Cambridge School of Art Advisory Board

Dan is a playwright, screenwriter and Founder & Artistic Director of Romany Theatre Company (RTC). He has developed original TV drama with the BBC, ITV and Leftbank Pictures. For the stage, he has presented work at the National Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and Royal Opera House, led nationally touring productions with RTC, and is an established writer for radio. He has collaborated with artists globally, delivered staff training at the University of Cambridge, lectured at Anglia Ruskin University, led adult writing groups, taught drama in schools, and trained senior executives in presentational skills. He is also a Confidence and Resilience Coach.

Since 2018, Matt has been Artistic Director & CEO of Cambridge Junction, leading on the curation and production of theatre, dance, live art, circus, and artist development programmes.

During his tenure at Cambridge Junction, Matt has commissioned and co-produced more than 60 new projects, including Quarantine’s 12 Last Songs, Marikiscrycrycry’s Goner, Back to Back Theatre’s The Democratic Set Cambridge, Igor x Moreno’s Karrasekare, Bert & Nasi’s x ATRESBANDES’ It Don’t Worry Me, and Laura Murphy’s A Spectacle of Herself. Since early 2024, he is a co-lead of Create Cambridge, the city’s new cultural compact.

Between 2016-2018 he developed an independent producing and programming portfolio, working across artform, locating radical structures for the creation of new work. Projects included Leeds 2023 (developing the programme for Leeds’ bid to be European Capital of Culture), LIFT (producing the UK tour of Lola Arias’ Minefield), Northern Stage, Unlimited Theatre, Proto-type Theater, West Yorkshire Playhouse and independent artists Luca Rutherford and Hannah Jane Walker.

Matt was Artistic Director of Yorkshire Festival 2016, curating a programme featuring more than 900 artists, 15 new commissions and hundreds of performances and days of exhibition across the whole of the county. He was Head of Programme & Audiences at Warwick Arts Centre (2011-2015), where he co-produced work by artists and companies including Complicite, Forced Entertainment, and Theatre de Bouffe du Nord. Previously he was Executive Producer for Norfolk & Norwich Festival (2008-2011) and General Manager of Forced Entertainment (2003-2008).

Matt has been on judging panels, advisory and curatorial groups for the Total Theatre Awards, BE Festival, and international showcases including Caravan and Edinburgh, and on the boards of Something To Aim For, Candoco Dance Company, Reckless Sleepers and Bootworks Theatre Company.

Genevieve was a founder director of First Light Festival CIC before becoming CEO in 2022, leading on strategy, artistic programming, and place-making. – also overseeing management and programming of the East Point Pavilion on Lowestoft's seafront. She also leads a consortium of local, regional and national partners for the Battery of Ideas. This is an Arts Council England Place Partnership project, testing ideas around the design, operation and programming of the new cultural quarter development in Lowestoft town centre, due to open in 2027.

Genevieve was a founder director of Full Circle Editions, an award-winning publisher for the East of England, and of the literary arts charity FlipSide.

Previously she worked as a television producer, training at the BBC, and then working for LWT on a raft of factual programmes before co-forming independent production company Carey St Productions. She has commissioned many co-productions between UK and international broadcasters.

With a keen interest in education, Genevieve served for 13 years as a trustee and the chair of trustees of a single academy trust. She is a board member of University of East Anglia AHRC IAA Delivery Board, trustee of Framlingham Arts Trust, sits on the advisory board of Clay 1A – a new centre for ceramic arts in Ipswich – and a board member of the Norfolk and Suffolk Culture Board.

Kate is a retired landscape architect and urban designer who now focuses on community and charity projects. She is chair of Love Mill Road, a charity which supports community engagement in Cambridge’s Mill Road neighbourhood and spends much of her time facilitating local projects that tackle social inclusion and environmental improvement and events that celebrate all forms of creativity.

Kate is former chair of Cambridge Community Arts and former chair of the Mill Road Winter Fair. She is passionate advocate for community-led activities that create opportunities for meaningful connections and foster a sense of civic pride.

Rosie is Director of Wysing Arts Centre. Since 2021, she has led an integrated approach to learning and curatorial work, and an embedded approach to environmental sustainability, biodiversity and access across Wysing's 11-acre rural site, realised as part of a capital project in 2025.

