Church & Coast Project events, which take place from April-July 2024.
Didier was previously Cultural Heritage Officer on a multi-million pound National Lottery Heritage Fund project based on Romney Marsh in Kent, The Fifth Continent Landscape Partnership Scheme (Kent Wildlife Trust and 20 partner organisations). Here he managed various arts and heritage projects, delivering innovative ways to engage people in the cultural and natural heritage of Romney Marsh. Didier’s major projects included The Marsh Mosaics, a tour app and 3D virtual tours for the medieval churches of Romney Marsh, development of a heritage trail for the town of New Romney and a musical composition interpretation project. Didier commissioned and supervised contractors and consultants, and worked with volunteers. He also wrote funding bids to secure additional income for the scheme.
In 2022 Didier established Community Interest Company Moving Being CIC to run the first FolkeFest: Folkestone Contemporary Folk Festival. Under Didier’s direction, the week-long festival included 40 acts and over 100 individual artists spanning live music, dance, visual arts and crafts, theatre, workshops and talks, working across 14 venues in the town.
From 2020-22 Didier played a major contribution to building and developing the Locavore Community Garden in Folkestone (Custom Food Lab CIC). He helped design, build and maintain the garden, as well as supervising volunteers and running workshops for local people.
Didier has co-directed Folkestone Pride and also served as Community Curator on Our Screen Heritage, an LGBTQAI+ film archive project from University of Brighton in collaboration with Queer Heritage South, Folkestone Pride and Margate Pride (funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund).
Didier continues to support Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust (a grant-giving and educational charity) on a range of heritage-related projects.
He also supports the Charles Wood Festival Of Music & Summer School with fundraising work; a festival centred around the cultural heritage of one of Northern Ireland’s best-known composers.
