Conference 22: Contributors

Find out more about the speakers and chairs taking part in Conference 22: Theatres Fit for the Future. 

Vicki Dela Amedume MBE, Creative Director, The Albany

Vicki has over 20 years of experience working in circus, outdoor arts and theatre, following her initial training as a research scientist. She founded Upswing, a contemporary circus company, in 2006 following an international career as a circus artist. An award-winning performance company, Upswing tells new tales in extraordinary ways, celebrating the skills, ideas, and stories of diverse artists and communities. Vicki is an Associate Director at The New Vic, a 600-seat in-the-round producing venue in Staffordshire, and Creative Director at The Albany, Deptford leading on the delivery of The Albany’s creative programmes and the delivery of key strands of the 'We Are Lewisham' cultural programme for The Mayor of London's Borough of Culture 2022.

Claudine Blamey, Head of Sustainability & Digital Strategy, Argent LLP

Claudine delivered the net zero carbon flights strategy at easyJet. Prior to this, she set up Sainsbury’s group sustainability function. She was responsible for The Crown Estate’s business sustainability strategy and was Head of Sustainability at SEGRO. Previous roles also include Director of Corporate Responsibility at British Land and Environment Manager at Honda (UK). Claudine is on City Corporation Property Investment Board, and was previously on the board of Business in the Community and Mace Group Responsible Business Board. She was Chair of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability from 2015-2017. She is a Fellow of the RSA.

Theo Bosanquet, freelance theatre journalist

Theo is a freelance theatre journalist who has written for a number of leading publications, including Time, the Guardian and Huffington Post. He is currently UK editor for casting platform Backstage, and writes regularly for The Stage and WhatsOnStage (where he was formerly managing editor). He also offers copywriting and editing services, with recent clients including Disney Theatricals, Coventry City of Culture and the Royal Albert Hall. Find more information about his work at theobosanquet.com, and follow him on twitter @theobosanquet.

Kris Bryce, Chief Executive, Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Kris Bryce is Chief Executive of Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Scotland’s largest producing theatre and the UK’s most northerly major theatre producer. During the pandemic, the theatre launched online programmes of work which eventually reached over 6m people, built new venues across its 11 acres, and produced seasons of outdoor work offering 21 productions and hundreds of individual performances. Kris is currently leading the theatre’s capital programme. Private giving enabled the theatre to launch a first phase of construction to make use of the closure period, extending and upgrading front-of-house spaces as well as creating a second performance space. Before taking up his current role, Kris was Head of Operations at Dundee Rep Theatre. He previously worked across venues in Scotland and Canada.

 Jo Caird, freelance journalist

Jo Caird is a freelance writer and editor. She writes for publications including the Financial Times, Atlas Obscura and BBC Wildlife Magazine, covering topics as varied as the arts, the environment and social issues. When it comes to theatre writing, Jo is most interested in projects with a strong community or campaigning focus, work that isn’t afraid to take risks with form, and stories told by those whose voices are rarely heard. She always gets an ice cream at the interval. 

Maddy Costa, writer

Maddy works in and around theatre as a writer, dramaturg, conversation facilitator and more. She is co-author of Performance in an Age of Precarity (Methuen, 2021), and has a particular interest in writing about community arts, including extended essays on the work of Joshua Sofaer and the history of Hoxton Hall, as well as a library of case studies for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as part of their Inquiry into the Civic Role of the Arts. Most recently she’s published reflections on her community criticism project Theatre Club, in the Routledge Companion to Audiences and the Performing Arts.

Steven Coulson, Associate, Holmes Miller Architects

Steven is an experienced architect who has been with Holmes Miller for over 10 years. His current main project is Paisley Town Hall, an exciting refurbishment of a Grade A listed performance venue, and recently completed Johnstone Town Hall, a new civic facility. He specialises in public buildings and finds enjoyment in creating buildings that serve their local community. He has developed strong experience in recent years on existing building refurbishments, including those of historic listed status. He is frequently called upon to give presentations or training lectures on topics as varied as historic building refurbishment methodology, architectural design intent, fire strategy and BIM training.

Mark Davy, Founder & CEO, Future City

Mark Davy set up Futurecity in 2007 to reflect the growing interest in culture-driven placemaking and regeneration. He has worked closely with leading developers, architects, and property professionals the world over, and used Futurecity as a platform to encourage the use of arts and culture as a guiding narrative for the development and regeneration of our towns, cities, and urban centres. His work has led to substantial new funding for the arts in the UK and abroad, from sponsorship, commissioning, bursaries, residencies, new cultural facilities and access by artists, creatives, and cultural organisations to well-funded projects.