Recent Wysing projects include a public art commission by Rafał Zajko for St Peters School, Huntingdon, an LGBTQ+ performance club night in Cambridge, and residency partnerships with Para Site Hong Kong, Live Art Development Agency, Raspberry Pi Foundation and St Peter's School, Huntingdon.

From 2016, Rosis was Head of Exhibitions at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea. Exhibitions included Still I Rise: Feminisms, Gender, Resistance (co-curated with Irene Aristìzabal and Cédric Fauq), How Chicago! Imagists 1960s-70s (co-curated with Sarah McCrory), and commissions by Hayv Kahraman, Zadie Xa, and RESOLVE Collective. From 2012 she was Head of Programmes at Liverpool Biennial.

Rosie is Chair of Home Live Art, and a co-lead of Create Cambridge cultural compact for the City. In 2024, she was on the jury panel for the Turner Prize.

Rachel is the Founder and Director of Collusion, a practice-led arts and technology organisation based in Cambridge that works across East Anglia with artists nationally.

Established in 2014, Collusion is an incubator for artist-led experimentation with technology that fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, creative innovation, and socially-impactful projects; a not for profit and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). Collusion colludes with creatives, communities, academic and civic institutions and the tech sector to explore technology as a medium for artistic and social transformation, empowering artists, connecting communities, and shaping discourse.

Rachel has extensive knowledge and experience of the East of England's creative sector as a creative producer, strategist and fundraiser. She previously worked for Arts Council England from 1998-2013, most recently as Senior Regional Partnerships Manager, working closely with the cultural sector, local and regional government on ambitious place-based growth plans. She is a Co-Lead for the Create Cambridge Cultural Compact and sits on the Advisory Board for The Library Presents.

Natalie is a senior arts manager with a special interest in arts and health. She is Head of Arts at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for directing an innovative arts programme that aims to transform the hospital experience, promote wellbeing and inspire hope through creativity.

Previously, Natalie worked in the community arts field, holding posts at leading arts organisations including the Royal Opera House, Spitalfields Music, Britten Sinfonia and Saffron Hall. Natalie is a trustee for music producer Orchestras Live, and on the national steering group for the National Arts and Hospitals Network (NAHN).

Joanna is a socially engaged artist and curator. Her practice builds on her background in feminist art histories, cultural inclusion, and biodiversity conservation.

Originally trained as an art historian, Joanna’s multidisciplinary work considers how we can live more equitably with each other and our planet. She’s currently a Visiting Fellow at the We CARE Unit, Cambridge School of Art, researching care aesthetics. Her practice has been supported by Arts Council England, Cambridge Festival, Cambridge Junction, DASH, the Freelands Foundation, the Jerwood Foundation, Metal, Norfolk & Norwich Festival, originalprojects and Unlimited.

Joanna’s practice follows a 25-year career in culture, communications and social change. She has particular expertise in strategic audience engagement and inclusive project design. Her extensive experience spans creative production, curation, business development, strategic planning, learning and evaluation. She’s worked for Tate, the British Library, Cambridge Conservation Initiative, Flow Associates, the National Archives, Loughborough School of Art and Design, Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination, University of Cambridge Museums, and the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

Joanna now combines her artistic practice with creative consultancy for organisations and mentoring for individuals. She holds a studio at Wysing Arts Centre and lives in Cambridgeshire with her family and ravenous cat.

Emily is an artist and business development professional with SMT-level experience within the private and charitable sectors. Most recently as:

• CEO of Cambridge Community Arts – a charity that worked with local artists to deliver positive impacts on individual mental health and wellbeing through creativity and community engagement
• Chief Customer Officer at one of the UK’s fastest growing AI businesses, Autogen AI, during its start-up phase – focussed on the importance of responsible use of AI to enhance rather than replace the skills of excellent proposal writers.

Emily is well-connected with local arts groups, initiatives, charities and businesses including through groups such as CamCreatives and Indie Cambridge. She works from studios in Huntingdon and Milton, balancing her art practice with freelance and project-based appointments. Professionally she is motivated by opportunities for collaboration and problem solving. Artistically she is inspired by the natural world, the connections and transience of our daily lives, and art for art’s sake. Her Fine Art studies were at Manchester Metropolitan and Bath Spa Universities.

