Governance Now 2026: Purpose & Place – Speakers
Fiona Allan, Strategy & Governance Consultant
Fiona Allan is an arts and cultural leader, executive coach and strategic adviser. Since early 2026 she has been building an independent consultancy practice across Australia and the UK, working with cultural organisations, boards and senior leaders on strategy, leadership, governance and organisational change.
Most recently, Fiona served as Chief Executive Officer of Opera Australia. Previously, she was Artistic Director & CEO of Birmingham Hippodrome, CEO of Curve Theatre, Artistic Director of Wales Millennium Centre, and CEO of Sydney Film Festival. Across these roles, she has led major cultural organisations through periods of artistic ambition, strategic development and change.
Alongside her executive career, Fiona has held a range of sector leadership and governance roles. She is currently Chair of Sydney’s Hayes Theatre Co. Her previous appointments include President of UK Theatre, Chair of The Space, Chair of the West Midlands Tourism Board, Co-Chair of UK Dance Consortium and a number of other board and advisory roles.
Dawn Airey CBE, Chair, Arts Council England
Dawn has over 30 years of experience in the media and creative industries, holding senior leadership positions across major broadcasters. Her executive career includes serving as Chief Executive of Channel 5, where she was the inaugural Director of Programmes, and Managing Director of Channels and Services at Sky. She has also held roles as Managing Director of Global Content at ITV and Senior Vice President at Yahoo! for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Dawn also served as the Chief Executive of Getty Images between 2015 and 2018.
Dawn holds several high-profile non-executive positions. She is currently the Chair of the National Youth Theatre and the educational platform Digital Theatre+. She also chairs the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship board, a position she has held since 2019. In 2023 Dawn was appointed Chancellor of Edge Hill University. In 2021 she joined the board of Channel 4, where she acted as Interim Chair from 2022 – 25, she is currently Deputy Chair of the Board.
In the 2024 Birthday Honours, Dawn was awarded a CBE for services to theatre and to charity. She is a Vice President and Fellow of the Royal Television Society, and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts. Photo credit: Photo Jonathan Phang
Keith Arrowsmith, Managing Director, ProArts Plus
Keith is a qualified solicitor providing specialist legal and governance advice to organisations in the cultural, creative, heritage, and educational sectors. Keith is the Lead Governance Associate for the Clore Leadership Programme, one of the authors of the Cultural Governance Alliance’s Handbook, and creator of the EDI Benchmarking tool.
Keith has been recommended in the independent legal publications, Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
Keith was played by actor Joel Fry in the Netflix film, Bank of Dave, and Lucca Patel-Chadwick in the musical version, staged earlier this year.
Paul Blundell, Head of Digital Research & Development, Arts Marketing Association
Paul works with cultural organisations on responsible and sustainable AI adoption. Drawing on 25 years’ experience working across the arts, digital projects and AI, he has developed a methodology for helping organisations build responsible AI literacy from the ground up. He has trained over 250 arts professionals, runs sector governance roundtables, and delivers AI policy and leadership training. His work focuses on helping teams hold onto good judgement: when to say yes, when the right thing is to say no and how to stand behind decisions.
Ada Burns, Chair, Teesside University
Ada is Chair of the Board at Teesside University and brings extensive senior leadership experience from local government and public service. She was Chief Executive of Darlington Borough Council until 2018 and previously held senior positions in London Councils before moving to the North East in 2005.
Her governance experience spans higher and further education, the NHS, central government, “the arts”, and the voluntary sector. She is a Member of the Committee of University Chairs, and a Non-Executive Director of the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
Chris Cooke, Mayor of Middlesbrough
Chris Cooke was elected as Middlesbrough Mayor in May 2023. Chris was born in Middlesbrough and grew up within the care system where he lived in various locations around the region. He worked in multiple sectors prior to his election including IT, education and politics as Councillor for Newport. It is through these diverse roles and experiences he has become attuned to the varying issues people of Middlesbrough face.
His manifesto, in short, is for Middlesbrough to be healthier, safer and ambitious. His approach is to lead with integrity, vision and empathy. Chris proudly says that “it is the people of Middlesbrough who have elected me to this post, and it is the people of Middlesbrough I will serve”.
