Clore Leadership Welcomes the 2025/26 Clore Fellows: Evolving Cultural Leadership
Clore Leadership is delighted to welcome 24 exceptional cultural leaders to the 2025/26 Clore Fellowship, representing a diverse spectrum of disciplines, perspectives, and approaches to strengthening leadership across the arts, culture, and creative sectors.
This year’s cohort brings together leaders who are grappling with what it means to lead in an evolving cultural sector; from navigating funding pressures to leading through social, political and global upheaval. These Fellows are not only responding to change but actively shaping it. The Fellowship will support them to strengthen their leadership capabilities, offering space to reflect, experiment and collaborate with peers from across the globe as they develop their potential to drive systemic change and build a more resilient and thriving cultural sector.
The Clore Fellowship remains the UK’s most prestigious programme for leadership development in the cultural sector. Over the past 22 years, it has equipped over 500 Fellows to lead with integrity, impact, and imagination. Each year, the Fellowship attracts leaders working across museums, theatre, dance, film, literature, heritage, policy, and beyond. Many Fellows are challenging established ways of working, questioning traditional approaches and organisational structures, and exploring new pathways to cultural excellence.
Geographically, the cohort includes leaders from across the UK, from Northern Ireland to Kent, alongside international representation from China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Brazil, and India. This reflects the Fellowship’s focus on strengthening cultural leadership in the UK while fostering global perspectives and collaboration.
The Fellows demonstrate remarkable resilience and vision and a deep understanding that cultural leadership today requires adaptive strategies, collaborative approaches, and the flexibility to respond to an ever-accelerating pace of change while maintaining an unwavering commitment to lead with hope, care, and creativity.
Moira Sinclair, Chair of Clore Leadership, welcomed the cohort:
“Leadership in culture today demands courage, compassion, and an ability to adapt. As we continue to navigate significant change, this cohort’s commitment to evolving their practice and the sector more broadly is inspiring. I look forward to seeing how this group will shape the future of culture.”
Kate Bellamy, Director, Clore Duffield Foundation, added:
“We are proud to support a programme that continues to invest in thoughtful and ambitious leaders, and helps them to drive change across cultural organisations, networks and communities. We’re excited to welcome this talented cohort of 2025/26 Fellows.”
The Clore Fellowship provides tailored leadership development through a programme that blends facilitated reflection, contemporary leadership theory, and peer learning. Residential content explores authenticity, values, inclusive cultures, strategic planning, and the practice of leadership in action.
Clore Leadership is grateful to its strategic partners, including major funders the Clore Duffield Foundation and Arts Council England, alongside a-n The Artists Information Company, Chevening Secretariat, Dancers’ Career Development, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, The Linbury Trust, and National Trust.
The 2025/26 Fellows are:
Cultural Learning Fellowship
Supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation
Tom MacAndrew
Tom is a freelance producer specialising in poetry, spoken word and live literature. He has delivered work for clients including the BBC, British Library, British Museum, Forward Arts Foundation, Harper Collins and World Book Day. His work has covered education programmes, podcast series, commissions, publications and touring live literature shows nationally and internationally with poets including John Hegley, Joshua Idehen and Joelle Taylor. He is the producer of Out-Spoken, London’s largest regular poetry night, and in partnership with Spread the Word he runs Deptford Literature Festival. Tom is a trustee of the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.
Heather Minto
Heather is a proud northerner based in the Tees Valley where she grew up. She is passionate about supporting children, young people and families to access cultural experiences.
She has a decade of experience in leading and evaluating multi-artform community engagement programmes, including national and regional initiatives for charities, public bodies and local authorities. In her role at Tees Valley Museums, she develops and supports programmes including award winning youth engagement initiatives that reduce the barriers to cultural engagement across five local authorities.
Jenna Omeltschenko
Jenna is a producer specialising in theatre and participation. Jenna has held senior roles at both Sheffield Theatres and the National Theatre, and has recently been working in Ukraine with artist, the vacuum cleaner, and young people living near the front line.
Jenna is of Eastern European and Irish heritage. Her working-class upbringing informs her work ensuring that all young people can lead creative lives.
Jenna became the first young person to sit on the board of Contact and is a Trustee of Theatre by the Lake. Jenna is also a founding Trustee of the Live Entertainment and Arts Foundation (LEAF).
Culture & Climate Leaders Fellowship
Supported by The Linbury Trust
Farah Ahmed
Farah is an organiser, facilitator, creative producer and curator, working to build powerful movements for climate justice. They were formerly the Climate Justice Lead at Julie’s Bicycle and co-founded Our Diaspora Futures collective. They are interested in how we can imagine and practice decolonial, ancestral, and anti-capitalist ways of being. They believe in building a cultural movement for climate justice which is accessible, radical, well informed, and grounded in deep care for the human and more-than-human world. Farah is a trustee of Platform and on multiple advisory boards focusing on grassroots-led collective action for climate justice.