Michael is an award-winning theatre maker and creative practitioner.

He is Associate Artistic Director at New International Encounter (NIE) Theatre, Chair at Oxford House Community Arts Centre and Vice Chair at Performance for Young Audiences (PYA) England. He has held roles at Royal Opera House, Dundee Rep, Theatre Centre, Arts Council and British Council.

Michael is a keen advocate for the transformative power of art in placemaking and for children and young people.

Sue Keogh is a recognised specialist in brand storytelling, marketing and communications whose 25+ year career has spanned radio, print, digital, TV, social media and entrepreneurship. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and of the RSA, and an alumna of ARU with BA (Hons) Communications and Spanish.

Following a decade producing radio and digital content for broadcast media giants (BBC, ITV, Bauer) and at large internet portals (Yahoo, AOL, GOV.UK), in 2008 she founded award-winning Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio, leading on strategy, content and campaigns for clients including the University of Cambridge, the NHS, and local government.

An advisor for Enterprise Nation, a National Business Women’s Awards judge, and Board member on two tech startups, Sue is immersed in the Cambridge innovation ecosystem and business networks across the region. She has shown a deep commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation of talented creatives, returning to ARU to mentor and advise, and launching work experience initiatives that have given 150+ young people a leg up into careers in marketing and communications.

Julie is a marketing expert with a passion for creating positive social and environmental impact. She has built an international career in retail and fashion, working for multinational corporations and as an entrepreneur.

Julie began her journey as a Fashion Product Manager, developing clothing collections for hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide. After roles in Madrid and Paris, she moved to Cambridge to launch her own eco-fashion brand, one of the first to raise awareness about the downsides of the fashion industry and advocate for sustainability.

Continuing her commitment to responsible consumerism, Julie has supported a range of sustainable brands and served on the boards of award-winning social ventures.

She now leads the marketing strategy for Grand Arcade, Cambridgeshire’s leading shopping destination, as part of a global real estate company. Julie prioritises creative, community-driven campaigns that combine education, entertainment, and environmental purpose. Among her award-winning campaigns are Let’s Go Circular (since 2022), showcasing the best of the circular economy and inspiring shopping destinations across the UK to focus on this topic; Grand Discoveries (since 2023), an interactive exhibition exploring scientific innovations from Cambridge; and Rainbow Runway (since 2024), an event celebrating Pride and the local LGBTQ+ community.

Justin has worked in classical music for over 30 years, with a career spanning orchestra management, artistic programming, and fundraising. He has held senior roles with leading ensembles including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music and served as CEO of Southbank Sinfonia (now Smith Square Sinfonia), the UK’s foremost orchestral academy.

Since 2012, he has directed the Cambridge Music Festival, bringing acclaimed international artists to the city and broadening its scope to include classical traditions from regions such as West Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. He also programmes the chamber music series at Kettle’s Yard and has held roles with the Cambridge University Musical Society (Executive Director, 2014–17) and King’s College, Cambridge (Concerts & Festival Manager, 2021–24).
Justin served on the board of the Association of British Orchestras, where he chaired its Education Group, and on the Cambridge Arts & Cultural Leaders group. Since 2009, he has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

With a background in fine art and a Masters in digital entertainment systems, Laurence started his gaming career with Frontier in 2002. Since then, he has worked as lead designer on multiple projects, including Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-rabbit, Kinect: Disneyland Adventures, and Elite Dangerous.

In 2019, Laurence moved from the role of Game Director on Elite to Head of Design. In this capacity he supports and manages a team of around 40 game designers across multiple projects. While still actively involved with projects, he focuses on developing the department and the individuals within it. The department strives for excellence in communication, collaboration and design, breaking down silos between projects and departments, evolving and adapting to the ever-changing landscape.

In addition to this Laurence actively works to improve the connections and collaboration between education and industry.

Rebecca is a commercially minded leader with a strong background in business development, income generation, and strategic growth. As Chief Executive of Cambridge Science Centre, she has led the organisation through a period of ambitious development — expanding place-based programmes in underserved areas, strengthening long-term partnerships, and increasing both income and influence across the East of England.