Erica Crump, Managing Partner, Bates Wells
Erica is the current Managing Partner and Chair of partners of Bates Wells, a law firm and B Corp based in London, and well known for its market leading charities and social enterprise practice. The firm acts for countless social enterprises and non-profits (large and small) operating in the UK and internationally. She also chairs the firm’s Risk & Reputation committee. Erica has been a charities and social enterprise lawyer for twenty years. She is also a serial board member for charities and social enterprises – her most recent positions being as trustee for Shakespeare’s Globe and Stone Nest – two charities focused on performance, education, community, and place.
Catherine Holden, Consultant, Facilitator, Coach
Catherine Holden MA (Oxon), FRSA, is a consultant, facilitator, trainer, speaker and coach, advising on organisational strategy and development, governance, team building, fundraising, brands and marketing. Catherine has worked with over 50 arts and heritage organisations across the UK, and held leadership roles with national museums, galleries and theatres in London and Edinburgh. She is a board member for Clore Leadership, Art UK (Vice-Chair), and the National Theatre of Scotland, and formerly a trustee of Craft Scotland (Chair), Edinburgh Art Festival, Fruitmarket and the Arts Marketing Association.
Abid Hussain, Director, Diversity, Arts Council England
Abid Hussain is Director, Diversity with responsibility for delivering the Arts Council’s work on equality, diversity and inclusion. He currently leads on the delivery of the organisation’s Equality Objectives and All In; a UK wide scheme to improve the experience of disabled people attending arts and cultural events.
He is an alumnus of the U.S International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) and the Salzburg Global Seminar and gained a distinction in his MBA at Aston University. Abid has extensive experience of working with cultural agencies, government and academia internationally and has contributed to several international conferences and academic texts and journals in his field of expertise.
Charlie Kemp, Head of Creative Place, Tees Valley Combined Authority
Charlie Kemp is Head of Creative Place at the Tees Valley Combined Authority, where she leads strategic development of the region’s creative and cultural economy, including the UK’s Digital & Creative Investment Zone. Working at the intersection of cultural industries, economic development and devolution, she has extensive experience designing place-based growth programmes, building partnerships and translating national policy into local action. Charlie is a passionate advocate for creative ecosystems that are deeply embedded in the wider social, economic and civic life of place.
Gaye Kirby, Head of Culture, Middlesbrough Council
Gaye leads the Culture Service at Middlesbrough Council including oversight of several venues (Town Hall, Theatre, Museums and Archives) plus an Events and Festivals team. She works closely with the Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership to support the growth of the sector in Middlesbrough and embed culture into different service areas such as Regeneration, Public Health and Adult Social Care. In September 2023, the Cultural Partnership launched its 10-year Creative Vision for Middlesbrough with an ambition of making Middlesbrough the most creative town in the UK.
Gaye is currently leading Middlesbrough’s bid for UK City of Culture 2029 on behalf of the Council, working alongside partners Teesside University, Tees Valley Combined Authority and Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership.
Prior to joining the Council, Gaye was Head of Development at Durham Cathedral where she led several strategic developments including a major NLHF-funded project to transform access to the cathedral’s buildings and collections, including the creation of a new museum.
Dr. Suzann McLean MBE, CEO/Artistic Director of Theatre Peckham
Dr. Suzann McLean MBE is a director, actor and cultural leader with over 30 years’ experience shaping inclusive, future facing theatre. As CEO and Artistic Director of Theatre Peckham, she has championed new voices and expanded access, creating pathways for young creatives to thrive. Founder of Young and Talented, she is committed to developing talent and leading change across the industry. Suzann brings insight into how the sector can evolve, diversifying audiences and ensuring theatre remains relevant, innovative and deeply connected to communities.
Dave Moutrey OBE, Director of Culture and Creative Industries for Manchester City Council
Dave is responsible for leading on the creation and delivery of Manchester City Council’s cultural and creative industries policy and strategy working closely with the city’s cultural and creative industries sector on joint working and other collaborative initiatives.
