We’ve got a fantastic line-up of speakers for the National Conference 2025, where we’ll be focusing on Equity in Action: The Power of Diverse Narratives. Find out more about the speakers, and when they’ll be speaking, below.
Morning session (11.00am – 12.30pm)
Dave Lovatt, Cat and Mouse Theatre
At 20, Dave discovered performing arts by chance and later trained at Rose Bruford Drama School. He has since written and directed 20 plays, created two award-winning short films, and secured four Arts Council England grants, beginning with the SUSANN project in 2020. He also performs in immersive theatre, notably as Marty Beilsperg in Blockbuster Factory.
Sho Shibata, Director, OutdoorArtsUK
Sho began working as our Director in February 2024 and was previously the Executive Producer of Stopgap Dance Company, where he worked for 16 years. Sho is also on the board of Play to The Crowd – the umbrella organisation for Winchester Hat Fair and a member of the Area Council for Arts Council England, South East.
Susan Clarke, Stoke Creates
Susan Clarke has worked over four decades and three continents to make art and theatre happen where people are. In 1985 in Stoke-on-Trent she co-founded the UK’s first women led outdoor arts company, Beavers. Susan specialises in collaborations within and across sectors to make heartfelt, thought provoking, joyful and hilarious theatre and participatory events for non-arts spaces.
Rebecca Frankenberg, B. ARTS
Rebecca is a producer and arts facilitator. She is one of the co-artistic directors of B. ARTS and leads on co-creating place-based cultural development programmes in partnership with community and neighbourhood groups. Rebecca worked with young people, parents and service providers in Fegg Hayes to plan and start up the New Futures Lab project.
Martin Gooding, B. ARTS
Martin is a working-class writer, theatre maker and arts faciliator with ADHD. He is one of the co-artistic directors of B. ARTS and leads on co-creating arts projects with children and young people across the city, including short films, immersive theatre, and processional events. Martin has worked as a producer and artist on the New Futures Lab project since 2020.
Natalie Willatt, B. ARTS
Natalie is a working-class artist and arts facilitator. She uses photography to explore her hometown of Stoke-on-Trent, focussing on themes of community, belief, connection to place and class. She has worked with B. ARTS as a producer and artist on the New Futures Lab project since it started in 2019. She grew up and is a current resident of the estate the project is based in.
Amity Hub
AmityHub is a place where young people seeking asylum can meet, make friendships, learn, receive support and advice, have fun and feel part of their community.
Rachael Lines, FRONTLINEdance
In 2001, Rachael set up FRONTLINEdance with Michael King and has since created, devised, fund-raised and delivered many projects and performance work. She has choreographed, collaborated with musicians/filmmakers/fine artists, performed nationally, taught and created education packs. Rachael continues to manage and lead FRONTLINEdance, both artistically and strategically.
Rasandeep Singh Devgon, Appetite
Rasandeep is a Community Coordinator at Appetite, a programme that brings exciting arts and cultural experiences to Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. Rasandeep is passionate about making the arts accessible and inclusive, with a strong focus on co-creating events that celebrate cultural diversity, such as Sensasian, a vibrant showcase of South Asian arts.
Ruby Nixon, Appetite
Ruby Nixon is a Community Coordinator for Appetite where she works with local communities, empowering them to shape how art is brought to life in their area. She helps residents make key decisions about arts programming, organises group visits to Appetite events and introduces participants to inspiring creative experiences across the UK.
Breakout sessions (1.45pm – 3.15pm and 3.30pm – 5.00pm)
1. Bringing communities back together after unrest
Jake Puddle, British Future
Jake Puddle is a senior researcher at the think tank British Future. Jake’s recent work has explored the role of the creative arts in promoting social cohesion between people of different ethnic, faith and social backgrounds, through researching public engagement in the arts, investigating case studies around the UK and interviewing funders and event organisers.
Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, Cohesion Plus & OAUK Board Member
Gurvinder is the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus and CEO of the KECC (Kent Equality Cohesion Council). With over 20 years’ experience in the sector, Gurvinder works extensively across Kent in partnership with both voluntary and statutory sectors to promote community cohesion, engagement with diverse communities and to eliminate discrimination.
Charlotte Bowen (Chair), The Culture House
Charlotte is Founder & Creative Director of The Culture House, an ACE NPO in Grimsby working to widen access to culture and creative opportunities. The Culture House co-produces strategic and meaningful place-based events, festivals and creative projects, in partnership with a range of local and regional stakeholders that activate local spaces while increasing pride levels.
2. Diverse narratives unlocking new income streams
Claudette Whittingham, UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA)
Claudette is an Events Manager specialising in event and project development within the carnival creative industries. She has 20 years’ experience working in the creative sector, 12 years specialised in the carnival. She has extensive experience of UK government policy development, specialising in social justice measures to address poverty, social improvement and in-work progression.
