Marcus Patteson

Executive Director

Marcus has led Norfolk Community Arts (originally Norwich & Norfolk Community Arts) since its foundation in August 2001.  Originally coming from a background in Environmental Science, and having gained community development experience with Norwich City Council, he has been involved in music for most of his life, going to the Proms at the age of 10 and starting to play the guitar at 18.  It was community choir, Big Sky, that switched him on to community music, going on to train as a vocal facilitator with Access to Music and to get a First Class degree in Music from the University of East Anglia.  And it is the belief that not only is everyone creative, but that being creative is a vital, necessary and active part of the human condition, that drives the work of Norfolk Community Arts.

​Marcus is a carnivalist, specialising in Brazilian music, having co-founded Norwich Samba in 2000 with Paul Weston, and performing with his band, Rabo de Foguete, for ten years.  But his eclectic love of music has seen him create and develop the Sistema in Norwich programme, write operas with Year 10 children, write and arrange music (for both Sistema in Norwich’s orchestras and Rabo) and, most recently, develop street shows.

​Marcus says, “my first concert was hearing Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto at the BBC Proms (still one of my favourite pieces of music), and first gig I went to was Supertramp at Earls Court. I listen to a lot Brazilian music and ‘Los Hermanos’ are a big favourite.”