Dan Daw, Artistic Director & Performer, Dan Daw Creative Projects

An Australian queer, Crip (disabled) artist now living in Manchester (UK), Dan works collaboratively with a growing network of companies and artists to develop new work for UK and international audiences. Blurring the divide between theatre and dance, Dan exploits his deviating functionality to examine what it means for his queer, Crip (disabled) body to occupy, and be unapologetic in, non-disabled spaces and the function of care and interdependence in those spaces. Dan began working as a performer with Restless Dance Theatre (AUS) in 2002 and has gone on to work with Australian Dance Theatre (AUS), Force Majeure (AUS), FRONTLINEdance (UK), Scottish Dance Theatre (UK), balletLORENT (UK), Candoco Dance Company (UK) and Skanes Dansteater (SWE). Dan has worked with Kat Worth, Garry Stewart, Kate Champion, Janet Smith, Adam Benjamin, Wendy Houstoun, Sarah Michelson, Rachid Ouramdane, Nigel Charnock, Matthias Sperling, Marc Brew, Claire Cunningham, Martin Forsberg, Carl Olof Berg, Charlotte Spencer and Javier de Frutos.

Richard Daws, Co-owner, Komedia

Whilst a student Richard co-founded a production company that won awards for the first online supermarket, streaming Big Brother and he personally gained an Emmy for Outstanding Editing. Selling his company to The Guardian / Endemol in 2000, he partnered with Komedia, an award-winning venue in Brighton. He created Komedia Entertainment, producer of national touring comedy and BBC TV & radio shows. In 2008, he opened Komedia Bath, renovating a derelict Grade II listed cinema. He now chairs a thriving multi use entertainment hub after transitioning Komedia Bath into a Community Benefit Society. Richard is passionate about live entertainment and the alchemy of community ownership.

(Photo credit: Bath Spa Studios)

Julie Ellen, Artistic Director & CEO, Macrobert Arts Centre 

Julie is Artistic Director and CEO of Macrobert Arts Centre. Before joining the Macrobert team in 2015 she was the first Artistic Director of The Beacon in Greenock, founding Creative Director of Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland, producer for Suspect Culture and before that a tour producer for Theatre Centre, London. As a director her work includes Pantomime and Christmas shows for younger audiences, touring productions for companies including Selladoor and Birds of Paradise as well as shows for the legendary Play, Pie and a Pint. Julie has been a Trustee for Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Zendeh, EK Productions, CVS Inverclyde, and the Federation of Scottish Theatre.

Roisin Feeny, Founder & Co-Artistic Director, Sounds Like Chaos

Roisin is the founder and co-Artistic Director of Sounds Like Chaos, a radical youth arts collective, creating urgent, accessible, cultural interventions. Roisin has produced, written and directed over 15 shows and experiences including national tours, performed at Barbican, Battersea Arts Centre, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and HOME, Manchester. She is an expert in producing complex participatory arts projects; she was a senior producer at Battersea Arts Centre where she established and led the Agency, a creative entrepreneur programme for young people to set up their own social initiatives. The Agency now runs across the UK.

Tim FitzHigham FRSA FRGS, Creative Director, Guildhall Theatre King's Lynn

Tim is a Perrier nominated, multi award-winning comedian, explorer, presenter, and author. He is the Creative Director of the UK's oldest working theatre (first performance in 1445), the Guildhall Theatre in King's Lynn, Norfolk and Cultural Officer for West Norfolk. He is working on a Masters at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford Upon Avon about Shakespeare's comedian Robert Armin who was born in King's Lynn. His TV and film credits include Super Human Challenge for CBBC, The Gambler for BBC Radio 4 and Paddington 2. He has broken and set many unusual records including rowing the English Channel in a bathtub, about which he wrote a book All At Sea. Tim has played comedy clubs and festivals all over the world, both as an MC and in headline slots and is one of the UK's most in demand MCs / after-dinner speakers.

