Trustees
UK (Global) Board of Trustees
RICHARD MANTLE OBE DL
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Richard Mantle was the General Director of Opera North. His first appointment in the opera field was as Deputy Managing Director at English National Opera, and he has worked atScottish Opera and Edmonton Opera (Canada). He is currently a Director of the National Opera Studio, a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and was awarded an OBE in 2013 for his services to music.
PROF. VIKAS SHAH MBE
Entrepreneur & CEO, Swiscot Group
Award winning entrepreneur, strategist and educator who has built businesses in diverse sectors around the world.
PROF. JAMES THOMPSON
Founder / Academic
Renowned author and Professor of Applied and Social Theatre and Vice President for Social Responsibility at the University of Manchester.
TOM SHORE
International Development & Programmes Specialist
Specialist in programme delivery, advocacy, operations and strategic leadership in the fields of International Development & Culture.
NADIA KHAN
Founder, Women in CTRL
Nadia brings over 20 years of experience in the music industry developing artist careers, talent management and running independent label businesses with a passion for developing talent from the grassroots. An advocate for sharing knowledge and education. As the Founder of Women in CTRL, Nadia is a passionate champion for diversity, equity and inclusion, and her work in promoting gender parity and representation of women in music has been widely recognised, being awarded Outstanding Contribution at the Music Week ‘Women in Music Awards’ in 2021.
DAVE BIANCHI
Artist Manager & Entrepreneur
David is an entrepreneur & music manager who is founder & CEO of Various Artists Management. He has managed Charli XCX, Ashnikko, The Libertines, Killing Joke, Mark Morrison, Supergrass, Echo & The Bunnymen and Seasick Steve.
ANNA BERENFELD
Financial Philanthropist
Anna’s career sprung from finance into philanthropy across Europe, UK, Russia and the USA. Currently Anna works for Ambassador Ronald S. Lauder on projects around the globe.
DARREN CORMACK
CEO, Mines Advisory Group (MAG)
Darren is CEO of MAG, a global humanitarian charity. Darren holds a first class Master’s in International Management and is an experienced Non-Executive Director. His previous roles include managing a wide range of global environment, conservation & humanitarian projects.
Paul stacey
Founding Director, Reading Rep Theatre
Paul is the Founding Artistic Director of Reading Rep Theatre. Paul built Reading Rep from his £500 overdraft to multi-award-winning producing theatre and cultural hub.
MIKE SMITH
Mentoring & Business Development Manager
Mike Smith is one of the most respected A&R minds in the British music industry. His prestigious roles include Managing Director at Warner / Chappell UK and Global President of Downtown Music Publishing
IRINA MARTIN (board advisor)
Financial Advisor
Irina Martin is a Senior Partner advising international, corporate and private clients on the best investment opportunities in her native Ukraine. She has a solid track record in cross-border operations in the UK working with international corporations and governments.
ROBERT MUNUKU (board advisor)
Artist & Creative Entrepreneur (Kenya)
Robert is the founder and Creative Director of Mau Mau Arts, a Pan-African film, music & visual arts production company in Nairobi, Kenya.
FARAH WARDANI (board advisor)
Director, Laban Theatre (Lebanon)
Farah Wardani is an award-winning professional actress, who has pioneered the use of theatre for social change and activism in Lebanon, via her theatre company Laban. Since 2006, she has worked with over 50,000 men, women and children throughout the country to provide safe spaces for people to express their emotions and reduce their tension, providing a welcome distraction from daily hardships.
Republic of Ireland Board of Trustees
Olga Stuzhinskaya
International Relations and Development Specialist
A specialist in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus & Central Asia, Olga delivers expertise to the EU, international organisations, governments & NGOs. Areas include good governance, empowerment of civil society, participatory policy making, youth sector development and promotion of gender equality & equal rights.
BERENICE LEVENEZ
Strategy, Digital and Transformation Director
Berenice Levenez is Strategy, Digital and Transformation Director with Girlguiding, the leading UK Charity for girls and young women. She is an experienced strategist and change specialist. She has held various consulting and management positions in education, and healthcare sectors. Her areas of interest include empowerment of civil society, youth participation and promotion of gender equality.
Zoë Seaton
Founder & Artistic Director, Big Telly Theatre Company
Big Telly Theatre are at the forefront of digital & hybrid work, with a focus on live, accessible, interactive experiences, and have received wide international acclaim. Zoë has also just launched INCOGNITO - a fragmented reality experience on a mobile app played in towns/cities, which is a cross between live theatre & a multiplayer game. She was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Ulster University for her contribution & commitment to the dramatic arts in Northern Ireland.
Dirk Dobiéy
Co-founder & Chief Curiosity Conductor, Age of Artists
Age of Artists is an international network & consulting firm that facilitates learning from creative disciplines for better outcomes in business and society. Between 1998 and 2014 Dirk held various consulting and international management positions at companies such as SAP, Hewlett-Packard and T-Systems. Dirk has a background in business and social science.
US Board of Trustees
DAVID SMITH
David Smith spent his career working applying statistical methods in cancer research before changing focus to use these same techniques to solve problems in humanitarian efforts.
DIEDERIK ADVOCAAT
Philanthropist & Entrepreneur
Diederik’s career is in emerging markets in corporate finance, currently as Senior Advisor and Chief Facilitator in negotiations to the World Bank.
EDDIE BERG
Creative Consultant and Coach
Based in New York, Eddie has worked at the intersection of film, technology and media arts for more than 25 years. He led the development of BFI Southbank in London and is the Founder and former CEO of the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) in Liverpool.