Until March 2024 he was Director and Chief Executive of HOME a purpose built multi art form venue that opened in May 2015. He conceived and led both the merger of Cornerhouse & Library Theatre Company to create the organisation to operate HOME and the £25m capital project to create the building which has attracted almost 1m visits per year since opening.
Dave was awarded an OBE for services to culture in 2022 and a Doctor of Arts honoris causa by the University of Salford in 2018. He is a member of the Chartered Management Institute, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Chair of the Theatres Trust and was appointed by the Secretary of State at the DCMS as member of the 2025 Hodge Review of Arts Council England. He was previously an advisor to the British Council and still holds a number of non-executive roles on not-for-profit boards.
Sarah Pickthall, co-chair of Access All Areas Productions
Sarah Pickthall is fascinated by the spaces that unite and divide us all and her work is centred on ensuring that disabled people’s voices and natural leadership qualities are built into strategic thinking and action in arts and culture. Sarah co-founded the disabled-led leadership and coaching programme, Sync Leadership in 2008 with Jo Verrent and currently directs its programme globally.
Sarah is the co-chair of Access All Areas Productions, an NPO in London, alongside Charlene Salter. Access All Areas shares leadership with autistic and learning disabled artist professionals on principle. An experienced accredited coach, coach supervisor and leadership specialist, Sarah spent 5 years helming the Inclusive Cultures programme for Clore Leadership.
Andrew Miller MBE, UK Arts Access Champion for All In
Passionate about democratising cultural governance, Andrew is recognised as one of the most influential disability advocates in the UK, transforming perceptions throughout his 35+years career in the arts, education, broadcast and film sectors.
A prolific writer on culture and a regular conference keynote speaker, his current portfolio of roles includes UK Arts Access Champion – supporting the creation of the national arts access scheme All In with the 5 UK & Ireland arts councils, he is co-Deputy Chair of the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as being a Trustee of BAFTA and Chair of Young BAFTA.
He previously served on the boards (and chaired several committees) of Arts Council England, Welsh National Opera, The Arts Council of Wales and digital arts agency The Space.
As a consultant his clients have included the University of Oxford Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Bradford City of Culture 2025, ITV, British Film Institute, British Council and he was a Commissioner of the 2022 LGA report, Cornerstones of Culture.
Starting out in broadcasting in the 1980s, Andrew belongs to the first pioneering generation of disabled presenters of British television and produced and directed BAFTA nominated tv documentaries. He later became the first wheelchair user to run a major UK arts venue at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.
Andrew was the UK Government’s first Disability Champion for Arts & Culture, establishing the role as a powerful campaigning platform for greater inclusion across the arts, museums and film. In 2020 he co-founded the UK Disability Arts Alliance, #WeShallNotBeRemoved to support disabled artists through the pandemic and he co-authored the Seven Inclusive Principles that helped shape the cultural recovery.
Mark Robinson, Founder, Thinking Practice
Mark founded Thinking Practice in 2010, to write, facilitate, coach, evaluate and advise across the cultural sector. Future Arts Centre published Tactics for the Tightrope: Creative Resilience For Creative Communities in 2021. He is interested in evaluation as a shared creative process, and a way of thinking collectively.
Mark was previously Executive Director, North East at Arts Council England. He ran festivals, poetry publishers, arts organisations and worked in adult education after an early career in restaurants. Mark is also a widely anthologised poet whose Selected Poems, How I Learned to Sing was published by Smokestack Books. His new collection, The Infinite Town, takes its title from a public poem installed on Stockton High Street, and was published by Smokestack Books in 2024.
Anna Rowe, Arts Consultant
Anna Rowe is an experienced strategic arts consultant and leader. From 2019 to June 2026 she was the Project Director for Figurative Philanthropy for Arts & Culture whose Arts for Impact fund has raised £8.8 m from individuals in three matched funding campaigns. She also has a busy freelance consultancy career.
Past leadership roles include Chief Executive of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, General Manager of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Executive Director of Yellow Barn Music School & Festival in the US. Current and recent consultancy clients have included The Kathleen Ferrier Awards, Royal Borough of Kingston, The Rayne Foundation, Askonas Holt, the Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival, Kings Place, the PRS Foundation and Rich Mix. She is chairman of RIAC UK, former chair of the Alexander Whitley Dance Company, and a trustee of the Coln Trust. Anna studied mathematics at the University of Oxford and began her career at the investment bank UBS. She also holds a masters in Cultural Policy and Leadership from City University.
