TRUSTEES

Mark Dobson, Chair
After ten years working for Northern Stage on tour and at Newcastle Playhouse, Mark became Chief Executive of Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle in 2000. He was part of the steering group that established the Regional Screen Agency in the North East and was founding chair of Audiences North East the region’s audience development agency. 

Kate Brindley, Vice-Chair
Kate has worked in the visual arts and museums sector for 18 years. She was previously Head of Arts and Museums for Wolverhampton, Director of Museums, Galleries and Archives for Bristol City Council and has been the Director of mima Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art since 2009. She is an advisor for the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Arts Fund. 

James Armstrong
James is an Associate Solicitor at Muckle LLP, a leading commercial law firm based in Newcastle. He has seven years experience of acting for landowners, developers, investors and occupiers, and has a good knowledge of the legislation that affects charities and their trustees. 

Rhodri Davies
Rhodri is an artist and musician working across new, experimental and improvised music for over 14 years. He plays harp, electric harp, live-electronics and builds wind, water and fire harp installations. He has performed internationally solo, in groups, and with many leading orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He is a member of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival board. 

Jenny Hall
Jenny is a freelance creative producer, curator and consultant working with Local Authority and Higher Education clients.  She is also Director of the Creative Business Team at York St John University. 

Adam Lopardo
Adam has been Director of The Sponsors Club for the past seven years, responsible for private philanthropy and business partnerships that support culture in North East England. He previously set up Ticketmaster’s regional marketing function and ran their operation in Scotland. Adam is a board member of New Writing North and sits on the advisory committee of Globe Gallery.

Lord Shipley
John Shipley OBE is a Liberal Democrat peer in the House of Lords. He was the Leader of Newcastle City Council from 2006-10, and was a board member of the regional development agency One North East from 2005-12.  

Mark Robinson
Mark is the founder of Thinking Practice, out of which he consults, coaches, researches, and writes. His work on adaptive resilience is now being used internationally. He is an Associate of Mission Models Money, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a widely-anthologised poet. He was previously Executive Director of Arts Council England, North East.

Kari Vickers
Kari previously worked as Arts & Creative Development Manager for Sunderland Council, where she was the principle officer responsible for Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art and the arts development team. She previously worked at Darlington Borough Council, Northern Print Studio and Northern Stage.

Iain Watson
Iain is a cultural sector professional with 16 years experience at senior management level. He has been a member of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ Senior Management Team since 2001 and, since 2010, Director. He has written both academic and popular publications on themes relating to museums and culture.