SPEAKERS

Andrew is Innovation Director for the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI, part of the University of Surrey, with experience that spans 30 years in industry, government and academia. Originally trained a physicist, he started an academic life at the Rutherford Appleton Lab before joining Logica at the height of the early AI boom, implementing leading edge AI solutions. A decade later he moved on to become MD of QinetiQ’s Space Division, where early AI techniques were being developed for analysis of satellite imagery, communications and other applications. Andrew subsequently worked as a strategist, specialising in innovation and cyber security, including a secondment to the National Cyber Security Programme which was run out of the UK Cabinet Office, before becoming CGI’s Vice President of cyber security, where AI methods were used for threat detection. Andrew subsequently joined Roke Manor Research as head of R&D, guiding a number of products and services that utilised leading edge AI techniques. Andrew recently returned to academia to help set up Surrey’s new AI Institute, a group that leverages the University’s 35+ years as a pre-eminent academic institute in AI, creating new collaborations across the University and external organisations, focusing on AI research that benefits people and society.

Andy’s professorship is in Creative and Social Enterprise, a specialism he has focused on across higher tertiary education, always in partnership with companies and social enterprises. He is committed to unlocking new ways of learning, seeing a University as a learning organisation, with as much to learn from it’s external partners as to impart.  

This has led Andy to a range of regional and national collaborations across a range of industries, but always with an emphasis on creativity as the core of innovation, and innovation as an inclusive practice across disciplines and communities. Whether internationally (including China, Finland, Netherlands, W Africa), or within the UK, Andy has become increasingly interested in the combination of inclusive practice, the core economy, creative industries and cross sectoral application.  

Currently this translates as responsibility for Bath Spa University’s strategic connectivity between new models of learning, translational research and knowledge exchange, cultural agency, and collaborative regeneration of place. He works closely with the regional and local authorities, central Government via the Purpose Coalition, the NCCE, the CBI, regional business organisations, and Creative UK’s Policy Unit. These interests are significantly intertwined with actualising Government policy, in particular where and how the Local Growth Plans, Innovation Plans, DCMS Creative Industry specialism funds directly connect with enhanced prospects for individuals and clusters. In short, how do top-down and bottom-up creativity add value? 

Alex is the Head of UK Public Policy at YouTube. In this role, Alex leads on YouTube’s work in supporting Creators and highlighting their role in driving cultural impact and economic growth.

Alex joined YouTube in March 2025 from his previous role as Public Policy Manager within Google’s Government Affairs and Public Policy team, having started at Google in September 2021. 

Alex has extensive experience in the tech and digital space, having previously worked within the Public Policy team at TikTok. 

Alex started his career in public affairs at the agency Teneo, having graduated from the University of Bristol.

As Managing Director, YouTube UK & Ireland, Alison is responsible for working with Government & Policy Makers and partnering with creators, brands and the music industry to ensure that YouTube remains at the forefront of the creator economy. 

Alison has spent her career at the intersection of technology and creativity, both in the public sector working for Government departments including MI5 and Foreign office and in advertising agencies before joining Google in 2011 where she led various commercial & creative teams.  In January 2023 Alison joined YouTube as Managing Director, UK & Ireland. Inside and outside of Google, she is a diversity champion, a member of WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications, Leadership) and is passionate about women’s football.

Sir Alistair Spalding CBE is Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, a role he has held since 2004. Under Spalding, Sadler’s Wells has become a world leader in contemporary dance. With four London theatres, a digital platform and productions that tour globally, Sadler’s Wells presents a highly ambitious programme of cutting-edge dance and high-quality entertainment. Its fourth theatre - Sadler's Wells East - opened in February 2025 as a new hub for creativity, part of East Bank in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford.

Actor, director and broadcaster Angela Griffin is well known face and voice of British media. Appearing in shows including Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and Lewis. She has been directing for the past few years on Waterloo Road and currently Blue Lights alongside her regular Sunday night show Unwinds… on BBC Radio 2.

Angela Rippon CBE is an award winning journalist/broadcaster who has worked in Broadcast Media in Britain, the USA and Australia for the past 59 years.  Her credits include BBC News; Top Gear; The Antiques Roadshow; Rip Off Britain; numerous documentaries featuring the arts and health and wellbeing, including "How to Stay Young" (12 episodes). The Truth about Dementia; The Truth about Antibiotics.  The Hoofers; numerous Royal Outside Broadcasts, including the recent funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth11, and the Coronation of King Charles 111.  She is the founder of the Let's Dance programme , a nationwide project to promote dance for the health and well being of the whole mind and body of people of all ages and physical abilities.

Armando Iannucci is a writer, director, and broadcaster whose critically acclaimed work spans television, film, radio, and stage.

In 2005, Armando created the BBC series 'The Thick of It'. The show received widespread recognition, earning thirteen BAFTA nominations and five wins. The success of the series also led to the 2009 film 'In the Loop', that earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Armando then went on to create the HBO series ‘Veep’. The show, which explored the American political system through the character of Selina Meyer, winning several prestigious awards, including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series.

In 2017 he published 'Hear Me Out', a new book on classical music and released the feature film ‘The Death of Stalin’ which received two BAFTA nominations and won Best Comedy at the European Film Awards. In 2019, he directed ‘The Personal History of David Copperfield’, which won Best Screenplay at both the WGBA and BIFA, while also earning a Golden Globe nomination.

