Speakers

Fiona is Creative Director and Chief Executive of The Space. She has overseen the company since 2016, in which time the organisation has commissioned over 450 digital projects from arts organisations around the UK, and worked with over 1,000 organisations helping them develop their digital strategies and explore broadcast partnerships.

Ruth Hogarth is Editor of Arts Professional and an Honorary Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London. Starting out as a theatre stage manager, Ruth made the move to journalism joining the BBC World Service, where she worked for 20 years as a producer, presenter, editor and managing editor. Ruth also spent a decade in academia and was a founding director of the Cultural Institute at King’s College London.

Eliza (Erskine) Easton is a leading authority on the creative industries. She has published more than forty policy and research papers on the sector, and was a co-author of the National Theatre’s Scene Change report into industry business models.

Eliza spent five years as Head of Policy and then Deputy Director of the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre – an £8m Government and AHRC funded research and policy centre, based at Nesta. Prior to this, she was part of the founding team of the Creative Industries Federation (now CreativeUK).

Matt Fenton is a theatre director, dramaturg and arts consultant, with a specialism in engaging local communities and young people in governance and decision-making. A former Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Contact Theatre Manchester and Lancaster Arts, he is co-founder of creative consultancy Fenton-Micklem and a Specialist Adviser for Theatres Trust UK. He is currently directing ‘The Treatment’ by grime MC Hypes, the nationally-touring ‘This Kind of Black’ by Reece Williams, and developing a new show with migrant delivery drivers.

Steve provides strategic and research leadership for the Centre, develops our profile and builds partnerships with the academic and cultural sectors. He is an Associate Professor of Creativity and Enterprise at the University of Leeds. His research explores cultural planning and tourism, entrepreneurial identity and creative enterprise, the creative workplace and leadership for fostering innovation and creativity. He routinely works with global partners, advising on leadership in the arts and cultural industries and creative enterprise ecosystems.

Harry is the Development Director of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The OAE is of Britain’s leading orchestras and in 2020 became the first British orchestra to be based in a school – Acland Burghley School in Camden, London. Prior to the OAE, Harry worked at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, Wilton’s Music Hall and English National Opera.

Carolyn Ehman is a business development professional specialising in venue hire strategy and values-led earned income models for cultural charities and nonprofit organisations. She runs the Venue Hire Discussion Group, a monthly network for venue hire professionals across arts, culture, heritage and charity venues. Alongside her work with the Albany, Carolyn is a freelance consultant and associate with Stephen Spencer & Associates, working with charities and heritage organisations to build sustainable income from their physical spaces. Her work is grounded in a belief that venue hire is not just an income stream but a way to bring new people into a building and extend an organisation’s mission.

Georgia Luckhurst is a journalist, currently serving as news editor at Arts Professional. She is also a published poet and a former member of the Southbank Centre’s New Poets Collective.

Currently leading the world’s oldest national collection, Nat Edwards has worked in Museums and Heritage since Rick Astley was at the top of the charts (the first time round). From shop floor to senior management, through curatorial departments, education and outreach and capital projects, he has developed a strategic practice grounded in hands-on experience in both public and independent sectors. Despite the very occasional extramural fling with writing, jungles and stunt work, he still finds there’s enough magic left in museums to promise an exciting future.

Carol is Commercial and Operations Director at the Mercury Theatre, where she has worked for over 20 years. Her specialisms include venue hire, event planning and developing new commercial opportunities. She played a key role in the Mercury’s £14.9m redevelopment project and the building is now in the top 25% of buildings in the UK for environmental standards. Carol has an entrepreneurial approach to income generation and has even been known to hire out a cupboard. In her spare time, she’s a keen gardener and can often be found enjoying the fruits of her labour – with a glass of gin, of course!

Katie is an independent strategist, trainer, and advisor with 18 years’ experience helping organisations in the arts, culture, and creative sectors use digital technologies more effectively. Previously was a Director at digital agency Substrakt and prior to that, she spent five years as Head of Digital at The Audience Agency, establishing its digital consultancy services and leading numerous digital research and consultancy projects. Her areas of expertise include digital strategy, user research, analytics, digital skills development, and AI.

Katie is also Chair of the Board of Trustees at FACT in Liverpool, a world-leading centre for art, film, and the creative use of technology.

Tarek is the Artistic Director of Battersea Arts Centre, having previously served as Interim Director for Theatre at Arts Council England, and is one of the founders and Associate Artistic Director of the Yard Theatre in Hackney, as well as a former Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio. Tarek joins us to host of an episode of (Un)Common Ground. The Podcast series brings together artists and industry professionals for long-form, round-table conversations. Each episode responds to current events and key issues shaping the cultural sector, with space for differing perspectives and debate.

Chris is Group Commercial & Business Development Director at Trafalgar Entertainment and is responsible for venue acquisition, commercial business growth and partnership development across a wide portfolio of venues, productions and live-entertainment businesses. With a 25-year career spanning senior commercial and marketing roles at ATG, Qdos Entertainment and the NEC Group, Chris specialises in shaping commercial models and competitive bids – working closely with local authorities, investors and other partners to drive growth and unlock sustainable value.

Through a combination of insightful data analysis, innovative primary research and strategic development, David works with organisations to optimise their earned income strategy, bringing teams together to focus on shared objectives. In addition, David also brings to bear his understanding of consumer psychology to inform the communication of recommendations to ensure maximum impact – after all, value not communicated is valueless!

Baroness Margaret Hodge DBE served as Labour Member of Parliament for Barking from 1994 to 2024, holding ministerial roles including Minister of State for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism. She was the first elected Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (2010–2015) and is currently the UK Government’s Anti-Corruption Champion. In 2025, she was appointed by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to lead the Independent Review of Arts Council England, which reported in December 2025 with wide-ranging recommendations on arts funding, organisational reform, and access to cultural across England. She sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Hodge of Barking.

Dr. Langley is the co-author of the Association of Independent Museums report Fragile to flourishing: Museum Operating Models. Alchemy Research & Consultancy helps individuals, teams and organisations to navigate change. They work with enterprises of all scales from solopreneurs to national organisations, specialising in working with enterprising creatives from any sector.

Robin has held executive leadership positions in, and provided strategic advice to, a range of performing arts organisations and visitor attractions in the areas of organisational strategy, marketing, audience development, visitor experience and operations.

As chief executive of the employee-owned Baker Richards group, Robin leads the consultancy Baker Richards, and since June 2021 has been the CEO of its editorially-independent group company Arts Professional. He is deaf/hard of hearing, and is a trustee of Graeae Theatre Company.