Leading Change: Meet the 2018/2019 Clore Fellows
The Clore Leadership Programme awards 24 Clore Fellowships for 2018/19 to outstanding change-makers from across the performing, visual and digital arts, heritage, museums, libraries, literature, cultural policy, film and broadcasting.
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England:
“Arts and cultural organisations can only inspire, make an impact and reach broad audiences, if their leaders and workforce are also diverse and imaginative. The Clore Leadership Programme is a key part of our work in developing talented leaders for the future. This year’s Fellowship cohort is full of ideas and potential, and I have no doubt that their experience of the programme will support them in being effective leaders, equipped to respond to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
Hilary Carty, Director, Clore Leadership Programme:
“We’re very much looking forward to working with the 2018/19 Clore Fellows who reflect so much that is exciting, challenging and inspiring in arts and culture today. Each year we work through a rigorous and highly competitive assessment process to find 24 innovative and dynamic leaders from a wide range of arts and cultural disciplines, geographies and lived experiences, who are ready to transform their leadership abilities for greater impact and broader outcomes. With a track record of 15 years, Clore Leadership investments are reaping significant rewards both for organisations and for culture in society as a whole.”
At a Glance
- From rural to metropolitan: the UK & Ireland Fellows come from 11 towns and cities across England, Scotland and Ireland.
- International perspectives enrich the debate with seven nationalities represented across the cohort;
- Six International Fellowships are also awarded to outstanding cultural leaders from Egypt, India, Mexico and Hong Kong;
- Our most diverse cohort yet across many categories and representing 13 disciplines within the arts, culture and the creative industries;
- A Fellows’ Fellowship is awarded to a leader working in culture and sustainability supported by crowd-funded donations from Clore Fellows from previous cohorts and the Clore Leadership Programme;
- Two Clore Fellows from Scotland and Ireland each.
This Year’s Cohort of Fellows:
This year’s cohort comes from a diverse range of backgrounds and lived experiences across the entire spectrum of the arts, culture and creative industries. The Clore Fellows span the Eastern and Western hemispheres, the EU, the private and public sectors. Some work for major national organisations such as theBritish Council, Royal Ballet, National Trust and BBC. Others represent regional organisations that are committed to improving access to great art and culture, such as Cornwall 365, Glasgow Women’s Library and Gateshead International Festival of Theatre. There is a strong presence from the film and music sectors, as well as a number of independent creative artists forging leadership through their own practice.
The 2018/19 Clore Fellows stand out for their resilience, their curiosity and their empathy. They are civic leaders, committed to giving back, with many already holding Trustee and voluntary positions and setting up initiatives for change and advocacy beyond their day jobs.
What Next:
The Clore Fellows begin their programme of personal and professional development in September 2018 with a two-week residential course near Winchester. With mentoring support from the Clore Leadership team, a senior cultural leader and a professional coach, each Fellow undergoes a period of accelerated learning adapted to their aspirations, needs and circumstances. This includes a secondment in an organisation different to their own or a period of research connected to an academic institution. Fellows learn from the experiences of guest speakers and their peers, and gain insights about themselves from practical workshops and through their secondment, research and training. They’ll extend their knowledge and understanding of the wider cultural sector through dialogue, inquiry, study visits, conferences and meetings, and increase their skills and acumen through courses and individual training as part of their unique development plan. The Fellowships are fully funded and awarded at no cost to the individual.
The 2018/19 Fellows are the 15th cohort of Clore Fellows and upon completion of their programme will join a network of 350+ international and UK Fellow and a wider network of 1700+ Clore Leaders. Clore Fellows have gone on to grow or transform their organisations, or set up vibrant new cultural enterprises across the UK and beyond.
We are hugely grateful to the many strategic partners who have joined us in strengthening the workforce and driving excellence and innovation in the leadership of culture.
Open Fellowships supported by Arts Council England
Andy Brydon
Andy is Director of Curated Place, an arts-led creative production company which specialises in international public programmes, large scale public installations, and original commissions at a city scale level. Andy lives in Manchester.
Jemma Desai
Jemma is currently Film Programme Manager at the British Council and has curated programmes for a range of cultural institutions, including the British Film Institute while also developing a voice for women in cinema through the curatorial platform ‘I Am Dora’. Jemma lives in London.
Hayley Hindle
Hayley has worked with a range of cultural venues and organisations. Most recently as Concert Manager, Birmingham Conservatoire and previously as Assistant House Manager at Warwick Arts Centre; Interim Manager and Assistant Manager of the Royal Spa Centre, Warwick; and Manager at Wisbech Angles Theatre. Hayley lives in Warwick.