Eimear Hanratty, Associate Director, O'Donnell + Tuomey

Eimear studied architecture at University College Dublin, the Oslo School of Architecture of Design and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Eimear joined O’Donnell + Tuomey in 2016, was appointed Associate in 2017 and Associate Director in 2020. She set up O’Donnell + Tuomey’s London office and is currently working on projects in London such as a new outpost for the V&A Museum and a 550-seat dance theatre with studios and public spaces for Sadler’s Wells at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Robert Hastie, Artistic Director, Sheffield Theatres

Robert has been Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres since 2016.  He grew up in Scarborough, and trained and worked as an actor before moving to directing in 2011. His work in Sheffield includes Much Ado About Nothing, Rock/Paper/Scissors, She Loves Me, The Band Plays On, Coriolanus, Guys and Dolls, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, The York Realist (co-produced with the Donmar Warehouse), The Wizard of Oz, Of Kith and Kin (co-produced with the Bush Theatre), and Julius Caesar. Productions elsewhere include Macbeth (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe), Breaking the Code (Manchester Royal Exchange), Henry V (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), A Breakfast of Eels (Print Room), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Theatr Clwyd), Carthage and Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun (Finborough). He was Associate Director of the Donmar Warehouse 2014-2019, where his work included Splendour and My Night with Reg, which transferred to the Apollo, West End.

Rob Hopkins, Co-Founder, Transition Network

Rob is the co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes, and author of several books including 'The Transition Handbook' and most recently, 'From What Is to What If: unleashing the power of imagination to create the future we want'. He is an Ashoka Fellow, has spoken at TED Global and at several TEDx events, and appeared in the French film phenomenon 'Demain'. He holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth, and is a Director of Totnes Community Development Society and of New Lion Brewery. He also hosts the podcast 'From What If to What Next'. His website is robhopkins.net, and in his spare time he makes drypoint etching prints.

Richard Hughes, Awen Cultural Trust

Richard has been Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust since the charity formed in 2015. It now works over three local authority partnership areas in south Wales delivering cultural facilities and activities that between them attract close to one million visits per year. Richard began his career in theatre and TV production before embarking on a 20-year career in local government holding senior roles in culture, leisure, and, wellbeing services. Richard played a central role in creating Awen as a positive alternative to the austerity-led trend of closures and disinvesting in arts and culture. A first-language Welsh speaker, he lives with his family in Cardiff but remains true to his roots in West Wales and is a fervent Scarlets rugby supporter.

David Hutchinson, CEO, The Path Entertainment Group & Founder, Selladoor Worldwide

David is CEO of The Path Entertainment Group, which was founded in 2019 to bring together world class IP with experiential concepts to create exceptional live audience experiences. Additionally, David is Founder of Selladoor Worldwide, one of the UK’s leading regional and international touring theatre producers which has produced over 60 productions, in over 120 venues across the UK and across 4 continents. David is also CEO and co-founder of both DeskTidy Design and Prime Pantomimes as well as launching Selladoor Venues in 2019, becoming the theatre operators for the Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple, The Landmark, Ilfracombe, and the both New and Key Theatres, Peterborough.

Gary Johnson, Executive Director and Joint CEO Brixton House

Gary is Executive Director and Joint CEO of Brixton House and was responsible for the move of the sixty-year-old Ovalhouse Theatre from Oval to Brixton. He led the capital project through the Coronavirus Pandemic and the new £18m building was finally opened to the public in February 2022. Previously he was responsible for re-opening Derby Theatre in 2009 after a period of closure working alongside key stakeholders at the University of Derby and Arts Council England. Gary has worked in theatre for over twenty years with previous roles at The Capitol Horsham, Lyric Hammersmith and the Broadway Barking.

Emily Jones, Socio-Economic Background Lead, Sage Gateshead 

Alongside work for Sage Gateshead, an international music centre and renowned event venue in the North East of England, Emily is a freelance creative producer, consultant, career coach and artist. Specialising in creative diversity, artist development and programming, she works or has worked for Youth Music, the Rhythm Section record label, Barbican Centre, Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Birmingham's Symphony Hall. She also served as Chair of Soul City Arts, a Birmingham-based organisation uniting communities through creativity. She is often called on to speak about diversity issues in the music industry, including on Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 and Jazz FM. She produces electronic music and DJs internationally under the alias Echo Juliet.

