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.
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
Zaiba Jabbar
Zaiba is an artist, filmmaker and the resident curator/emergent producer at LUX, the UK agency for the support and promotion of artists working with the moving image. Zaiba is also founder of Hervisions, a multidisciplinary curating and commissioning agency supporting and promoting new media art made by non-binary artists and artists that identify as women.
Nathan Jones (Vice Chair)
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.
Debbi Lander
Debbi is a creative director/producer in arts and media with a particular focus on innovating for the public through brand, experimentation and unconventional and new approaches to art making and audience development. Her career history includes business owner, shinkansen collective; former London 2012 programmer; CEO/Artistic Director of Forma Arts and Media until September 2018 and is currently working as a consultant producer. Debbi is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Associate of FACT, Liverpool and a specialist in interdisciplinary arts practice, technology and performance-based arts.
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.
Associate Board Members
Jessica Straker
Jessica is a casting director, writer, and producer, has dedicated her work to authentic representation and community-focused advocacy. Her organisation ‘We Are Bridge’ ensures career sustainability for underrepresented, street cast talent, through tailored aftercare and pastoral support.
Savena Surana
Savena is an award-winning creative communicator and producer. For over seven years she’s told stories of social good for clients such as the United Nations Foundation, Museum of London and Lego, crafting narratives that inspire change and challenge the status quo. She is also the co-founder of Identity 2.0, a creative studio working at the intersection of digital rights, identity and technology.
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