Karina Jones
Karina is an actor and aerialist. She has performed in theatre productions in the UK and Internationally with such companies as National Theatre Wales, Frantic Assembly, Paines Plough, Graeae Theatre Company, and most recently with Original Theatre Company. In 2012, Karina answered a call out for disabled artists to train for the Paralympic Opening Ceremony. She took part in an intensive training course at Circus Centre London and fell in love with Aerial hoop and silks. Karina continued her training with Green Top Circus in Sheffield and Circus Oz in Australia. Karina has performed various circus companies such as Extraordinary Bodies, Rogue Play and also as a solo performer at The Cerebral Palsy World Games Opening Ceremony. Karina lives in London.
Jonathan May
Jonathan is a cross art form programmer and producer. Currently working for British Council’s Creative Economy team, he has a focus on developing new projects and global programmes in digital innovation, creative communities and social entrepreneurship. He is a trustee of Live Art Development Agency and Strike A Light Festival, and sits on the digital board of LIFT. Jonathan lives in London.
Ruth Montgomery
Ruth is a professional musician and teacher. As a classically trained musician with a passion for modern works, she explores art, sign language, and visual media through her current project titled Audiovisability. Previously a trustee for Music of Life Foundation, she also holds a number of non-exec roles with Decibels, a charitable company with the aim of promoting artistic access and training of children and young people with varying levels of hearing loss and other disabilities through the use of technology, and Deaf Explorer – an artistic organisation supporting Deaf creatives. Ruth lives in Chelmsford.
Art Fund Curator Fellowship supported by Art Fund
Bryony Robins
Bryony is Museum Development Officer for Cornwall based at Cornwall Museums Partnership, and provides guidance and professional support to enable museums to achieve sustainable improvements. With a background in visual arts, she was previously Major Projects Officer at Newark & Sherwood District Council where she led significant change including a large-scale capital project. Bryony lives in Redruth.
Creative Scotland Fellowship
Kim Simpson
Kim is a Creative Producer, providing strategic interventions with a range of cultural organisations such as leading the Made in Scotland Brussels showcase with Edinburgh Fringe. Recent work has included curating and leading the engagement programme for Tramway’s Unlimited Festival, a festival of extraordinary work by disabled artists; and as Senior Producer at In Between Time. She sits on the boards of All or Nothing and Company of Others and is a Global Fellow of ISPA in 2017 and 2018. Kim lives in Glasgow.
Adele Patrick
Adele is a Co-founder of Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) and currently GWL’s Lifelong Learning and Creative Development Manager. During her career at GWL, Adele has been instrumental in developing innovative arts and cultural projects rooted in equalities, academic research and community learning, and teaching on gender and culture. She has been awarded two honorary doctorates from the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde. Adele lives in Glasgow.
Dance Fellowship
Federico Bonelli
Federico is a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House. Prior to the Royal Ballet he worked professionally as a dancer nationally and internationally with the Dutch National Ballet and the Zurich Ballet. He was a juror of the Prix de Lausanne and Artistic Coordinator of the Teatro Nuovo Torino, Taormina Festival. Federico lives in London.
Fellows’ Fellowship supported by Clore Fellows
Suzie Cross
A Creative Producer, Suzie has worked with a range of artists, local authorities and arts organisations to create strategic change. She is currently working to create a cultural strategy and new artworks to address environmental issues in collaboration with multiple partners, including Leeds Business Improvement District, and the University of Leeds. As Senior Arts and Regeneration Officer at Leeds City Council she led a £1.2 million regeneration project, working with 17 partner organisations to deliver an ambitious programme of cross art form participatory work. Suzie lives in Wakefield.
Heritage Fellowship supported by Heritage Lottery
Fiona Wotton
Fiona is Director of Cornwall 365 based at Creative Kernow, one of Cornwall’s key creative industries organisations. Her role includes running the Arts Council funded Cultural Destinations programme and developing networks and tools which promote year-round cultural tourism in the region. Previous work includes overseeing large-scale capital funding projects for Tate St Ives and the University of East London. Fiona lives in Penzance.
Jerome Hynes Fellowship, Arts Council Ireland
Niamh Lunny
Niamh is Head of the Costume Department at the Abbey Theatre and served as Staff Representative on the Board of Directors. She has designed extensively for the Abbey Theatre and a range of companies in Ireland including Fishamble: The New Play Company, ANU Productions, The Performance Corporation, Rough Magic Theatre, The Ark and The Olympia Theatre. Niamh lives in Dublin, Ireland.
National Trust Fellowship
Tom Freshwater
Tom is National Public Programmes Manager at the National Trust. His role operates strategically across the organisation developing a programme of cultural engagement with a focus on contemporary arts, exhibitions, research curation, and production. Tom was previously Contemporary Arts Programme Manager, National Trust and Arts Project Officer at Wycombe District Council where he managed a portfolio of arts projects and partnerships. Tom lives in Oxfordshire.