Dance Fellowship
Supported by Dancers’ Career Development and The Linbury Trust
Zenaida Yanowsky
Zenaida Yanowsky is a former Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet and former Ballerina with Paris Opera Ballet. Raised in Spain, she trained with Anatol Yanowsky and Carmen Robles before winning several international ballet competitions. As a performer and artistic leader, she has worked across major European ballet companies and now serves as a guest coach for The Royal Ballet and international companies. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the Prix de Lausanne, Switzerland.
Duffield Fellowship
Supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation
Laura Collier
Laura is an Independent Creative Director and Executive Producer, empowering cultural organisations to thrive, driving artistic strategy and cultural change and enabling artists to make their best work. Laura most recently was the first ever Creative Director of Shakespeare North Playhouse, and as Head of Studio at the National Theatre, as well as Associate Producer at Battersea Arts Centre and the Traverse Theatre.
Laura is a trustee of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatre and is an Associate Artist of Shakespeare’s Globe
Ben Travis
Ben is the Director of Audiences at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. An experienced strategic leader, he has spent nearly 20 years at Kent’s largest theatre, in which time the organisation has grown into one of the most successful independent regional theatres in the country.
Ben oversees the theatre’s marketing, communications, design and data analysis functions, leading on a wide range of innovative and impactful audience development initiatives. He is passionate about the essential role that regional theatres play in broadening access to the arts.
Excellerate Fellowship
Supported by Arts Council England
Nancy Adimora
Nancy is an award-winning publishing consultant, working at the intersection of creativity and culture. She’s the founder of OtherStories, a publishing consultancy and studio, and AFREADA, an African literary magazine. Most recently, she was the Head of Talent and Audience at HarperCollins Publishers, where she sat on the publishing board and led initiatives to deepen engagement with writers and readers from underrepresented communities. She’s since transitioned into consulting, working with clients and partners across the creative and cultural industries to further her vision of democratising storytelling.
Ellie Claughton
Ellie is a cultural leader and producer. She is the Executive Director of Improbable, the multi-award-winning company behind productions such as My Neighbour Totoro. She has worked extensively across the UK’s independent and touring theatre sectors, holding senior leadership roles including Executive Director at Boundless Theatre and Executive Producer at Paines Plough. Ellie has a strong track record of transforming artist-led companies with bold creative visions into resilient, functioning organisations, including LUNG, Breach and Barrel Organ. She trained in Creative Producing at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and is a Trustee of Oxford Playhouse and Chair of Zoo Co.
Tom Ryalls
Tom is a writer and cultural organiser. He founded BAP! to interrogate the relationship between creativity and wealth redistribution, working with companies across the country on their fundraising, business planning, and campaigning to affect policy. He is the chair of Graeae, a trustee of Unlimited, and the Deputy Chair of the Disability Advisory Committee of Arts Council England. In his writing practice, he often makes very camp shows through a Marxist lens, entertaining and interrogating how we might change who gets to imagine the future.
National Trust Fellowship
Supported by the National Trust
Emma Cunningham
Emma leads inclusive, community-driven work across heritage, nature and culture, with a background in ecology, education, and leadership. Her work spans climate resilience, landscape restoration and sustainable farming, underpinned by a deep commitment to equity and access. She pioneers inclusive design in heritage spaces and has built partnerships that empower underrepresented voices. With experience in both local and international contexts, Emma brings a strategic perspective to cultural and environmental regeneration, working to create just and beautiful futures for people and planet.
Self funded and Employer Funded Fellowships
Katie Bailiff
Katie is an accomplished British television producer and executive, known for her impactful documentaries and commitment to social issues. She co-founded the award-winning production company Century Films and later became CEO of Women in Film and TV (UK), advocating for gender equality in the industry. With a career spanning over three decades, Bailiff has produced critically acclaimed programmes for major broadcasters including the BBC and Channel 4. Her work often focuses on real-life stories, giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Theatre Fellowship
Supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Matthew Austin
Matthew is a Bristol-based producer and curator, and the co-founder of MAYK. Alongside Kate Yedigaroff, he was Co-Director of the organisation from 2011 to 2025. At MAYK, he co-directed Mayfest, Bristol’s biennial festival of international theatre. Most recently, he co-curated Confluence, a residency programme exploring the changing nature of Bristol through the voices of artists and communities. Matthew is Chair of the Bristol Culture Network and a member of the One City Culture Board.
Amaya Jeyarajah Dent
Amaya is a Festival Director, Programmer, and Senior Creative Producer. Formerly Artistic Director (Interim) and Head of Programme at LIFT, she has collaborated with artists worldwide to create bold, unforgettable cultural events across the capital.
She produced The Walk, overseeing Little Amal’s remarkable journey through 10 UK cities; worked with Emergency Exit Arts to create large-scale theatre in landscape; and collaborated with immersive studio Anagram to stage performances in iconic locations using emerging technologies.
Amaya is committed to representing international perspectives in culture and believes in the transformative power of theatre where people live, work, and gather.
Transform Fellowship
Supported by Arts Council England
Ben Evans
Ben is the Project Director of Europe Beyond Access (EBA), the world’s largest transnational Arts & Disability project. Ben initiated this project whilst working as the British Council’s European Head of Arts and Disability. Previously, Ben’s roles at the British Council have included: Head of Arts, Portugal, and Theatre and Dance Advisor (EU and sub-Saharan Africa). Ben is the Chair of the European Arts & Disability Cluster and is an independent Accessible Culture policy consultant and advocate.
