Victoria (Tor) Cooke, Programme Manager at The Art Station charity in Saxmundham, is part of the team behind Sax Art Fest, which takes place tomorrow. Here, Tor looks forward to the one-day celebration – and introduces two of the artists involved
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Tor Cooke and I’m the Programme Manager at the Saxmundham-based arts charity The Art Station, which offers a wide programme of Arts and Learning Experiences for the community as well as support services and exhibition spaces for artists.
The charity operates out of two beautifully unconventional buildings; a former Telephone Exchange with lots of interesting mid-20th century architectural details, which houses our offices, some artists’ studios and co-working space, gallery spaces for exhibitions and events, a riso studio, community kitchen, and a beautiful garden. We also have a former Bank premises just down the same high street, complete with walk-in vault. Many community events and exhibitions take place there.
How long have you been in the role and what does it entail?
I arrived in post in February 2025 and before that, I spent seven years as Director of an international art gallery, in Accra and in London. My role is a mixture of curating art, planning and delivering events and creative activities. No two days are ever quite the same. I work closely with artists at every stage, from initial conversations about their practice through to bringing exhibitions and projects to life for our community.
One example is Inside Out, a year-long wellbeing programme for Years 4–6 in local primary schools in and around Saxmundham. Led by experienced yoga teacher Jo King, it blends yoga, mindfulness, nature, and creativity to support children’s emotional and mental wellbeing. Through breathwork, movement, and regular practice, children build confidence, manage emotions, and reduce anxiety. Creative activities like art and storytelling encourage self-expression, while group sessions help strengthen social skills and connections.
Inside Out is all about nurturing resilience, self-awareness, and wellbeing through engaging, screen-free experiences, helping children feel calmer, more confident, and better equipped for everyday challenges. It’s happened thanks to our funders, East Suffolk Council.
The part I love most about my job is working with artists; there’s something really special about being close to the creative process and helping to connect that work with audiences in East Suffolk.
How varied is the Arts and Learning Programme at The Art Station?
Very. It comprises exhibitions, events, talks and screenings. Something for all ages, both adults and young people. Our Programme is for everyone in the community, not only artists and creative professionals.
The range of activities on offer includes creative opportunities for different social groups in the local area, with an emphasis on art, wellbeing and collaboration. There are lots of activities for children and young people that offer access to contemporary creative practice. We work in partnerships with local schools, colleges, the University of Suffolk and other organisations such as Britten Pears Arts. We engage students in creative thinking, ways of communicating visually and in creative teamwork.
Learning how to see an idea through from its conception to designing, making and then presenting an art/tech work, enables decision-making, learning how to take risks and problem solve. It teaches students how to use initiative and be innovative. Those are all skills that are needed to thrive at work or in higher education.
At The Art Station, we view and apply “creativity” in the widest possible sense. It isn’t only about the visual arts. One example of applying creativity differently is with our family cooking sessions, where you learn how to make nutritious, delicious and affordable meals together.
What is happening on Saturday June 13?
That’s the date for Sax Arts Fest, which is our one-day celebration of creativity and community taking place in multiple venues and sites around Saxmundham high street and surrounding area.
The festival will transform the town into a traffic-free cultural event with multiple “Zones” you can explore, each showcasing different aspects of local talent and bringing people together through arts and cultural experiences, live music, and great food. It’s for everyone (adults and children) and it’s FREE of charge. Our last Sax Arts Fest was back in 2024 where we welcomed over 7,600 people to Saxmundham.
What’s happening this year?
Festivalgoers can look forward to a packed day and evening from 12 noon until 10pm. The programme includes hands-on workshops, live arts, outdoor performances, music stages, popup installations, and all sorts of activities for all ages.
The festival will conclude with a striking event in The Art Station’s Garden, featuring William Wallace’s “Life/Work Balance”. It’s a dramatic, life-sized wooden sculpture of a heavy horse. The base of this installation is designed to ignite multiple times with carefully controlled flames, creating powerful visual moments that mark 2026 as the Year of the Fire Horse.
The other major event happening as part of Sax Arts Fest is the launch of “Local Yokel” exhibition at The Art Station and our former Bank premises on the high street. This major new and FREE exhibition runs from 13th June to 15th August 2026 and brings together artists with a strong connection to Suffolk; some who live and work here, or grew up locally, and some who also work internationally. The line-up includes Sarah Lucas, Kate MccGwire, Laurence Edwards, Annabel Dover, William Wallace, Bob Bicknell-Knight, Kristina Tonev and others.
Spotlight on two of the artists involved
Kristina Tonev
Lithuania-born Kristina Tonev is a Suffolk-based artist who works in performance art and visual art, with a focus on connection: with people, nature, and herself. She has a First Class BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art from the University of Suffolk.
Mainly she works with straw, to create interactive sculptures and site-specific installations in landscapes and architecturally significant spaces across East Anglia. Her practice centres on the fleetingness of human life; she uses earth friendly biodegradable materials, and she documents the work in photographs and moving image.
Recently, her art has involved weaving straw in public places, inviting invite audiences to slow down in a fast-living world.
Kristina has been growing English Heritage Wheat in preparation for an art installation as part of Local Yokel, the group exhibition for artists who each have a connection to Suffolk which opens on Saturday August at The Art Station.
Kristina says: “When I talk about my cultural heritage, I no longer refer to Lithuania as it is, because some aspects today are unfamiliar to me, but rather to Lithuania as it existed when I lived there, and the artefacts, monuments, and sites, as well as traditions, practices, knowledge, and expressions that are still present in my life today. Since I now reside in Suffolk, England, I feel that my cultural identity is changing, the diversity and intercultural understanding impact the art I do.
“Why straw? Material of straw comes from cultural heritage. Growing up on a farm, I remember the entire family sitting down and doing chores together, such as harvesting. We had sleepovers with cousins on newly stored hay in a large wooden barn on warm summer nights. How much of it is personal yet becomes universal. It is critical to bring nature back into the spotlight, to develop restorative solutions, and to return to raw creative states. I am connecting my roots with Suffolk, by connecting with local people and weaving myself into Suffolk landscape.”
William Wallace
William is a Suffolk‑based contemporary artist whose practice explores landscape, memory, and identity through large‑scale, hand‑crafted installations. He draws on his Romany‑Jewish heritage and a sense of belonging/identity; by incorporating hand stitching and textile processes, and references to working horse culture as symbols of labour, control and connection to land and tradition.
He continues to develop materially rich, site‑responsive work rooted in place. For Sax Arts Fest, he will present Life/Work Balance, a dramatic life‑sized wooden sculpture of a heavy horse that is activated by controlled bursts of flame. It will create a powerful evening spectacle to conclude the festival, also marking 2026 as the Year of the Fire Horse and reflecting the festival’s themes of bold creativity, community, and pioneering spirit.
Sax Arts Fest takes place on Saturday June 13. 2026. The Local Yokel exhibition opens tomorrow and runs until August. The exhibition is located at The Art Station buildings: 24 High St (The Old Bank) and 48 High St (The Telephone Exchange), and in The Art Station riverside garden – behind 24 High St. Visit The Art Station.
Featured image of Tor Cooke – supplied
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