Judith Knight MBE, freelance arts consultant

Judith is the founder and ex-Artistic Director of Artsadmin.  Over 40 years she developed the organisation as a unique producing resource for artists and performers, and its base, Toynbee Studios, became a centre for creation of new work, with numerous initiatives supporting artists at all stages of their careers. Much of her work focussed on the environment and climate emergency, including Imagine 2020 European Network and Artsadmin’s Two Degrees festival.  She initiated the Season for Change 2021 with Julie’s Bicycle. She was awarded an MBE in 2007, and made Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2009. She now works as a freelance arts consultant. 

Low Kee Hong, Creative Director, Manchester International Festival and The Factory

Kee Hong is currently the Creative Director at the Manchester International Festival and The Factory. Manchester International Festival (MIF) is the world’s first festival of original, new work and special events, staged every two years in Manchester, UK. Kee Hong was formerly the Head of Theatre at the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Hong Kong SAR China. Before joining West Kowloon, he was the Artistic Director and General Manager of the Singapore Arts Festival from 2009 to 2012. Prior to this, Kee Hong was the Founding Director and General Manager of the Singapore Biennale between 2005 to 2009.

James Mackenzie-Blackman, Chief Executive, Theatre Royal Plymouth

James grew up in Plymouth and South Devon. After concluding his education he spent two years working overseas in Nepal, Europe and North America. After university in Liverpool James spent fourteen years working in London at Greenwich Theatre; the Lyric Hammersmith; as Executive Director of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and then as Executive Director of Sir Matthew Bourne's award-winning dance company New Adventures. During his time at the company, James oversaw substantial growth in participation, audiences and turnover. James was appointed Chief Executive of Eden Court, Scotland's largest single-site arts venue in 2017 and during his tenure steered the company through a period of significant growth and change. James is regularly invited to speak at conferences and events in the UK and overseas, he is a trustee of the Compass Partnership of Schools. James took up post as Chief Executive of the Theatre Royal Plymouth in January 2022.

Roberta Mock, Professor of Performance & Executive Dean, School of Performing and Digital Arts, Royal Holloway University of London

Roberta is Professor of Performance and Executive Dean of the School of Performing and Digital Arts at Royal Holloway University of London, and the immediate past Chair of the Theatre & Performance Research Association. She was a co-investigator for the Arts & Humanities Research Council’s ‘Sustainable Materials in the Creative Industries’ study (2021). Roberta is currently leading the ‘Transitioning to Sustainable Production Across the UK Theatre Sector’ project (co-commissioned by the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre and Arts Council England), which is producing case studies of three productions working with the Theatre Green Book.

(Photo credit: Al Stewart)

Jon Morgan, Director, Theatres Trust

Jon is responsible for leading the work of the Trust, and the development and delivery of the Trust's strategy. With a wealth of experience across the theatre and arts industry, Jon joined us from the Federation of Scottish Theatre (FST) where he had been Director since 2008. Jon's previous roles include Director of Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Executive Producer of Contact Theatre in Manchester and General Manager of TAG, Glasgow with earlier periods at Royal Conservatoire Scotland and Orchard Theatre, Kent. Jon joined Theatres Trust in January 2017.

Oluwatoyin Odunsi, Head of Learning & Participation, Brixton House

As an arts venue / festival programmer and an interdisciplinary creative producer; specialising in intercultural arts programming, artist development initiatives, developing new audiences and creating culturally diverse participatory arts / community engagement projects, Oluwatoyin’s interdisciplinary creative practice has always been about exploring new ways where artists, audiences, communities and spaces can have a dialogue together, creating alternative new stories for culturally diverse audiences. With over thirteen years’ experience of arts administration in middle and senior level management, project management and delivery experience working within the arts and cultural sector, Oluwatoyin has worked for and collaboratively with regional, national and international arts organisations in the artform areas of music, theatre, dance, circus, comedy, visual arts, live literature, film, digital arts and live-art. She was previously Learning and Participation Manager at Town Hall Symphony Hall in Birmingham (B: Music).

Patrick J O’Reilly, Artistic Director, Tinderbox Theatre Company

Patrick has worked for companies across the UK and Ireland such as Prime Cut, Big Telly, Creation Theatre Company, Oxford, Bruiser Theatre Company, the MAC and Lyric Theatre. Since his appointment as Artistic Director for Tinderbox, he has directed the critically acclaimed Little Stranger, Immaculate, Sylvan, Ubu the King, Natural Disaster, The Man Who Fell to Pieces, Ignition, the polyvocal collaboration between Northern Ireland and Croatia; What We’re Made Of, Hubert and the Yes Sock and Famla for Tinderbox Theatre Company. He was awarded the Stewart Parker BBC Drama Award for his production The Weein in 2009. The Man Who Fell To Pieces was nominated for a ZeBBie award for best play of 2018. He created and produced Lucid for Tinderbox Theatre Company in 2020 and in 2021 worked as Director for Little Stranger, a unique and invaluable collaboration with Powerstone Entertainment and DU Dance for Eastside Arts Festival.

