Lydia Cottrell
Upon graduating from York St John University, Lydia quickly
became a successful performer, artist, host and drag queen. With
such a wide and varied portfolio, Lydia found herself in a state of
constant excitement and confusion with regards to how to grow her
creative business. As part of the University’s Creative Business
programme, Create Innovate Achieve, CidaCo
worked with Lydia to help her gain a sense of clarity in her work
by assessing her offerings against a range of artistic,
professional and economic criteria and developing an action
plan.
The action plan and business appraisals gave Lydia an increased
sense of structure in her work; this allowed her to set her
priorities, grow her business and move away from a mindset of
constant development to an ever increasing demand for delivery.
Lydia’s business continues to grow astonishingly.
Since working in partnership with CidaCo, Lydia has been
involved with several very exciting pieces of work including a
national tour and, perhaps most exciting, as a freelance performer
Lydia had the opportunity to perform at Tate Modern in Emily
Roysdon's “I Am a Helicopter, Camera, Queen” .
“Working with Lydia has been a constant journey of
surprise, one I’ve enjoyed immensely. Helping her move from a place
where excitement and confusion is the norm to a situation where her
performances are receiving critical acclaim, making new, valuable
connections gave me a huge sense of professional pleasure. Lydia is
more strategic and confident in how she promotes herself and builds
new collaborations” - Keith Evans, CidaCo
Visit Lydia Cottrell's website.
Model: Lydia Cottrell – Miss Try Angle
Hats: John Quinnell-Hill
Photography: Sophie Unwin