Her earlier experience includes several years at the RSPB, where she played a key role in growing the organisation’s licensing and product portfolio. During this time, she helped improve commercial performance, managed publishing relationships, and supported the development of brand-aligned products that contributed to wider income generation goals.

Rebecca is committed to building inclusive, community-rooted models for STEM engagement, with a focus on long-term investment, collaborative delivery, and meaningful impact.

Cristina has been the Festival Operations Manager at the Cambridge Film Trust since 2016, and a member of the Festival Management team leading the Cambridge Film Festival since 2020. Her role encompasses strategy, funding, partnerships, event coordination, and oversight of the Trust's educational programme.

With a background in film and TV production, Cristina has worked with leading production companies in Spain and managed large-scale events across academia, sports, and the arts. She is passionate about the transformative power of film and ensuring the industry remains accessible and inclusive. Originally from Catalonia, she relocated to the UK in 2013 and has made Cambridge her home.

Rachel is currently interim Co-CEO and Creative Director at the Arts Theatre Cambridge.

Prior to this she was the Creative Director at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London and has been the CEO of Milton Keynes Theatre.

A producer and theatre consultant, Rachel has enabled and produced productions in London, in regional theatre and all over the world. She has worked extensively in both the commercial and not-for–profit sectors.

Heather lives in central Cambridge and is the founder of Together Culture CIC.

Together Culture uses inclusive innovation processes and purposeful community design to build neighbourhood economies designed for people to actively enable one another's wellbeing.

Before her life in Cambridge, Heather was based in Denmark. After earning her MBA at Copenhagen Business School, she built a cultural hub that served as a node in the network of the Nordic Food Movement to build a community of foreigners and curious locals who wanted to develop new relationships with one another and the natural world. She has delivered community building strategies for The Reader, Science Gallery International, and Sustain. The first chapter of her career spanned a decade working in strategic development for cultural organisations including Tate, The Royal Academy of Arts, and Boston Ballet.

Matt is an experienced cultural leader and Oxford Cultural Leaders alum.

He's known locally for his work with the Cambridge Film Trust, Mill Road Library, and various other cultural and charitable bodies in Cambridge, following a career in management consultancy and foreign relations.

Matt has lived and worked in more than 20 countries, for short assignments throughout Europe (2000-6), with longer spells based in China and UAE (2006-9), Eastern Europe & Central Asia (2010-14), and Brazil (2014-18). Work has included large, complex, transformation programmes, cultural engagement, and network building. His arts/lit platform, Panorama, now receives more than 3 million visits per month.

Staring her career as a freelancer working in theatres, Claudia has over 25 years of experience working within the cultural sector. She holds a Masters degree in Arts Policy and Management from Birkbeck.

Joining Arts Council in 2011, Claudia has supported cultural development in a range of places across the East of England, working closely with cultural leaders, local authorities and others.

As the national development agency for creativity and culture, Arts Council England invests in artists and organisations to make and deliver inspirational work for communities, unlock local growth, and increase access to the many benefits that engagement in culture can bring to people and places. More information on Arts Council’s objectives and priorities can found in the ten-year strategy, Let’s Create.

Dr Richard Wilson OBE is the CEO of TIGA, the trade association representing the UK video games industry. Richard’s mission is to make the UK the best place in the world to develop video games.

Richard has a deep knowledge of the creative industries, education, government, parliament and politics. He regularly meets Ministers, MPs and civil servants. He has a track record of influencing Government policy, successfully campaigning for the introduction of Video Games Tax Relief, an effective Video Games Expenditure Credit, prototype and content funding and an expansion of the Shortage Occupation List.

Richard works with colleges and universities to drive excellence in games education through TIGA course accreditation, conferences and awards. He provides guidance to graduates, supports studios to start-up, scale-up and grow and boosts best practice through the TIGA Games Industry Awards.

He has raised the profile of the games industry in media and political circles, winning 31 business awards and commendations in recognition of these efforts.

He has extensive executive and non-executive experience and currently serves as a NED for North Hertfordshire College, a trustee of The Passage Trading Services Ltd and a governor of a primary school.