Iannucci returned to HBO with ‘Avenue 5’, a sci-fi comedy about a luxury space cruise ship that goes off course, starring Hugh Laurie. The series was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Emmy.

In 2024, Iannucci adapted Stanley Kubrick's ‘Dr. Strangelove’ for the stage, reimagining the film as a live theatrical production. The stage version received acclaim for its bold take on Kubrick’s political satire and marked Iannucci’s return to working with Steve Coogan, with whom he created the character, Alan Partridge.

Bridget Whyte was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in 2017 having previously worked as a freelance consultant for various organisations including the Department for Education, Arts Council England, Sing Up, Youth Music and the British Council. In recent years much of her work has been advocating for singing as an important part of education firstly through the setting up and then supporting at a senior level the English National Singing Programme – Sing Up, and then working for over four years to set up singing programmes to support educational learning across the world for the British Council.

Dr Brooke Storer-Church joined GuildHE as CEO in June 2024.  Over the past 12 years, she’s held a range of senior roles across the sector including Director of Strategic Academic Engagement at Birmingham City University (2022-2024), Head of Skills at the Office for Students (2019-2022), and a range of other roles at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE, 2012-2019).

Cameron is Founder and Executive Producer at Rope Ladder Fiction, a Manchester based Independent Production Company that he founded in 2021. Since launch the show has made over fifty hours of Broadcast television, and three short films. Rope Ladder Fiction Co-produce Waterloo Road for BBC1 and BBCiPlayer and the company is in funded development with a number of streaming and broadcast partners. Rope Ladder Fiction is one of PACT’s Future30 Indies, and is committed to a programme of outreach and social inclusion initiatives, including a leading trainee programme with Screen Manchester that has seen over thirty individuals gain six month paid placements and onward employment in the screen sector. 

Rope Ladder Fiction also works with local schools, charities and other partners to deliver outreach programmes. The company has made radio plays and podcasts with Reform Radio; published a book of new writing with Flapjack Press and delivered writing workshops with Men’s Survivors Manchester and other charities. 

Prior to launching Rope Ladder, Cameron worked for Sky Drama from 2013 through to 2021, where he was latterly Head of Drama, delivering a series of commercial and critical hits. Key titles for Sky include Tin Star, Britannia, Riviera, A Discovery of Witches, Wolfe, I Hate Suzie, The Five, The Third Day, Jamestown, Gangs of London, Save Me and Catherine the Great. Cameron has a long standing reputation as a Producer of Drama – including memorable titles such as Life on Mars, Silk, Moses Jones and Footballers Wives.
Cameron is the current Chair of RTS. He has been in the role since 2021.

Caroline Norbury, OBE is the founding Chief Executive of Creative UK. Dedicated to championing the creative industries, Creative UK invests in and supports creative ideas, talent and businesses, harnessing the power of the creative sector to build a fairer, more prosperous world. Creative UK has leveraged over £100m into creative businesses and projects across the country and uses its extensive membership and networks as a change maker and advocate for a world where creativity is valued and recognised as a driving force of our future.Caroline began her career working in community arts before becoming a film and TV producer, focusing on supporting new talent and those whose voices had traditionally been absent from mainstream media and storytelling.A member of BAFTA and the Royal Society of Arts, Caroline sits on the Creative Industries Council and co-chairs the Growth working group of the Council.  Caroline is a founding board member of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Agency, (CIISA) and Chairwoman of the cross-industry “Roundtable” group focused on reducing bullying, harassment, and discrimination in the Creative Sector.  Caroline is also a trustee of the PRS Foundation, supporting the development of new music and musicians, and previously Chairwoman of The Music Works, a small charity in Gloucestershire supporting young people in challenging circumstances to have better lives through music. She has two honorary doctorates from the University of Essex and Arts University Bournemouth.

Carolyn ML Forsyth is an accomplished producer and arts manager with over 20 years’ experience across theatre, youth engagement, outdoor site-specific productions, international touring, and festivals. Known for her dynamic and detail-focused approach, Carolyn has held senior roles in diverse organisations and collaborated with leading regional venues and independent companies. Her work has featured at prominent UK and international festivals, including Dance Umbrella, LIFT, Lokal, Campo, Spring, and Spielart.

Carolyn was integral to launching the UK’s first purpose-built children’s theatre building, the Unicorn Theatre. During her tenure, the venue was nominated for the Most Welcoming Theatre Award, and Carolyn received recognition from Action for Children’s Arts for her significant contribution to the Theatre for Young Audiences sector.

A committed advocate for social justice and inclusive cultural leadership, Carolyn is a member of the Inclusive Arts Alliance and a Clore Leadership Fellow for (2023-24). She has served on multiple boards, including as a co-opted member of the UK Theatre Board, and was Vice Chair of the Steering Group for the London Borough of Culture programme in Croydon, playing a key leadership role in its successful delivery.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Carolyn worked with Strike A Light in Gloucester, mentoring local artists and producers on socially distanced projects using co-creation models. She is currently Executive Director and Joint CEO of Talawa Theatre Company, the UK’s leading Black theatre company. Her time at Talawa has included Executive Producing the acclaimed Play On! UK tour as part of Talawa’s Black Joy season.

Claire Malcolm MBE is the founder and Chief Executive of New Writing North. She is currently developing the plans for a new flagship Centre for Writing in Newcastle upon Tyne and is part of the team that launched an MA in Publishing with Hachette UK and Northumbria University. She is passionate about working in partnership across sectors and new ways of working and investing in culture and the creative industries. 

