Festival Team

Richard Ross (Chair)

Born in Norwich and educated in Norfolk, Richard has spent most of his life living in and around the city, where he is a director of a wealth management company. He started his first business shortly after leaving school and enjoys the entrepreneurial challenge. Alongside non-executive director and board advisory posts, he is also a trustee of the Norfolk Community Foundation, sits on the Strategic Board of the UEA School of Economics and is the founder of The Sounding Board, a not-for-profit initiative to help businesses facing difficult decisions.

Richard is married with three children and three grandchildren. At weekends he enjoys hill walking, cycles long distances very slowly (he completed Lands End to John O’Groats in 9½ days) and was an enthusiastic but very pedestrian rugby player until he was far too old.

Julia Bates

Julia Bates is an executive leader in further and higher education, working in large multi-site college groups across the East. With over 35 years’ experience in the sector, she leads educational strategy, curriculum development, quality improvement, leadership development and organisational change. Her work is guided by a strong commitment to young people, their life chances and the role of education in helping each individual reach their potential and fulfil their ambitions. She has a particular interest in inclusion, widening participation and community impact.

Julia Carruthers

Julia Carruthers has worked with a number of arts organisations and until last year, was the Programme Director at Warwick Arts Centre at the University of Warwick. Beginning her career as a secretary at Edinburgh International Festival, she has since worked with choreographer Michael Clark, was Head of Dance & Performance at Southbank Centre and Executive Director at Akram Khan Company.

Julia has programmed ‘Dance on Film’ at the BFI and been an Ambassador for the SKY Arts Awards. She has been an adviser to the British Council, been part of the European EU funded networks DanceWEB, E-Motional and Aerowaves and has been on the Boards of Dance City in Newcastle, Poole Lighthouse and Theatre Forum in Ireland. She is currently also on the Board of Heart of Glass in St Helens and CoisCeim Dance Theatre in Dublin.

Maddie Exton

Maddie (born 1998) is an artist who cares deeply about class and place. Hailing from rural Suffolk, she is a first-generation university graduate from a working class lineage. Her socially engaged art practice includes commissions from Camden Arts Centre, The National Saturday Club and Mall Galleries. Funding from A‑N The Artists Information Company, The Art Fund and Firstsite Gallery has supported her research. Her art works have been exhibited in LA, France, London, her parent’s house and beyond.

She is a Creative Producer for MarketPlace Arts, an Arts Council’s Creative People and Places Project, empowering rural communities to shape the arts and culture where they live. She is part of the 2025 cohort of The School of Everyday Democracy by Act Build Change and Involve (the UK’s leading public participation charity) studying; participation, deliberation, community organising and collective care.

Paige Gouldthorpe

Paige Gouldthorpe is Partner & Head of the Court of Protection and Vulnerable Persons Team at Fosters Solicitors, focusing on providing legal support to some of the most vulnerable people in society. Her work has earned her three national awards, recognising her dedication to her clients and her professional excellence in this challenging field.
Over the course of her career, Paige has developed a strong client-centric reputation, especially among vulnerable individuals and families dealing with complex legal planning or Court of Protection decisions. Her approach balances technical legal expertise with empathy and clarity, making complex legal matters accessible to clients at challenging times.
Paige was named Top 100 Inspiring Women of Norfolk, highlighting her positive influence within the local community. Beyond her role at Fosters Solicitors, Paige contributes her expertise as a director to three regional charities, mentoring junior lawyers and also lectures on the Mental Capacity Act.

Kate Heyman Carreno

Kate is a senior arts professional with over 35 years’ experience gained in senior roles in museums, galleries and the performing arts, spanning all aspects of management, communications and public engagement. She has recently retired from the University of Cambridge, where she was Deputy Director, Engagement and Partnerships at The Fitzwilliam Museum.

Kate has worked in the cultural sector since leaving higher education, starting out in production and management in the performing arts before moving into university museums. Alongside her day jobs, Kate served on a number of boards in the cultural and education sectors, including the Arts Marketing Association and the University Museum Group, and worked as an Associate with Adrian Ellis Associates (AEA), a leading international firm of cultural management consultants.

Marc Jaffrey

Marc has 27 years experience as a creative leader of high-impact social campaigns and large-scale change programmes in the creative industries, business, education, social causes and the arts. He was appointed OBE in 2010 for services to music and education having led Music Manifesto, the most successful arts campaign in UK history. Marc has been a senior independent adviser to Secretaries of State at the DfE and the DCMS. He made a distinctive contribution as a BBC commissioner, developing a portfolio of award-winning content and services.

Marc now splits his time advising creative industry organisations and leadership teams on how to enhance their purpose and working in international development on political influencing to driving improvements in human rights.

Tafadzwa Kativu

Tafadzwa Gladmore Kativu (TK) CTA is a Chartered Tax Adviser with nearly 20 years’ experience in taxation across two tax jurisdictions. Born in Zimbabwe, he relocated to Norfolk in 2013.

Alongside his tax career, he finds extreme satisfaction by volunteering in the charity section. He has over 12 years of governance experience on boards of trustees, demonstrating strong strategic leadership. He currently Chairs the Kingsgate Community Church trustees, overseeing alignment of vision with governance.

TK is married and has three energetic boys. When the boys are not keeping him busy, he loves wild swimming, travel and loves to read.

Fiona Lettice

Fiona Lettice is Emeritus Professor of Innovation Management at the University of East Anglia (UEA), where she previously served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation. Her career has focused on building the partnerships and infrastructure that enable ideas, talent and organisations to thrive.
She led CivicUEA to strengthen collaboration between universities, businesses, civic leaders and cultural institutions across Norfolk and the wider region. Through CreativeUEA and the Impact & Innovation Awards, she worked to connect research with the creative sector, recognising culture as a vital part of the region’s innovation ecosystem.
Fiona has served on the boards of the Sainsbury Centre, Quadram Institute Bioscience and the National Biofilms Innovation Centre. She currently holds a portfolio of advisory and non-executive roles, including Strategic Advisor at Hethel Innovation Ltd, Chair of Governors at Norwich High School, Trustee Director at RADMA, Director at TechEast and she is a Norfolk Ambassador.
She believes festivals and the cultural sector play a powerful role in bringing people together, sparking new ideas and strengthening the long-term confidence of places.

Martin Mitchell ARE

Martin Mitchell ARE  is an internationally acclaimed mezzotint artist.

He moved to Norwich in 1989 and founded the Norwich Print Fair which is now a popular annual event that has gained national recognition.

In 2015 as part of the 3rd international Mezzotint Festival Mitchell was invited to hold his first international solo exhibition, in Ekaterinburg Russia.

His work has been exhibited in Russia, France, USA and India.

In 2020 he was elected an associate of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers.

Chris Sargisson

Chris Sargisson is the CEO for Hethel Innovation Ltd.
His career started in the finical services sector before moving into insurer- tech and then onto startups, launching its4me plc, one of the UK’s most successful online car insurance brokers and major Norwich and House Revolution, one of the UK’s first online estate agencies. In addition, he has worked in consultancy and more recently spent a successful term as CEO of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. Chris supports various advisory boards from local government to the third sector, Education to business. He is also the Norfolk Ambassador for Brave Futures, a charity supporting victims of child sexual abuse.