Board of Trustees

John Herring (Chair)
John has over 20 years of experience working as a leader across Public Services, including at the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHS. Since its inception in 2016, he has worked as part of the devolution of Health and Care across Greater Manchester, working on a number of areas addressing the leadership and cultural challenges of implementing the Greater Manchester Mayor’s vision for a One Workforce approach to public services across the Greater Manchester devolved region. He set up the Salford Music Cooperative in 2008 and has worked in partnership with Unconvention raising awareness of the unique mental health challenges artists experience

Sam Bompas
Sam is co-founder of Bompas & Parr, a London based creative studio that describes itself as “the leading expert in multi-sensory experience design”. The studio works with commercial brands, artistic institutions, private clients and governments to deliver emotionally compelling experiences to a wide variety of audiences.

Alex Boyes
Alex Boyes is Producer and Creative Strategist working across disciplines and closely with artists, researchers, and technologists. Most recently Alex has been embedded within Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s Studio, as well as providing external Executive Production for support for artists experimenting with technology. Prior to this Alex led Production for Serpentine’s Arts Technologies team, and has been involved in various cultural organisations through projects operating across art, science and technology including Amos Rex, The Design Museum, PHI Canada, The Francis Crick Institute, V&A Museum and the Royal Opera House among others.

Anouk Focquier
Anouk Focquier is an art producer, curator, and founder of Berserk Art Agency, an organization dedicated to supporting artists and arts organisations. Anouk’s professional trajectory reflects a kaleidoscopic view of the arts field, encompassing visual arts, performance, media arts, and hybrid or technology-driven forms such as performative XR. Her work frequently operates across disciplines and sectors, encouraging dialogue between art, technology, science, and social engagement. In her curatorial practice, Anouk explores how art can foster dialogue in the public realm. Informed by literature and film, she gravitates toward works that act as poetic translations of realities, underlining the importance of imagination. A long-time advocate for fair practice and fair pay, Anouk promotes slow, in-depth collaborations that value process as much as outcome.

Charmian Griff
Charmian Griffin produces web projects for artists and visual arts organisations. She is one of the directors of arts and social justice collaboration Idle Women and is the lead strategist at creative design and technology studio Bureau for Visual Affairs

Nathan Jones 
Nathan is a visionary artistic researcher and Lecturer in Fine Art (Digital Media) at Lancaster University. His passion lies in unravelling the intricate connections between language, technology, and art-science. From 2006 to 2019, Nathan led Mercy, an arts-media-performance agency in Liverpool, where he curated skills development and new media programs in collaboration with artists such as Kae Tempest, Holly Herndon, Caroline Bergvall, Rosa Menkman, and novelist China Miéville.

Samantha King
Samantha is a dynamic force in the world of immersive technology and artistic experimentation. As the Head of Programme at VIVE Arts (HTC), Samantha spearheads a global arts initiative that supports artists and cultural organisations in harnessing the power of immersive tech. With a background as Senior Producer of Audience Labs at the Royal Opera House, she has paved the way for boundary-breaking contemporary opera and ballet experiences.

Ariane Koek
Ariane is a trailblazer at the crossroads of arts, science, and technology. Her extensive experience as a cultural producer at esteemed institutions such as CERN and the European Space Agency has solidified her reputation as a pioneer in fostering collaboration between art and science.

Clémence Rebourg
Clémence Rebourg is a multidisciplinary, award-nominated cultural programmer and producer whose work spans new ideas, theatre, cabaret, and music. She curates eclectic programmes ranging from live music and talks to immersive, experiential events, and often advises venues and institutions on programming and audience engagement. With academic training in Economic Geography and Culture-Led Economic Development from LSE and Sciences Po Paris, she brings a research-driven perspective to placemaking and cultural innovation. Passionate about transforming unexpected spaces through cultural experiences, she combines strategic insight with creative vision to design meaningful cultural encounters.

Eser Torun (Treasurer)
Eser has over two decades of experience in Senior Executive roles across Growth, Fundraising, and Business Strategy & Operations. She has a successful track record working with technology start-ups, scaling businesses, pursuing growth opportunities, and delivering operational efficiencies. In 2021 Eser was recognised as one of Europe’s Most Influential Women in FinTech in 2021 and as one of the Top 10 most influential leaders in Wealth Management.

Amy Urpi
Amy is an accomplished solicitor and experienced in-house lawyer with a wealth of legal expertise. Over nearly two decades Amy has honed her skills in corporate law, specialising in commercial, media, and intellectual property matters. Her previous roles with MTV, BBC Studios, PRS for Music and YouTube have given her a unique understanding of the legal intricacies surrounding the arts and media industry and she now works as a freelance Legal & Business Affairs Consultant for a range of clients.

We would also like to thank our previous trustees:

Alma Budd
Katie Moffat
David Mathias
Abigail Gilmore
Iain Bennett
Nancy Collantine
Catherine Garner
Michael Gibbons
Lynne McCadden
Dave Moutrey
Taylor Nuttall
Howard Rifkin
Mike Stubbs
Zaiba Jabbar
Debbi Lander