Claire leads the company’s external partnerships with higher education and with industry partners such as Faber and Faber, Hachette, Sky Studios and Channel 4. She is editorial director of NWN’s occasional publishing programmes and leads on the commissioning of original writing and podcasts and the generation and design of new talent programmes and partnerships. She is passionate about culture’s role in the climate crisis and how arts organisations can play their part in supporting transition and in supporting writers to enter the industry from all backgrounds and lived experience.

She writes regularly for the industry press and often speaks at cultural conferences and events. She has presented proposals to Parliamentary Evidence Gathering sessions on inclusivity in the creative industries and on regional culture. She is a regular literary event host and event chair and has interviewed a diverse range of writers and celebrities for festivals, events and broadcast. 

She is one of the Bookseller’s 150, a list of the most influential people in publishing.

Clare Sumner joined the Premier League in January 2024 as the Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer working with Government and Parliament, leading on equality and diversity,
sustainability and issues supporting the game. Clare oversees the Premier League’s portfolio of
investment in the wider community and grassroots football.

Previously Clare spent ten years at the BBC, most recently as the BBC’s Policy Director leading on government relations at UK and EU levels and the relationship with the BBC’s regulator, Ofcom. In addition to this, Clare was the executive lead on Disability and helped set up a BBC Carers network.

Prior to this, Clare worked for the Civil Service in a variety of roles including leading the Civil
Service Reform Programme, managing the Criminal Courts and working in the heart of
Government both in the Cabinet Office and as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister leading
on the legislative programme and Prime Minister’s Questions. Over her career Clare has advised on a wide range of Government policy specialising in constitutional, media and criminal justice policy.

Clare is a working mum and in any spare time enjoys yoga. Clare has also held board level
positions as a NED/trustee in the charity sector, the NHS and the Chair of the Governance and
Nominations Committee at King’s College, London.

Professor Christoph Lindner is President and Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art, the internationally renowned art and design postgraduate university. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Geographic Society. 

An interdisciplinary scholar of cities and visual culture, he has over 20 years of experience at public research universities around the world. His leadership work has focused on advancing educational access and equity, intercultural understanding, and environmental sustainability.

Professor Lindner joined the RCA in 2024 from his role as Dean of the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at University College London. While at The Bartlett, which achieved the number 1 global ranking in Architecture & Built Environment under his leadership, he advanced two transformative priorities: increasing access and inclusion across the global built environment field and taking action on the climate crisis by developing new research and degree programmes in sustainability. Before joining UCL, he served as Dean of the College of Design at the University of Oregon and, prior to that, Professor of Media and Culture at the University of Amsterdam. During his time at Amsterdam, he created and led the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis, co-founded the Amsterdam Centre for Globalization Studies, and directed the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis.

He has been a visiting professor at New York University, The New School, University of California-Berkeley, University of Edinburgh, University of Freiburg, Queen Mary University of London, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and the University of London Institute in Paris.

Born in 1971, Crispin Woodhead attended Manchester Grammar School and later studied modern languages (French and German) as organ scholar at Pembroke College, Oxford. He then joined the Royal Northern College of Music as postgraduate pianist, subsequently becoming junior fellow in keyboard studies and lecturer.

In 1998, he co-founded MusicTeachers.co.uk, the largest independent UK internet service for music teachers and in 1999 he founded Phoenix Arts Management, representing opera singers and conductors. In 2002, he taught at Rugby School where he was appointed Head of Modern Languages and was Assistant Housemaster. In 2010, he co-founded the award-winning period orchestra, Arcangelo with cellist Jonathan Cohen, before joining the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) in 2015.

With the OAE, he has toured the major concerts halls of the world and achieved critical acclaim in a series of landmark projects at home and overseas e.g. Agrippina (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), St John Passion (Simon Rattle, Peter Sellars), Brahms Piano Concerti (Sir András Schiff, first period instrument recording).

In September 2020, the OAE, in a ground-breaking private – public sector agreement, was the first UK orchestra to take up a full-time school residency at Acland Burghley Comprehensive School, North London, and in the same year became the first orchestra to launch its own dedicated digital channel, OAE Player, achieving 5 stars (Telegraph) for its in-house production of the St John Passion with cult rock director, Grant Gee.

In 2021, he was voted Orchestra Manager of the Year by the Association of British Orchestras.

Dan is Director General of the Alliance for Intellectual Property, a campaign group of 23 organisations representing IP rich businesses and creators. Members include representatives of the audio visual, music, toy and games, business software, sports rights, branded manufactured goods, publishing, retailing, art, image and design sectors. They share a collective interest in ensuring that Intellectual Property (IP) rights are valued in the UK and around the world and that legislative regimes exist which enables the value and contribution of those rights to be fully realised.

Dan has 30 years’ experience advising companies in the creative industries on their engagement with Westminster, Whitehall, Brussels and the devolved assemblies.  He has supported companies including global telecommunications companies, creative industry sectors, broadcasters and sports rights owners.  Dan has spent the last 20 years advising companies and organisations on IP issues.

Dan is also a member of the Creative Industries Council and Chairs its IP Group.

David Leigh-Pemberton is Deputy Director of Policy & Engagement at the British Fashion Council, where he acts as a senior adviser to the CEO and board, leading public affairs, government relations, and international strategy across the UK’s fashion industry. His work sits at the intersection of culture, policy, and global trade—advocating for sectoral competitiveness through initiatives that span tax-free shopping, creative skills, sustainability, and post-Brexit diplomacy.