Moira Sinclair, Chair, Factory International & Chair, Clore Leadership
Moira Sinclair was Chief Executive of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, one of the UK’s largest independent grant makers from 2015 to early 2025 .
An experienced cultural leader, Moira is Chair of Clore Leadership and Chair of Factory International in Manchester. She is also a trustee of National Landscapes and the National Theatre Foundation and she chairs the Investment Committee for the Arts Impact Fund. In 2022, she became an Honorary Fellow at the Exeter Centre for Leadership. She was previously Chair of the London Mayor’s Cultural Strategy Board and a member of the British Library Advisory Council
As Executive Director London and South East for Arts Council England for nearly 10 years, she oversaw a portfolio of 322 funded cultural organisations and contributed to national policy development, with a particular focus on the resilience and sustainability of the cultural sector and workforce development. She played a key role supporting the cultural programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and continues to support its legacy at home and internationally.
Prof Mark Simpson, Incoming Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Teesside University
Professor Simpson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Teesside University. He graduated from Teesside University with a degree in Politics and a PhD in Criminology. He has written and researched in the fields of Youth Crime, Criminal Justice and Drug Use. Professor Simpson was previously Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Business & Law and then Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching).
Professor Mark Simpson has an international reputation and is known for his work in educational digital transformation. He is a regular keynote speaker at international learning and teaching conferences and was awarded Adobe’s Digital Literacy Thought Leader. He is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (FRSA).
Professor Mark Simpson will assume the role of Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Teesside University on 1 September 2026.
Jo Verrent, Director, Unlimited
Jo is the director of Unlimited – which exists to change and challenge the world through commissioning disabled artists to create extraordinary work.
Since 2013, Unlimited has supported over 556 artists with over £7.6 million, reaching audiences of over 9 million.
Jo has an MBE and also a cup for making jam. She is on the National Council for ACE and the oversight group for Arts, Fundraising and Philanthropy.
Bill Vince, Senior Relationship Manager, Arts Council England
Bill Vince is a Senior Relationship Manager at Arts Council England (ACE).
Bill graduated from Leicester Polytechnic with a degree in Performing Arts and then began a career as a drummer/percussionist and composer/songwriter based in Sheffield while working as a community musician and workshop leader on over 150 music and dance projects across England and Europe.
Moving into project management, Bill led the UK’s 1st ever £1million Music Project: Sounding Out for Yorkshire Youth and Music, offering opportunities for young people in challenging circumstances. As Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival’s Education Director, he won the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Best Education Work for his Engagement Programme for the Festival.
Bill led on Youth Dance Strategy for Youth Dance England and Yorkshire Dance before joining ACE in 2011 as Senior Manager for Funding Programmes.
Bill currently manages a team of specialist Relationship Managers and leads for ACE North on international partnerships and on capital investment. He also leads place-based working across the Tees Valley Combined Authority area. He still plays the drums.
Vici Wreford-Sinnott, Artistic Director, Little Cog
Vici Wreford-Sinnott is a leading figure in the UK Disability Arts Movement, passionately campaigning for the cultural equity of disabled people for over thirty years. She is the founding artistic director of internationally acclaimed North East based Little Cog which is a disabled-led production company. Vici is a disabled theatre and TV writer and director, and in 2021 she was commissioned by the BBC to write and make her short film Hen Night. It is one of the first pieces of broadcast television drama by a disabled women-led team in the UK, and has been seen by over a million people worldwide. Her theatre work tours nationally and she is founding Festival Director of Our Stomping Grounds Festival in Teesside now in its fourth year. Vici is a PhD practice-based candidate researching Radical Acts: Disabled Women Performing, and is a world-leading expert on the subject of disability representation in performance. Vici is a highly respected disability equality strategist and has shared her model of disabled-led art in mainstream cultural settings across the world. She recently returned to performance in touring show UNRULY, celebrating and telling a story of older disabled women from the disability rights and arts movements and activism. She is a recipient of the North East Art and Culture Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.