Rachel O'Riordan, Artistic Director & CEO, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith

Rachel O’Riordan is Artistic Director and CEO of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre where she launched her critically acclaimed debut season in Autumn 2019 with a triumphant adaptation of A Doll’s House by Tanika Gupta. She recently co-directed the Lyric’s 2020 summer reopening production Out West, and Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane with Chichester Festival Theatre. Previously, she was Artistic Director and CEO of Sherman Theatre, Wales from 2014 and transformed the venue which won The Stage’s prestigious Regional Theatre of the Year Award in 2018. Directing credits include the Olivier Award-winning Killology and Iphigenia in Splott. She was Artistic Director of Perth Theatre, Scotland between 2011 and 2014 and won The Critics’ Award for Theatre in Scotland for Best Director and Best Ensemble for The Seafarer by Conor McPherson. From 2002 to 2011, she co-founded and ran Ransom Productions in Northern Ireland. She has been named as one of the most influential people in UK Theatre in The Stage 100. Published work includes Women in Irish Theatre.

Hannah-Azieb Pool, Artistic Director & CEO, Bernie Grant Arts Centre

Hannah-Azieb Pool is Artistic Director and CEO of the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, London and founder of the Tottenham Literature Festival. Previously Senior Programmer for Contemporary Culture at the Southbank Centre, where she curated Africa Utopia festival and was a lead programmer of the WOW Women of the World festival. A Guardian journalist for over a decade, Hannah-Azieb has written for many international publications including The Times, Stylist and Vogue Magazine UK and is the author of two books: Fashion Cities Africa and My Fathers’ Daughter, reprinted in 2022 as part of Booker prize winner Bernardine Evaristo and Penguin publishing's Black Britain Writing Back series. Hannah-Azieb is a trustee of LIFT (the London International Festival of Theatre), an Artistic Advisor of the Manchester International Festival (MIF) and a patron of the SI Leeds Prize, the bi-annual award for unpublished fiction by UK Black and Asian women.

Amaarah Roze, Young Associate, Sounds Like Chaos

Amaarah is a performer, facilitator, producer and specialist in creating fun, welcoming and inclusive spaces for people of all ages. Passionate about making the arts accessible to a range of communities, Amaarah integrates theatre principles into her work as a facilitator and Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) specific tutor. She is a Young Associate at Sounds Like Chaos, and the producer of Standards, an evening of creativity and conversation that brings artists and community together to be celebrated.

Keith Saha, Artistic Director and Co-Founder, 20 Stories High

Keith is Artistic Director and co-founder of the award-winning young people’s theatre company 20 Stories High based in Liverpool. He is passionate about collaborating with working-class, culturally diverse young people, emerging artists, and world-class professionals to make new kinds of theatre. His plays often include elements of rap, dance, visual art, live music, and puppetry. He’s currently developing a hip-hop  theatre show with Graeae exploring the experience of young Deaf/Disabled/Neurodiverse adults.  TV work includes a pilot for SKY called LOOKED AFTER based on his own experience of being in the care system and he’s also developing a show exploring Banksy and the Bristol Hip Hop scene.

Mathew Smethurst-Evans, Executive Director, Theatreplan

Mathew is Executive Director of specialist theatre consultancy, Theatreplan, leading projects in the UK and Europe. His specialism is in the design and implementation of sound, audio-visual, and video and communications systems. Mathew has led projects for the new Conservatoire at TU Dublin, New Adelphi Theatre, Salford and Tara Theatre, London. Current projects include refurbishments at Worcester Scala Theatre and Yeovil Octagon and sound/communications consultancy for the major technical upgrade at the recently reopened Concert Hall at Sydney Opera House. Prior to joining Theatreplan Mathew worked as a Senior Sound Technician at the National Theatre, and as a sound designer. 