David plays a central role in shaping the BFC’s policy voice and wider public positioning—from London Fashion Week’s evolution as a platform for responsible innovation, to major national campaigns on export growth, visas, and the creative economy’s role in regeneration. He is also a key contributor to the Institute of Positive Fashion, driving forward evidence-based frameworks on circularity, inclusion, and business resilience.

A member of the UK’s Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board, David regularly engages with ministers, international delegations and cultural institutions to align the UK’s fashion sector with a fast-changing global agenda. With a background that bridges public policy, diplomacy, and the performing arts, he brings a creative and strategic sensibility to the future of industry engagement.

Dominic is the Head of Policy and Public Affairs for Ukie, the UKs largest trade body for the video games and interactive entertainment sector with over 700 members ranging from multinational platforms and publishers to small independent UK developers. He is responsible for Ukie’s policy development and engagement with policy makers on behalf of the sector which contributes over £6bn to the UK economy.  He recently led on successful efforts to recognise the video games industry as a 'frontier industry' in the Government's recent industrial strategy, securing additional long term support for the sector.

Prior to Ukie Dominic advised multiple organisations in the tech, media and sports sectors and previously worked in Parliament as an adviser to the former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party across the DCMS brief.

Ellara Wakely, Head of Schools Engagement at the National Theatre is a senior leader specialising in Learning and Public Engagement, Change Management and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She brings experience and expertise leading national and local learning and Public Engagement programmes for the National Theatre and the BBC Proms and BBC Orchestras and Choirs. Previous to her work at the National Theatre, she has developed a broad portfolio as Commissioning Executive for BBC Radio 3 leading on diversity and inclusion for the Network, and as a Senior Change Manager for the BBC’s charity Children in Need. She has a proven track record in devising and delivering creative cultural learning programmes for schools and young people, strategic change and large-scale projects at national and local levels, focused on inclusive work that represents all members of society.

Francis Augusto (b. 1993) is an Angolan-born artist known for his observational approach to image-making. His practice, deeply influenced by his background as a refugee fleeing the civil war and his sociology degree, operates at the intersection of social research, documentary, and art. Exploring themes of self, mundanity, and interaction, Augusto's works invite viewers into the frame, as evident in his recent major project, "Songs of Love & Loss," which was awarded the Arts Council England grant in 2023. This social documentary approach to image-making is visible in his commercial and editorial work for Fuji, Nike, and Bloomberg.Francis also lectures, mentors & critiques work.

Jenny Waldman joined Art Fund as Director in April 2020. Art Fund, the UK's national fundraising charity for art and museums, has been helping museums and people to share in great art and culture for over 120 years. We do this through funding art, helping the UK’s museums to enrich their collections for today and forever; building audiences, with our National Art Pass opening doors to great culture; and advocating for the museum sector, through Art Fund Museum of the Year award and creative events that bring the UK’s museums together. 

Jenny was previously Director of 14-18 NOW, the UK’s official arts programme for the First World War Centenary, where she commissioned over 100 new works from leading contemporary artists including Jeremy Deller’s Somme tribute We’re here because we’re here, Peter Jackson’s film They Shall Not Grow Old and new works by John Akomfrah, William Kentridge, and Rachel Whiteread.

Previous to 14-18 NOW, Jenny was Creative Producer of the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, working in partnerships with arts and heritage organisations across the UK, and from 1999-2011 she was Public Programmes Consultant to Somerset House Trust. She has also commissioned large-scale performing arts events for Tate Modern and Tate Britain. She was awarded a CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to the arts.

Jim has been an integral part of the Production Park team since 2016, contributing to its growth and expansion. With a diverse background spanning both the public and private sectors, Jim has held key roles in regional development at Yorkshire Forward, managed national sector programs with Creative England, and accumulated over two decades of experience in the private sector, working for major companies including Sainsbury’s, Pace, and Terayon (now part of Google). His broad expertise has played a crucial role in driving strategic initiatives and fostering collaboration across industries.

Kate Mosse CBE FRSL is an award-winning novelist, playwright, performer and non-fiction writer. The author of eleven novels and short-story collections, her books have been published in more than forty countries. Fiction includes the multimillion-selling Languedoc Trilogy (Labyrinth, Sepulchre, Citadel), Joubert Family Chronicles (The Burning Chambers, The City of Tears, The Ghost Ship, The Map of Bones) and No 1 bestselling Gothic fiction The Taxidermist’s Daughter and The Winter Ghosts. Her highly acclaimed non-fiction includes An Extra Pair of Hands and Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries. She has just completed her one-woman Labyrinth theatre show celebrating its 20-year anniversary.  

The Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction – the world’s largest annual literary awards celebrating writing by woman - she is also the founder of the global #WomanInHistory campaign. A trustee of the British Library, Kate is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Authors, a Visiting Professor of Contemporary Fiction and Creative Writing at the University of Chichester and President of the Festival of Chichester.  The inaugural British Book Award for Social Impact in celebration of Allen Lane (to mark Penguin’s 90th anniversary) was awarded to Kate at the 2025 British Book Awards. The award was given in recognition of her significant contribution to the world of books, including co-founding the Women’s Prize for Fiction. She was awarded a CBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours list 2024.