Eve Loren
Eve is an award-winning researcher/writer/multidisciplinary artist with a social practice. Eve was raised in poverty and dropped out of art school aged 19. Drawing on training in anthropology, and a career in TV/film, she returned to the arts in her 30s to make narrative-led multimedia works alongside minoritised communities. Recent projects examine health inequalities, institutional violence and collective listening as practice/protest. Eve works across health/social care/carceral systems, improving access to culture and artists’ labour conditions. She teaches ethical co-creation practices, consults and presents work internationally. Current research explores creative resistances to fascism, decolonising and neuroqueering methodologies in cultural leadership.
Visual Artist Fellowship
Supported by a-n The Artists Information Company
Christopher Samuel
Christopher is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in identity and disability politics.
Often echoing the many facets of his own lived experience as a Black disabled man, his work tells stories, highlighting the often-unseen experiences of his day-to-day life and those of others in similar circumstances. His practice includes small, detailed ink drawings, film, print, audio, research, and large installations.
Samuel works alongside galleries, museums, archives and other institutions to address missing representation in our cultural spaces. His exhibition ‘Watch Us Lead’ is showing at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
International Fellowships
The Hong Kong Fellowship is supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Chloe Chow
Chloe is a Hong Kong based curatorial and programme strategist with extensive experience in contemporary art, museum leadership, and arts education. Recognised for bridging academia and industry, she mentors emerging talent and advances socially engaged projects. She is Head of Exhibitions and Programmes at WMA (Witness, Mobilise, Action) and former Associate Curator at M+, Chloe’s projects include Realms of Memory (Royal Photographic Society, 2024) and Chan Hau Chun: Silent Sojourns (WMA, 2023). She is also assistant editor of Hong Kong Visual Culture: The M+ Guide (2022).
Gigi Leung
Gigi is Curator of Learning and Engagement at M+, the museum of visual culture in Hong Kong. Since joining the museum in 2014 as one of the founding members, Gigi has been instrumental in shaping the museum’s learning initiatives and engagement strategies. She is committed to fostering creativity, inclusivity and social change through museum engagement. She has conceived and developed a wide range of dynamic and thought-provoking experiences for visitors of all backgrounds including families, young people, adults, older adults and communities with different needs. She believes in the transformative impacts of collaborations with artists, makers, educators and community partners across disciplines to promote active learning, strengthen social connection, and enhance the well-being of individuals.
Chevening Fellowship
Chevening Fellowships are supported by the Chevening Secretariat at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Chevening offers individuals who show potential to inspire, inform, and influence positive change the opportunity to study in the UK.
Cao Xi
Cao is a theatre director, playwright, and educator whose work explores the role of political theatre, drama in education, youth development, and cultural change. Based in Beijing, he serves as Executive Director of Jian Xue International Education and Culture Institute and Creative Director of Drama Rainbow, one of the most influential educational drama and theatre organisations in the Chinese-speaking world.
Denisse Flores Somarriba
Denisse is a cultural strategist and public affairs professional based in Guadalajara, Mexico. She leads the Office of Innovation and Cultural Engagement at the University of Guadalajara.
Beyond her institutional work, Denisse is also active in independent cultural production through Dolorca Producciones, Female Sessions, where she curates and manages performing arts projects such as flamenco cycles and interdisciplinary showcases in regional venues across Jalisco.
She is a recipient of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Emerging Leader Award and has built a strong international network through her collaborations with the British Council, the Kennedy Center, and the University of Guadalajara Foundation in Los Angeles.
Mariana Garcia
Mariana has dedicated over 14 years of her career to the cultural sector, with a particular interest in initiatives that broaden access to classical music in Brazil. She serves as the Communications Manager for the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra Foundation, one of Latin America’s leading cultural institutions. Mariana has spearheaded the expansion of the Orchestra’s digital presence, comprising artistic, educational, and outreach programmes, and led its rebranding process, two essential steps towards audience renewal and the sustainability of the organisation.
Saima Iqbal
Saima is a conservation architect and cultural leader from Kashmir, India, renowned for her bold, community-centred approach to heritage preservation. She brings over 20 years of experience reviving endangered building crafts, restoring historic sites, and shaping policy through advocacy and action. Founder of Studio-SAHEN, a platform nurturing young professionals in heritage, Saima’s work bridges tradition and innovation, with a strong focus on conflict-affected regions. She is committed to shaping the next generation of cultural leaders by fostering dialogue, collaboration, and hands-on engagement with conservation practice.
Smriti Raigarhia
Smriti is the Executive Director of Serendipity Arts Foundation and Festival. Over her 11 years at the Foundation, she has overseen 10 editions of the multidisciplinary arts festival, including two virtual editions.
An architect with a Masters Degree in Design, Smriti has over two decades of experiences in the arts sector. She previously served as Director of Swarai Arts Archive in Noida where she worked in cultural preservation and curation. Smriti believes in culture’s power to dive social changes and focuses on developing new institutional frameworks within the arts sector to widen audience demographics.
