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Festival Team

Festival Team

Festival Staff

Executive Team
Daniel Brine Artistic Director and Chief Executive
Brenda Seymour General Manager
Sava Radulovic Office Manager

Communications and Development
Darren Cross Head of Communications and Development
Sára Lapinová Communications Manager
Frances Lamb Audience & Data Manager
Jess Cook Development Manager
Poppy Hanton Communications and Development Officer
Lily Monsey Communications and Development Assistant

Connect & Create
Anna McCarthy Head of Connect & Create
Ally Oberottman Connect & Create Senior Manager
Georgia Jacob Connect & Create Senior Producer
Jen Langeskov Senior Creative Learning Manager
Isabel Morgan Connect & Create Manager
Daniel Randall Connect & Create Producer
Helen Drumm Connect & Create Officer

 

 

Finance
Sue Harvey Head of Finance
Imogen Frith Finance Manager
Sophie Marritt Finance Officer

Production and Programme
Mark Denbigh Head of Production and Programme
James Hardie Music Programmer
James Burgess Technical Manager
Ailsa McKay Programme Producer
Evie Calaby Programme and Production Assistant
Siobhan Riley Programme and Production Assistant
Paula Saulite Volunteers Coordinator
Valeria Jauregui Volunteers Coordinator

Plus many other teams and individuals who work to deliver the Festival.

Thanks

With special thanks to all our volunteers, without whom the Festival could not happen.

 

Festival Board

Brenda Arthur (Chair)

Brenda stepped down from a successful political career as Leader of Norwich City Council in May 2016. While a councillor, she represented the local authority on a number of boards including the Business Improvement District and two national Local Government Association boards. Before that Brenda was Deputy Leader and cabinet member for housing, and was elected Lord Mayor of Norwich in 2015.

Kate Carreno

Kate Carreno 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.

Maanik Chadda

Maanik works across organisations in the area of equality, diversity and inclusion to develop policies, enhance stakeholder relationships and provide expert advice to support inclusive, accessible and welcoming employment experiences. He currently works for the RSPCA, following 3 years in the field at Norfolk County Council. In his time at The Football Association, he led the Rainbow Laces campaign. He has founded several large-scale events which focused on inclusion, sustainability and tackling mental health in support of local and national charities in London and East Anglia. Maanik has always had a passion for the arts and taken opportunities to support them where he can.

Lucy Garland

Lucy is the founder and Co -Artistic Director of Frozen Light a theatre company dedicated to producing high quality, accessible multi-sensory touring theatre for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).  Frozen Light are based in Norwich and tour our work extensively throughout the UK opening doors to theatre venues for people with PMLD.

Lucy was born in Norfolk and has a passion for supporting the arts in the East Anglia. Previous to Frozen Light Lucy worked as a freelance actor and facilitator.

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.

Corrienne Peasgood

Corrienne Peasgood trained as a plumber after leaving school at 16 and by the age of 21, she had completed an apprenticeship and joined her family business in plumbing and heating. The opportunity came to join City College Norwich as a sessional plumbing lecturer and over the next 15 years Corrienne moved up to become Deputy Principal, gaining insights into the many different departments at the college along the way. Corrienne then served as CEO and Principal at City College Norwich for a decade, before retiring in July 2022.

Corrienne was appointed an OBE in 2020 and was Vice Chair of Norfolk’s Children and Young People’s Strategic Alliance and FE Board member of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (NALEP). Corrienne is Chair of the NALEP Agri-Food Industry Council and President of the Association of Colleges, the national voice for England’s colleges.

Chris Sargisson

Chris Sargisson was appointed CEO of Diss and Thetford Citizens Advice in 2022 following an extremely successful 5 years as CEO of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce.

Chris worked in the 1990s shaping Norwich Union Direct before leaving to set up and launch its4me plc, one of the UK’s most successful online car insurance brokers and major Norwich employer. Chris also created House Revolution – one of the UK’s first online estate agencies, alongside running his own business consultancy practice which has helped organisations of all sizes across the UK. Chris is a disruptor with over 25 years’ experience within digital start-ups and consulting.

Chris Yeates

Chris is a Director at Larking Gowen. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds the ICAEW specialist voluntary sector qualification – The Diploma in Charity Accounting. Chris specialises in providing financial reporting, audit and other advisory services to the Not for Profit sector.

Chris is also a member of Norwich Cathedral’s Finance Committee.

Chris’ other passions include running, walking, and Norwich City, where he is a season ticket holder.

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.

Paige Gouldthorpe

Paige is a Senior Associate at Fosters Solicitors, specialising in supporting vulnerable people in her Court of Protection role at the Norfolk and Suffolk-based firm.

Having started working in the legal industry in 2012, where she discovered her passion for Wills, Trusts and Probate, Paige has become a three-time national award-winning lawyer with a passion for providing her clients with the best experience and support possible.

Paige enjoys empowering and mentoring individuals and has been voted in the Top 100 Inspiring Women of Norfolk and is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Big C Cancer Charity.

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.

Patrons
Caroline Jarrold DL
Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt OBE DL

Image credits: Masthead © Life and Times.

Arts make life better

Norfolk & Norwich Festival brings tens of thousands of people together in celebration – it has been doing this for 250 years. Through our May Festival and our year-round arts education work, focusing on children and young people, we lead and support celebration, creativity and curiosity in communities across Norfolk and the region.

This year we begin an exciting new initiative, Festival Connect & Create that will bring creative opportunities to those schools and communities with least provision. Creativity transforms people’s lives. It builds cohesive communities, develops vital skills and supports health and wellbeing. We want more people to have access to creative opportunities.

Please consider donating to support and develop this work. With your help we can increase access to the life changing power of the arts.

Registered Charity No. 116442

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