Keith Merrin is the Deputy Chair of the National Museum Directors’ Council (NMDC) which represents the leaders of the UK's national collections and major regional museums. 

Founded in 1929, NMDC is an independent, non-governmental organisation which advocates for understanding of the full value of museums and their collections, and ensure they are adequately funded and intelligently supported to enable optimum contribution to society and maximum public value.

As Director of North East Museums Merrin oversees its twelve museums which include 3 of the top 5 most visited free attractions in the North East as well as two sites on the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage site. Together these venues welcome around 1 million visitors each year.  

Keith is also Co-Chair of Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues (NGCV) and a board member of the Virgin Money Foundation.

Laura has extensive industry experience both in production and as a non-executive member of some of the sector’s most influential organisations. Currently a non-executive board director of Elstree Film Studios, Laura was a member of Pact Council between 2012 and 2016, and its Chair from 2014 to 2016. She also served as an advisory board member of the Indie Training Fund (2012-2014).

Prior to her appointment as Chief Executive of ScreenSkills, she enjoyed a successful thirty-year career in television. 

In 1999, Laura co-founded BAFTA-nominated Outline Productions Ltd and has been responsible for multiple globally successful formats and programmes including Remarkable Places to Eat (BBC and Channel 4), House of Tiny Tearaways (BBC 3 and TLC), and Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country (Channel 4). After Outline Productions was acquired by Tin Roof Media in 2017, Laura was appointed as one of the group’s Creative Directors. During her tenure, Laura set up the Outline Wales office and launched a mentoring scheme across the Tin Roof Media Group.

Starting her career at BBC Youth and Entertainment Manchester and BBC Entertainment as well as working at independents Watchmaker and Rapido TV on programmes including Eurotrash, The Clive James Show, The Travel Show, Reportage and Rough Guides.

Lee Brooks is the co-founder and CEO of Production Park, a pioneering hub for the live entertainment, screen productions and creative industries located in South Kirkby, West Yorkshire. Established in 2015, Production Park was envisioned by Brooks as a home for the world’s top-tier performers to design, build, and rehearse major concert tours and creative productions. Under his leadership, it has evolved into a unique ecosystem – home to a curated community of over 500 industry professionals working across cutting-edge studio spaces, rehearsal facilities, and technical design environments.

Born and raised in Wakefield, Brooks studied mechanical engineering at Oxford Brookes University. His early career included a role with the TWR Arrows Grand Prix Formula One team and design engineering posts in the UK. He returned to Wakefield to work at his family’s aluminium fabrication company, Lite Structures Ltd, where he became sales director. He later played a key role in expanding Prolyte into the UK and acquired Brilliant Stages in 2012.

In 2014, Brooks left Prolyte, bringing Brilliant Stages with him and establishing Production Park on the industrial site first developed by his father. In 2019, Tait, a major U.S. production company, acquired Brilliant Stages and became a key anchor tenant.
Today, Production Park is a globally recognized creative campus that bridges the stage and screen industries, fostering innovation in live production, virtual production, and experiential design. Brooks also serves as a member of the Creative Industries Council, contributing to the strategic growth of the UK’s cultural and creative economy.

Mandy is President of the Publishers Association, where she champions the value of reading, and the importance of the UK's gold-standard copyright regime to its world-leading publishing sector.
 
Mandy is Managing Director of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, leading the world’s oldest academic press.
 
Mandy is responsible for the quality and performance of the academic publishing programmes worldwide across the breadth of Cambridge’s book and journal portfolio.
 
An advocate for open access publishing, improving inclusion, raising the quality of scholarly publishing and of digital transformation, Mandy is a regular media commentator.

Mandy joined Cambridge in 2014, having worked for Oxford University Press, Elsevier and a medical communications agency.

Marcus Ryder is an internationally recognised leader in the film and TV industry. In 2024 he was named by Variety magazine as one the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry - one of less than 50 people from the UK.

In 2023 Marcus Ryder became CEO of the Film and TV Charity, the leading organisation responsible for the wellbeing for people working in the film, television and cinema sector behind the scenes. Marcus took over the Charity’s reins just as the full extent of the “perfect storm” of the US actors’ and writers’ strikes, and UK television commissioning slow down, was being felt by industry workers. The Charity raised a quarter of a million pounds in less than two weeks to redistribute in hardship grants.
As the Chair of RADA, Marcus oversaw the academy achieve the highest rating by any UK drama school as ranked by Hollywood Reporter in 2023. RADA was also awarded the prestigious “Gold rating” by the UK’s Office for Students (OFS). 

Marcus has been at the forefront of efforts to increase inclusion and diversity in the media industry, launching the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity in 2020 and giving evidence to parliamentary select committees on the issue.  

Marcus has won numerous industry awards including Bafta and RTS awards, he was also awarded the highly coveted Percy Qoboza prize by the US National Association of Black Journalists for services to foreign journalism in 2023.

Joining the Southbank Centre as Artistic Director in 2021, Mark Ball is responsible for the delivery of the entire artistic programme, working with the Southbank Centre’s talented artistic team and extensive creative network to produce a dynamic and world class programme at the heart of London.

Prior to the Southbank Centre, Mark was Creative Director at Factory International , where he led the artistic programme for The Factory and has also held positions as Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT), Head of Events and Exhibitions at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Artistic Director of Fierce.

Mark is the Director of Communications and Development at Into Film. He has worked in the third sector for over 20 years, holding communications posts at a number of national charities including Fairbridge, Ambitious about Autism and Nordoff Robbins.

