Board

Jake has been active in the not-for-profit sector working with the International Rescue Committee-UK as a Board member and on the Advisory Board of Beanstalk reading support charity. He is also a consistent supporter of the arts, in particular, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Russell Maliphant Dance, The Gate and Shobana Jeyasingh Dance. With a background in engineering and finance he is currently involved in a number of energy transition companies including solar, waste-to-energy, and gas.

Peter Barker is currently Director of Corporate Services and Operations at the Phone-paid Services Authority. He is a qualified management accountant, and has worked extensively in both the charity and corporate sectors – including senior marketing positions at Prudential and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Peter also serves on the Board of Siobhan Davies Dance.

Rhiannon is an employment lawyer at Mishcon de Reya LLP, advising clients in a range of sectors on all aspects of UK contentious and non-contentious employment law issues, including contracts of employment and policies, senior executive hires and exits, settlements and redundancies, and unfair, wrongful and/or constructive dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and breach of contract claims. She also has a background in dance from a young age, and is particularly passionate about opening opportunities for young people in dance and the arts.

Eva has worked as a senior-level fundraiser and development consultant for key arts organisations in both The Netherlands and the UK for the past 25 years. These include leading lights in the London portfolio – Sadler’s Wells, the Royal Opera House, the Serpentine Gallery and The Courtauld Gallery. Eva’s personal passion for and commitment to the arts across the board, and most importantly the people at the heart of each art form, not only drives her professional record but is also reflected in her active engagement as a trustee on the Boards of both Dance Umbrella and Strongback Productions.

Nikhil works in finance in the commercial theatre sector and is currently the UK Senior Finance Analyst for programming, data, and London venues at ATG Entertainment. Previously, he has worked at National Theatre Productions, focusing on financial planning and production accounting for shows including War Horse (UK & Ireland Tour), Dear England (Prince Edward Theatre), Standing at the Sky’s Edge (Gillian Lynne Theatre) and The Lehman Trilogy (Gillian Lynne Theatre, International Tour). Nikhil’s involvement in the contemporary dance sector began at The Place, where he worked in particular with the producing and programming teams. 

Simeilia is an award-winning arts leader and founder of Beyond The Canon. She created notable leadership initiatives, including Up Next and Artistic Directors of the Future’s Board Shadowing Programme. Named in Who’s Who in 2020, Simeilia has appeared in The Stage Power List and the London Evening Standard’s Progress 1000. Her work includes directing The Interrogation of Sandra Bland at Goodman Theatre and producing award-winning films like Ride Share. She authored the pioneering Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors and co-edited Decolonizing the Theatre Space. Simeilia has also served as a trustee and leadership consultant internationally.

Alex is a highly accomplished Organisational & Business Coach, bringing with her 20+ years of experience in the Creative Industries. She works at the intersection of innovation, technology and culture and guides on organisational evolution planning and sustainable transformation. Alex operates across the arts, the charity and the not-for-profit sectors and supports organisations like CircusTalk, BAC and Watershed in creating innovation pathways in line with their missions and values. She is the co-founder of the creative lab Truth & Spectacle who promote inclusive creativity as a force for change and a co-founder of Consequential, a social innovation practise who believe in disruption for the common good. Alex is a long-standing fellow of the RSA.

Jacqueline Rose joined the Mayor of London’s Culture Team in 2005 and is responsible for strategy and major programmes. Jacqueline has provided strategic leadership, policy development, artists commissions, and delivered large scale cultural events across the capital and internationally on behalf of the Greater London Authority. Jacqueline’s notable achievement in dance was as Director of Big Dance, the world’s largest dance festival from 2006 to 2016 and a keynote culture programme for London 2012. Jacqueline was seconded to the BBC in 2015 to set up Get Creative – a new public engagement programme. Previously, she was a senior dance policy maker at Arts Council England.

Manohari is a marketing, digital & business consultant and the head of communications & marketing for the Association for Art History. She has a passion for the Arts and a strong belief in the transformative power of dance. Leveraging extensive experience gained over the past 20 years – including as a marketing & sales director at National Geographic in London & New York – she collaborates with organisations, from start-ups to corporates, in navigating highly competitive marketplaces. Manohari is also a trustee and non-executive director of the BALTIC, Centre for Contemporary Art, and was formerly a trustee of Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books.