Steve Pascal, UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA)
Steve Pascal, aka PASCAL, has been supporting UKCCA to develop and deliver Luton International Carnival, as Executive Producer and Combined Arts Consultant since 2014. He is a keen advocate of ‘Carnival Futurism’, incorporating legacy planning; sustainable social value and international cross-disciplinary partnerships, within intangible culture, immersive technology and the Arts
Anja Meinhardt, Justice in Motion
Anja is a TEDx and public speaker, and the Artistic Director of Justice in Motion, which she founded in 2013, to combine her passion in social justice with her skills in the arts, desiring to make a difference in our culture and society. Both as a performer and movement director, she worked with several companies in the UK and internationally.
Lou Lomas (Chair), Independent Producer & OAUK Board Member
Lou is an independent Outdoor Arts producer & facilitator, currently working with Talking Birds Theatre Company and with Stephanie Ridings- Tappin’In. Lou is passionate about the development of outdoor work and supporting companies/artists working outdoors, with an approach to partnership working, supporting artists/communities throughout the creative processes.
3. Let’s Talk About Care
Fatina Cummings, Just More Productions
Fatina is a self-taught chef, dancer & performer, and Large scale Chef who also produces backstage areas for theatres, Circus’s & festivals. Having toured with Nofitstate circus for over 5 years. Fatina also studied at Bath Spa College, where she’s designed and developed a specialist teaching program.
Laura Dajao, LauraDDances
Laura is a Freelance Inclusive Dance Artist, wheelchair model and aspiring actor and producer influenced by Hip Hop, Contemporary and other styles e.g. Waacking, Lockin’, Dancehall, African, Krump. The three pillars of her work are Representation, Access & Inclusion where she fuses different styles to create her own vocabulary using her wheelchair to make cross collaborative art.
Vicki Amedume (Chair), Upswing
Victoria is the founder of Upswing, a multi-award-winning contemporary circus company that works to expand the possibilities of circus as an art form. She is Creative Director at The Albany, most recently in that role has supported the delivery for Lewisham’s London Borough of Culture Programme ‘We Are Lewisham’.
4. Festivals and artists working together for disability access
Heather Dowler, Appetite Stoke
Heather has worked in arts and culture for over 20 years. She joined Appetite as General Manager in June 2020 and looks after marketing and communications, evaluation, finance and reporting to funders, health and safety and most other things that benefit from having a process.
Rachael Lines, FRONTLINEdance
In 2001, Rachael set up FRONTLINEdance with Michael King and has since created, devised, fund-raised and delivered many projects and performance work. She has choreographed; collaborated with musicians/film makers/fine artists; performed nationally; taught; created education packs. Rachael continues to manage and lead FRONTLINEdance, both artistically and strategically.
Daryl Beeton (Chair), Daryl & Co.
Daryl Beeton is the founder of Daryl & Co, a Disabled-led company where collaboration and co-creation meet mischief and merriment, who make accessible theatre to delight young audiences. Established as a Director and performer, Daryl has worked extensively within the Theatre, Disability and young people’s arts sector for over 25 years years.
5. Open Forum
Phil Hargreaves (Chair), Light Up The North, Freedom Festival & OAUK Board Member
Phil Hargreaves is an award-winning cultural leader, curating programmes that bring exception art into the public realm. Phil has worked with a range of organisations, local governments and artists to create impactful, relevant and high quality cultural and heritage experience.
Tracey Sage, Freelance Creative Producer & OAUK Board Member
Tracey is a Freelance Senior Associate with EEA, whom she has known for 20 years, where she provides strategic support to the Board and Management Team. She loves this work; renewing her connection to the sector and supporting artists from all backgrounds to realise their dreams.
Plenary (5.30pm – 6.00pm)
Jennifer Cleary, Director of Combined Arts, Arts Council England
Jennifer joined Arts Council England in April 2021 and leads on its work in Combined Arts nationally. She has a keen interest in cultural development and career pathways and she currently sits on the Internationalisation and Marketing Advisory Board for Marketing Manchester.
Dave Lovatt, Cat and Mouse Theatre
At 20, Dave discovered performing arts by chance and later trained at Rose Bruford Drama School. He has since written and directed 20 plays, created two award-winning short films, and secured four Arts Council England grants, beginning with the SUSANN project in 2020. He also performs in immersive theatre, notably as Marty Beilsperg in Blockbuster Factory.
National Conference 2025
Our national conference is coming to Stoke-On-Trent on Thursday 6 February 2025, where we’ll be focusing on Equity in Action: The Power of Diverse Narratives. For OAUK members, we’re offering significant discounts on tickets and the pre-conference induction and networking events are completely free!