Mark spent his early career in the film, music and digital sectors, working for Virgin Records, Palm Pictures, Beatwax and Tribe Online. He is a School Governor at a large primary school in East London and believes passionately in the benefits of a creative curriculum.

His team is responsible for promoting the value of film as a tool for enhancing young people's learning and personal development. Featuring 24 members of staff, the team's remit covers a wide range of disciplines including content creation, film production, marketing, media relations and public affairs.

Matt is the Associate Director of Policy at the National Theatre, leading the theatre’s relationships with policy-makers, and is a Trustee of arts funder the Genesis Foundation. 
 
Previous roles include positions at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Kneehigh Theatre. Matt has been a Trustee of Bristol-based theatre company Wise Children, The Curious School of Puppetry, physical theatre company Gecko, and science-inspired theatre company curious directive, where he was also Chair. He holds an MA in English Literature, with a specialism in Shakespeare, from the University of Warwick, and an MBA from the University of Exeter.

Nick Park is a four-time Academy Award®-winner, three in the category of Best Animated Short Film - Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit films The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave and Best Animated Feature Film for Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. All four films were created and produced at Aardman studios, in Bristol, where Nick is an executive director. 

Nick joined Aardman in 1985 to complete his college film A Grand Day Out and served as a director and animator on numerous projects including pop promos, title sequences and inserts for children’s television. Alongside Peter Lord, Nick co-directed the studio's first feature film, the highly acclaimed box office hit Chicken Run. 

In 2005 the first Wallace & Gromit feature film The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was released worldwide. Along with co-director Steve Box, Park picked up his fourth Academy Award®, this time for Best Animated Feature Film (2006). 

Wallace and Gromit’s A Matter of Loaf and Death was broadcast on BBC One on Christmas Day 2008 to a record beating 16.15M viewers. 

The world of Wallace & Gromit is always in Nick’s mind, but his 2018 film featured a very different world that he wanted to share, the pre-historic world of Early Man. 

The new feature length title Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, directed by Nick Park and long-time collaborator Merlin Crossingham, premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2024 and was released on Netflix globally on the 3rd of January 2025.  The film, which went on to win two BAFTA® Film awards and was nominated for an Academy Award® and a Golden Globe, broke audience records in the UK, drawing a combined audience of 21.6 million viewers. 

 Nick is a lifetime member of BAFTA, AMPAS and ASIFA and is a patron of the Bristol based charity Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal. In 1997, Nick was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire).  

 Nick’s much-loved characters can be seen globally across many types of licensed merchandise, games and interactive experiences, in advertising campaigns and giant sculpts in charity trails. The common thread is that they always raise a smile.

Prof. Nick Poole OBE is CEO of Ukie, the trade body for the UK’s video games and interactive entertainment industry. He is a champion of the social, educational and wider economic and industrial impact of the industry, with a particular focus on partnerships, policy and public engagement.

Nick was appointed as Honorary Professor of Digital Culture at the University of Glasgow in April 2025. He was awarded an OBE for services to museums, libraries and the arts in the Kings Honours List 2024.

Prior to joining Ukie, Nick was CEO of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). He was Chair of Wikimedia UK, the UK chapter of the international Wikipedia movement between 2021 and 2022.

Nick’s previous leadership roles included as CEO of the Collections Trust (based at the Natural History Museum) and National Policy Adviser for the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) as well as roles in marketing, PR and communications.

Nihal Arthanayake is a multi-award winning broadcaster, podcaster and author. He has hosted his own shows on BBC Radio 1, BBC Asian Network and BBC 5Live for over two decades. Alongside his broadcasting work he consults to a wide range of major record labels in artist development and is an Associate Curator of the Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka. In May he became a trustee of Aviva Studios home of Factory International, having previously been a trustee of the British Council and the Southbank Centre. He is regarded to be one of the best interviewers of his generation with Ricky Gervais describing him as being well on his way to becoming "a national treasure" and Sathnam Sanghera saying that he was the "most intelligent interviewer in British Broadcasting. He supports Tottenham Hotspur, is married with two teenage children and two dogs.

Patrick Fox (he/him) is Chief Executive and founding Director of Heart of Glass - a northwest based community arts organisation. He is a producer, commissioner and senior arts leader who supports artists to engage with communities of place/ interest to create contemporary work that reflects the politics of our times. He is former director of Create, Ireland’s national development agency for Collaborative Arts and the former Head of Collaborations and Engagement at FACT Liverpool, leading the acclaimed arts and older people project tenantspin as part of his portfolio. 

Philippa Childs is the Head of Bectu, the UK’s union for the creative industries.
She is the first woman to hold the position of Head of Bectu, a role she took on shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic brought much of the creative industries to a sudden halt and created unprecedented challenges for the sector’s workers. 

This was closely followed by the almost total shutdown of the UK’s film and TV industry in 2023, following historical industrial action in the United States, during which Childs continued to advocate for increased support and improved rights for freelancers. She was part of the creative industries industrial strategy taskforce which contributed to the development of the Sector Plan and the commitment to appoint a freelance commissioner.

Childs oversees Bectu’s five divisions, covering broadcasting, film and TV production, and arts and entertainment – championing the rights of nearly 40,000 staff and freelance workers across the creative industries. 

As the largest union at the BBC and with a strong presence in many of the UK’s leading theatres, arts centres and independent broadcasting and production companies, Bectu is uniquely placed to secure workplace fairness and equality on behalf of its members.

