Tees Valley Annual Gathering Speakers

Amanda Smethurst

Amanda Smethurst is an independent facilitator, coach and consultant with a focus on reflective practice and peer learning within the cultural sector, and a love of supporting people to understand what makes their heart sing. Communities, culture and place has been a passion. Throughout her career, initially as a community artist, as the director of Artlink in Hull; and in a range of roles including director London at Arts Council England, within cultural and HE sectors, and local government; and now as a freelancer, she has always championed ways for people to shape the culture and places around them.

Mel Larsen

Mel Larsen is a Business Growth Coach & Consultant. She helps creative freelancers, entrepreneurs and cultural organisations to trust their big vision and design strategies to multiply their Clients, Income & Impact. 

She’s delivered coaching, training, public speaking and consulting across the world including the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, the Caribbean, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, the Netherlands, Greece, Scandinavia, Russia and South Africa.   

She’s founder of three successful community-led festivals in Streatham, South London. Her coaching clients include small-scale entrepreneurs and freelancers from a wide range of creative, social and holistic genres as well as CEOs of mid-large-scale cultural organisations. 

Her consulting clients have included The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Arts Council England, Australian Arts Council, The British Council, The Arts Marketing Association and The National Trust. 

Phil Douglas, Chief Executive, Curious Arts

Phil Douglas is Chief Executive for leading LGBTQIA+ arts and youth charity Curious Arts. He has spent the past 17 years developing and delivering events, festivals and artistic projects across the North. He undertakes cultural sector consultancy roles in leadership, dance and events. He is passionate about LGBTQIA+ culture, outdoor arts and dance, Phil is on the advisory board for Stockton International Riverside Festival and a Trustee of charity Birkheads Wild where children build better futures for themselves using the outdoors. He’s a big fan of festivals, human rights, dogs and cake too. 

Gavin, Chief Executive, the Albany, Deptford

Gavin has been Chief Executive of the Albany in Deptford, South East London for the last twenty years, overseeing a significant transformation in the scale and work of the organisation. He is Chair of the Lewisham Cultural Partnership and a Strategic Advisor on Culture to Lewisham Council, and was the Director of We are Lewisham, the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture 20022. He is also Co-Director of Future Arts Centres, which has more than 160 venue members across the UK, leading the network since it was founded in 2013. He was formerly Executive Director at Contact Manchester, Executive Producer of ATC and a founder Director of the Queer Up North Festival. 

Charlie Kemp, Head of Creative Place, Tees Valley Combined Authority

Charlie leads the Combined Authority’s work to grow the creative and visitor economies. Policy and strategy development to inform public intervention in cluster development, business support and inward investment in the cultural and creative industries. She is passionate about the role of the creative and cultural industries in driving change in place.

Kate Atkinson, Head of Programmes, Clore Leadership

Kate joined Clore Leadership in 2020 from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she worked for 11 years in the Learning and Participation Team. As Head of Community and Professional Development, Kate was responsible for leading the conservatoire’s music work with adult learners in the community, professional development in the workforce and support for students. Prior to this Kate worked at Sound Connections managing a wide range of workforce development initiatives and at Drake Music as their London Manager.