Photo credit: Lee Funnell

Tony Smith, Commercial Director, The Lowry

Tony is the Commercial Director at The Lowry. Joining in January 2005, his responsibilities are varied including conferencing & events, catering, retail, visitor services, facilities management and the theatres technical operations. He also takes the organisational lead on environmental & sustainability initiatives, health & safety and security. Tony is passionate about the role the arts can play as a catalyst for social change, and is a strong advocate for the transformative power arts-based activity can have on the mental and emotional well-being of all those who take part. He firmly believes that arts venue have an environmental responsibility, not only in terms of our physical venues, operations and productions, and but also using our voices to spread the message far beyond our audiences.

Klara Svoboda, Architect, Bennetts Associates

Klara is an Architect at Bennetts Associates who specialises in the design of cultural projects. She previously worked on the transformation of Glasgow's Citizens Theatre and the refurbishment of Hampstead Theatre’s main auditorium. Klara is currently project architect for the redevelopment of Hertford Theatre, which is now on site. The proposals include the refurbishment of the existing auditorium and the addition of a new studio theatre, cinema, and front-of-house spaces. Klara has a passion for sustainable design and was one of the contributors to a study looking at embodied carbon within theatre design, released by Bennetts Associates last year.

Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE FRSA, freelance creative consultant

Kenneth is a key figure in the UK arts and culture scene with over 40 years of professional experience in the sector. He began his career as a professional dancer, performing for 13 years with the internationally-acclaimed London Contemporary Dance Theatre, and then with other leading companies during a 25-year career as a performer, choreographer, teacher and director. From 2007 to 2016, he was Chief Executive of The Place, the UK’s leading centre for contemporary dance development, and from 2018 to 2020 was Director of The Africa Centre, in its new home in Southwark. Most recently, he was Interim Joint CEO of Eclipse Theatre, a Black-led touring theatre and production company in Leeds, from March 2021 to July 2022.

Jack Tilbury, Director, Plann

Following 20 years in theatre production management then theatre consultancy, Jack founded Plann in 2011 specifically to help theatre clients run building projects. Since then, Jack has led projects for The Old Vic, Theatr Clwyd, Bristol Old Vic, Sadler’s Wells, The Yard Theatre, Bush Theatre, London Theatre Company, Punchdrunk and NT. In 2004, Jack co-founded Charcoalblue and, spanning an eight-year period as Projects Director, was involved in the design of over 20 arts capital projects worldwide. Recognised as a leading expert in the field of arts capital project management, Jack provides strategic advice to organisations ranging from pub theatres to national governments.

Pollyanne Trapmore-Shaw, Theatre Manager / Producer, The Magna Vitae Embassy Theatre, Skegness

Former sales executive and pianist at Knightsbridge store Harrods, Art & Antiques Exhibition organiser and occasional arts columnist, Pollyanne is now in her 16th year at the Embassy Theatre. An avid consumer and advocate for the arts in Lincolnshire, Pollyanne is known locally for her role of Programming Manager and Producer having transformed the business to deliver quality, accessible, and aspirational theatre experiences in an economically viable way. This included dispensing with tradition of being solely a receiving venue to also becoming a production hub seeing a dynamic combination of professional talents working collaboratively to provide continuing quality, opportunities and sustainable practices.

Annabel Turpin, Chief Executive & Artistic Director, ARC Stockton

Annabel is Chief Executive and Artistic Director of ARC in Stockton on Tees, one of the North East's largest arts venues. She co-leads Future Arts Centres, a national network of 120+ arts centres, championing their contribution to the cultural and civic life of UK towns and cities. She is Deputy Chair and Theme Lead for Creative Place for the Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership, and chaired the Tees Valley Mayor’s independent Creative & Visitor Economy Recovery Task Force in 2020 / 21. Consultancy work includes organisational development for theatre companies, venues and local authorities, and mentoring and facilitation at both executive and board level.

Daniel Winder, Venue Director, Stanley Arts

Dan has been the Venue Director at Stanley Arts in South London for the past three years. He relaunched Stanley Arts at the start of 2021, in the height of the pandemic, as an arts building embedded in its diverse local community; and with a particular focus on artists of colour, and queer and trans artists. Based in a Grade II listed building, Stanley Arts is just at the start of an extensive multi-year capital development programme; whilst simultaneously seeking to expand the reach and ambition of its artistic output. Stanley Arts already has a significant profile for queer arts and dance. Dan’s personal background is in writing, directing and producing theatre, and he has been working in the London arts sector for the past 16 years.