Reema Selhi is the Head of Policy and International at DACS, a non-profit organisation that manages artists’ copyright. She advocates on behalf of visual artists to champion their vital contribution to the UK’s creative industries, and on the importance of their intellectual property rights. She supports DACS’ policy and public affairs work including on the intersection of AI and copyright, campaigns to safeguard artists’ IP rights and the establishment of the APPG for visual arts. Reema regularly speaks on sustainable policies for artists in the UK and internationally.   

Reema is a UK-qualified lawyer. She is Deputy Chair of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA); Board Director of the British Copyright Council; and Vice Chair at the Alliance for Intellectual Property. She holds a BA (Hons) from UCL and studied at Central St Martins, University of the Arts London.

Lord Harrington of Watford is a British politician and businessman. 
 
He is the author of the HM Treasury commissioned report on Foreign Direct Investment, which recommendations have formed the current Government's recent announcements on a new Investment Minister and 'concierge service' for Foreign Investment into the UK. He continues to advise the Government on wholesale reform to attract more FDI.  
 
He was appointed to the Lords in 2022, becoming a joint Minister of State at the Home Office and DLUHC with responsibility for the resettlement of Ukrainian Refugees.  
 
Richard retired as MP for Watford in 2019, having first been elected in 2010. As an MP he held a number of Ministerial roles including as Business and Industry Minister and Pensions Minister.  In these roles he was co-author of the 2017 Investment Strategy and was responsible for striking many of the sector deals still in play today from aerospace and automative to life sciences and pioneered co-investment between public and private sector. 
 
Prior to being elected, Richard built a substantial business career in hotels and leisure as well as wealth management, property and investing in start ups.  

In 2025 he was appointed as the Chair of Make UK the UK's leading manufacturing organisation, as well as being the Advisory Groups Chair of UKREiiF- the UK's biggest Real Estate Investment Forum which attracts 1000s of domestic and international investors each year. In addition, Richard is currently Chair of Regal, a leading UK property company as well as a prominent law firm. He is also on the Board of The Royal Albert Hall and Nesta, a large not-for-profit that invests in companies with a social purpose.

Rob Jones was appointed Associate Artistic Director at Sadler’s Wells, in 2022. Whilst leading the programming team for the organisation his role also includes the programming strategy and curation of our new venue Sadler’s Wells East along with overseeing programming into Sadlers Wells’ three existing venues, artist development programmes and partnerships across Sadler’s Wells. 

Previously Rob has worked as a multi-artform producer and programmer who specialises in cross art form projects, festivals, participation and contemporary performance. Over the past fifteen years he has worked with BAC, The Albany, World Stages London, Roundhouse, Brighton Dome and Festival and Dance Umbrella. He is also Creative Associate for Brownton Abbey, an Afrofuturism inspired  international performance collective which centres and elevates Queer disabled people of colour.

Sacha Corcoran MBE is the CEO and Principal of Big Creative Academy, a £21m state of the art free school specialising in the creative arts for 16 to 19-year olds. The Academy, based in East London, focuses on developing talent, transforming lives and creating careers. With wellbeing and inclusion at the heart of the Academy's ethos it provides students from diverse and sometimes disadvantaged backgrounds with vocational and personal skills to take them onto higher education, apprenticeships or employment. 
 
A teenage runaway and single mum at 16 who was homeless, Sacha’s own success story is inspirational. She started as a gym instructor, became a sports lecturer and has now been involved in education for more than 30 years, receiving an MBE for her services to education. 
 
Sacha assisted in establishing BSix College and was Deputy Director for partnerships at City and Islington College. She also worked at Creative & Cultural Skills, the Sector Skills Council developing the first national Creative Apprenticeship.  
 
Alongside her MBE for services to education, Sacha also won an award, Britain’s most exceptional working mother, highlighting her difficult beginnings and her desire to succeed, something Sacha now uses to inspire all her students and young people she works with.  
 
Recently Sacha has led the £21m development of the new Big Creative Academy in east London, working at the design stage and overseeing the construction of this flag ship project, and has gone on to win awards in social mobility for her work and focus on driving forward equality and diversity in education. 
 
Sacha has spoken at a number of events, was a key note speaker for the charity Gingerbread and has provided debate and commentary on BBC radio and ITV news discussing topics such as youth violence, diversity in education, teenage pregnancy, post 16 education, arts education, staff and student wellbeing. On a personal level Sacha also speaks candidly on how to be successful and remain motivated despite difficult beginnings.  
 
Sacha is a motivational speaker, who inspires the audience due to her relaxed presentation style and colourful life and career to date.

Sarah Rose is President of 5 and UK Regional Lead. Based in London, she reports to Pam Kaufmann, President & CEO, International Markets, at Paramount. She oversees 5’s linear and streaming business in the UK, as well as maintaining commercial oversight of Paramount’s Pay TV brands – MTV, comedy Central and Nickelodeon – in the region.
Rose joined Paramount’s senior leadership team in 2020 and has been a driving force behind the commercial success of the company’s free-to-air portfolio in the UK, as well as the launch of Paramount’s streaming business in Canada. 

In her previous role as Paramount’s Chief Operating & Commercial Officer for UK Broadcast & International Studios, Rose was responsible for key UK business functions and played a key role in devising and implementing strategy across Paramount’s free-to-air, BVOD and pay TV brands. For Paramount’s International Studio business, Rose also led all commercial and operational activity across its network of creative hubs. 