Theatre Fellowships
Sophie Woolley
Sophie is a theatre maker, writer and performer working across theatre, radio, TV and film. As an actor she has appeared in Channel 4’s Cast Offs series; and has worked with a range of organisations as a writer and performer, such as the Lyric Hammersmith, Soho Theatre, Ovalhouse, Told by an Idiot, Graeae and the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Sophie lives in London.
Kate Craddock
Kate is Founder and Festival Director of GIFT: Gateshead International Festival of Theatre, an annual artist-led festival celebrating contemporary theatre. She is also Senior Lecturer in Performing Arts at Northumbria University, Newcastle where she leads on the industry-focused MA Theatre and Performance programme. Kate is a performer and theatre maker, and has presented her work at a range of organisations including Live Theatre, Northern Stage, Battersea Arts Centre and the Arnolfini. Kate lives in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Wellcome Trust Fellowship
Gráinne Hope
Gráinne is a professional cellist, Founder and Artistic Director of Kids’ Classics, which delivers a music programme in Ireland’s children’s hospitals. She was also chosen to represent Ireland to become a trainer of Musicians in Healthcare Settings as part of a pioneering European programme lead by Musique et Santé (France). As a Music Education Facilitator she works with the Education Community and Outreach programme of the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Gráinne lives in Meath, Ireland.
BBC Fellowship supported by the BBC
Ramaa Sharma
Ramaa is Editor, BBC News Digital Pilots. Her role is to drive digital transformation and innovation in News. Prior to this position she has been the Digital Editor in the BBC’s Delhi bureau and the Social Media Editor at the BBC World Service. She is also a founding member of Global Women in News, a steering group which supports women working in News in and outside of the BBC. Ramaa lives in London.
International Fellowships
Chevening Fellowships supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Egypt:
Youssef Shazli
Youssef is Managing Director of Zaya Cinema, a company that operates Egypt’s only arthouse cinema and distributes arthouse films both in Egypt and overseas. Youssef is active in Egypt’s cinema and art scene and has developed education programmes for young Egyptian and Arab filmmakers through workshops and networking events. Youssef lives in Cairo.
Mexico:
Sofía Márquez Moreno
Sofía works for Alebrije, one of the most important film production companies in Latin America and previously worked for Mundial Films, a leading international film and television company. She has a commercial background in film and has worked in key roles for a number of independent organisations and the Mexican Film Institute. Andrea Sofia lives in Mexico City.
India:
Mahua Roy Choudhury
Mahua is Programme Coordinator for the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, Government of Bihar. Her work has included creating a Rural Craft Cluster for rural artisans engaged in Madhubani painting, a traditional form of bhittichitra or wall art. The initiative has transformed the lives of the artists and has led to a national policy for promoting rural artisans and indigenous art forms. Mahua lives in Patna, Bihar.
Dr Unni Krishnan Karikkat
Unni is the Founder and Head of the Centre for Creative and Cultural Studies, Manipal University MAHE. As an artist and curator, he works across the arts, education, engineering and medicine sectors to enhance understanding and engagement with culture. He recently organised a national conference and art exhibition on ‘Culture & Identity’ funded by the Indian Council for Historical Research, and is currently developing a museum for the Udupi Heritage Centre. Unni is a Fulbright alumnus. He lives in Manipal, Udupi.
Hong Kong Fellowships supported by the Hong Kong Government through the Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Ying Kwok
Ying Kwok is an independent curator, previously working with the M+ Museum, Hong Kong, as guest curator for the Hong Kong presentation at the 57th Venice Biennale. Ying is the founder of the Art Appraisal Club, established to encourage critical thinking and to develop the arts in Hong Kong. Ying previously worked in a number of roles in the UK including Curator for the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Arts in Manchester and has been a trustee of Grizedale Arts. Ying lives in Hong Kong.
Meggy Cheng
Meggy is Director of Marketing for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Her previous roles include Head of Marketing and Communications at the Chung Ying Theatre. With over 12 years of marketing experience, both in the commercial sector and in the arts, she has managed marketing and communications for renowned global brands, including Procter & Gamble (Greater China) and McDonald’s (Hong Kong). Meggy lives in Hong Kong.
The major funding partners for the Clore Leadership Programme in 2018/19 are:
The Clore Duffield Foundation which initiated the Programme in 2004, Arts Council England, Arts Council of Ireland, Art Fund, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, BBC, The British Council, Creative Scotland, Dancers’ Career Development, Chevening Secretariat through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Gatsby Charitable Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund, Home Affairs Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, National Trust, The Linbury Trust and the Wellcome Trust.
The Fellows’ Fellowship is generously supported by individual donations from past Clore Fellows and the Clore Leadership Programme, supporting the next generation of leaders.
In 2015 Arts Council England selected the Clore Leadership Programme as the delivery partner for their Developing Sector Leaders grant from 2016-2019. This is the third year of that grant.
The international Fellowships for 2018/19 are those supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Home Affairs Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
Themes Alumni Journeys