Rose joined Paramount from Channel 4, where she was Chief Consumer and Strategy Officer on the Executive Team, responsible for Corporate Strategy, Consumer Insight and Data Science. She originally joined to helm the launch of Channel 4’s VOD service (All4) before moving to lead Commercial and Business Development.

Rose started her career as a graduate on ITV’s fast-track management scheme, eventually assuming the role of General Manager of ITV’s Digital Channels.

She holds an MA in English and French from the University of Oxford and completed INSEAD’s Executive Management Course.

Sean Clarke is a senior entertainment executive with over 25 years of experience in animated entertainment. His core expertise spans leadership of senior management teams, strategic planning, IP financing and brand development, integrated marketing campaigns across film, television, and digital platforms, as well as extending brands into consumer products and location-based entertainment.

Sean is a co-executive producer of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Netflix’s original film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and an executive producer on the preschool series Very Small Creatures for Sky.

In November 2019, Sean was appointed CEO of the multi-Academy Award®-winning Aardman Animations, succeeding co-founder David Sproxton after his 43-year tenure. Sean has been with Aardman for over two decades and previously led the Sales and Marketing division for more than ten years, playing a pivotal role in shaping the studio’s global brand presence.

Sophie is an Associate Director in public affairs with experience in advising a variety of household names and organisations on political messaging, strategy, and campaigning. She has widespread in-house experience in arts and culture policy, leading Music Venue Trust’s external affairs in-house across the UK and working with them to achieve the national £1 ticket levy on stadium and arena tickets. Sophie’s background is in think tank research and policy, including working for The Independent Group for Change across their manifesto and campaigning during the 2019 General Election.

Sophie Jones is Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at UK record label association BPI, which is also home to The BRIT Awards, the Mercury Prize and the Official Charts. 

Sophie was promoted to the CSO role in January 2023 having served as Director of Public Affairs for nearly three years. Sophie also acted as Interim Chief Executive between January and July 2023. 
 
Sophie is an inspiring and outstanding leader, whose strategically-focused public affairs and communications-led work is having a marked impact on the organisation and on the support given to its breadth of members – helping to foster an environment in which they can thrive and the industry grows through digital innovation, increased music consumption and exports. 

Sophie’s role as CSO gives BPI a co-ordinated focus around its core public-facing and member activities. This includes work on a range of key industry issues, such as the reviews into the economics of music streaming, misogyny in music, and the impact of AI on the music industry, while other areas cover music education and skills, global music exports, innovation through music and technology, and IP, copyright and content protection.

Since March 2025, Sophie has been Chair of the Alliance for Intellectual Property - an influential coalition of organisations representing IP rich businessses and creators, which campaigns to ensure IP rights are valued in the UK.

Hailing from Ipswich, Suffolk, and a graduate of King’s College London, where she studied French, Sophie has accumulated nearly 25 years’ experience leading strategic communications, public policy and regulation for a number of high-profile organisations in media and the creative industries.  Prior to joining the BPI she was Head of Corporate Relations at Channel 4, working on major campaigns and was closely involved with the organisation’s 4 All the UK regional strategy and work on inclusion and diversity.  She has also held similar senior roles at ITV and ITN.

Sophie is Chief Commercial Officer at the Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO). She leads the Audiences and Commercial division at RBO, with a mission to ensure financial sustainability for the organisation through developing and engaging new audiences and growing self-generated revenues. Sophie is responsible for all commercial revenues at the RBO, including corporate partnerships, box office, cinema, streaming, catering and retail.  She also leads the brand, marketing, comms and digital product (website, etc).
 
Before joining the RBO, Sophie led the lifestyle division at the media group Future as Senior Vice President; responsible for dozens of brands including The Week, Marie Claire, Homes and Gardens, Country Life, Wallpaper* , Ideal Home, WhoWhatWear and space.com. She oversaw the integration of acquired brands into her division, migrating systems and growing revenues.

Prior to Future, Sophie was Head of Brand at Marks & Spencer, specifically using her knowledge of media and content to generate engagement and drive sales. She has held a range of senior leadership roles at Bauer Media, EMAP and Macmillan.

For six years, until December 2024, Sophie was Non-Executive Director of the Royal College of Nursing's commercial subsidiary, RCNi.

Professor Steven Spier is Vice-Chancellor of Kingston University. An accomplished academic and leading advocate of the skills for innovation needed to drive economic growth, he originally joined the University in 2012 as Dean of Kingston School of Art. Through his leadership, he enhanced its prominence as one of the top global providers of design and art education. 

A driving force in Kingston University’s Future Skills campaign, he is held in high regard for his ground-breaking work championing the need for government, business and educators to work together to ensure graduates are equipped with the skills for innovation needed to invigorate the national economy.

Steven is currently a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Creative Industries Council. He was a founding director of the board of Architecture and Design Scotland and was named honorary fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and of German body Bund Deutscher Architekten in recognition of his services to architecture education. He was a long-serving board member of Scottish Ballet and also sat on the board of Glasgow-based production house Cryptic.

An expert in contemporary Swiss architecture and in ballet choreography as a form of spatial organisation, Steven is widely published. His academic career encompasses appointments in Switzerland, Germany, Scotland and Northern Ireland. He was founding Vice-Chancellor of the HafenCity University in Hamburg, Germany – an institution of the built environment and metropolitan development.