Nigel Hinds is a performing arts manager and consultant. He was Arts Programming Director at Sadler’s Wells during its redevelopment and re-launch in the 1990s, and has just completed four years as Executive Director of The Place. As a freelance, his clients have included Brighton Festival, Scottish Ballet, Shobana Jeyasingh and Phoenix Dance Theatre. Among other roles, he is currently interim Executive Producer for Lift, which launches its new portable venue this June. Nigel has developed a particular interest in how arts organisations respond to the challenges of climate change. As well as chairing this conference, he sits on the steering group of ‘Greening London’s Theatres’.

Environment Editor, Guardian

John Vidal has worked for The Guardian since 1995 after working for Agence France Presse, North Wales Newspapers and the Cumberland News. He has a wealth of broadcast experience with the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, CNN, Radio Canada, Radio Australia and has also been a teacher and a theatre director. As an author and journalist he has been four times Environment Journalist of the Year and written on theatre, the Gulf War, new Europe and development. His books include McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial (1998).

Ruth Eastwood is Chief Executive of Leicester Theatre Trust, a post she took up in August 2006. She came to Leicester from Poole where she managed a 9m capital development project alongside an organisational change programme. This saw Poole Arts Centre transformed into Lighthouse, Pooles Centre for the Arts, the largest arts centre outside London. Apart from a year in the oil industry, her career has been spent in the arts in touring, presenting and producing theatres and arts centres within the subsidised sector. She has worked on the small scale with Hull Truck and the large scale with the Royal National Theatre, as well as for Bradford Theatres, Darlington Arts and Splash, a community theatre company. She has experience of promoting international arts, visual arts, puppetry and film. Her first Lottery funded capital project was the David Machs Train, a larger-than-life brick sculpture that celebrates Darlington’s railway heritage.

Ian Blackburn is the Capital Projects Director at the Southbank Centre, with responsibility for the Royal Festival Hall refurbishment project, the new building alongside Hungerford viaduct and public realm works. He qualified at Sheffield University and the Architectural Association as an architect and at Reading University in project management. He joined the Southbank Centre in 2003 following nine years as Director of Building Development at the Royal Albert Hall and a similar period at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He was also a non-executive adviser to the Royal Geographical Society during the period of their development project and an advisory committee member of the Innovative Construction Research Centre at Reading University. He has lectured in the UK and in Europe and China as part of the Creative Industries programme and is particularly interested in sustainability. He recently reviewed the Olympics Broadcast and Press Centre, one of the ODA legacy projects, for the Office of Government Commerce.

Before coming to the DCMS, Margaret Hodge was appointed Minister of State for Industry and the Regions (at the Department of Trade & Industry) in May 2006. She was elected Member of Parliament for Barking in 1994 and has carried out the following roles in Government: Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment and Equal Opportunities, Department for Education and Employment (1998 – 2001), Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, Department for Education and Skills (2001 – 2003), Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, Department for Education and Skills (2003 – 2005) and Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform in the Department for Work and Pensions (2005 – 2006). Margaret entered politics in 1973 as a councillor for the London Borough of Islington where she was Chair of the Housing Committee from 1975 to 1979 and Deputy Leader from 1981 to 1982, before becoming Leader from 1982 to 1992. She spent two years as a consultant for Price Waterhouse from 1992 to 1994. Prior to her appointment to the DfEE she was Joint Chairman of the House of Commons Education and Employment Select Committee. She was educated at Bromley High School and Oxford High School before obtaining a BSc at the London School of Economics.

President RIBA, Snr Partner, Penoyre & Prasad

Sunand was a founding Commissioner for the UK Government’s Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, established the CABE Enabling Programme and chaired its Skills Programme. As Vice President for RIBA Policy & Strategy, he in particular led on the Institute’s response to climate change. He founded the RIBA’s Constructive Change group and played a leading role in the development of Design Quality Indicators for the Construction Industry Council. Sunand has taught and lectured in many schools of architecture in the UK and India, acted as an external examiner and continues to be involved in teaching. His theoretical work includes research in North Indian urbanism and domestic architecture, writings on Le Corbusier, on architecture and cultural diversity and the exploration of the value of design. Published books include Penoyre & Prasad’s monograph “Transformations” and “Changing Hospital Architecture”. He has made many contributions to conferences and events relating to Architecture, Urban Design, Climate change and Sustainability.
Photo: Morley von Sternberg

Chief Executive, CABE

Richard Simmons has been the Chief Executive of CABE since 2004. He has a Doctorate in Urban History and Urban Economics. He worked as a town planner before joining the Inner Cities Directorate of the Department of the Environment, advising on regeneration policy. Richard moved to the London Docklands Development Corporation in 1987, leading teams developing masterplans for the development of the Royal Docks and Canary Wharf, building infrastructure and selling land for development. In 1993 he became Chief Executive of the Dalston City Challenge regeneration company in Hackney, where he led a five-year programme of economic, social and physical renewal before becoming Director of Development and Environment for the new Unitary Council of Medway.

Chief Executive, Historic Scotland

John Graham studied classics and ancient history at Oxford University. In his early career in the Scottish Office, now the Scottish Government, he worked on transport, housing, industrial development and energy. He was private secretary to the Secretary of State for Scotland for two years. After heading the town and country planning division, the central finance division, and local government group he served as Finance Director, before becoming head of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department in 1998. Since September 2004 he has been the Chief Executive of Historic Scotland, the agency which cares for the historic environment.

Expert Adviser, DCMS

Ruth Mackenzie is an expert adviser on broadcasting and cultural policy for the DCMS. Whilst Ruth was General Director of the Manchester International Festival in 2006/07 she helped test the British Standards Institute’s BSI 8901 standard on sustainable events management. The Festival, a large-scale event involving 25 venues, 25 world premieres and over 200,000 visitors, was one of five partners to trial the new standard, which was then published in November 2007. As a result the Festival is now developing a strategy and action plan to improve sustainability at the next Manchester International Festival in July 2009, and beyond. Between 2002 and 2006 she was the Artistic Director, Chichester Festival Theatre and between 1997 and 1999, the General Director, Scottish Opera and Executive Director Nottingham Playhouse 1990-1997. She has also worked as Programming Consultant for the Barbican Centre, London and as the Head of Strategic Planning, Southbank Centre.

Executive Director, TippingPoint

Peter Gingold as Executive Director has been the prime mover behind TippingPoint since its inception. He has had a very varied career, including spending a number of years working in low cost housing in developing countries, founding an electronics business in the Silicon Fen, and working as a management consultant. He became Chief Executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 2001, and led the artistic side of Liverpools successful bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008. His varied projects are all motivated by climate change.

Consultant Professional Support Lawyer, Linklaters

Kirstin Warley is a Consultant Professional Support Lawyer in the construction group at Linklaters LLP. Kirstin has 12 years experience in construction law and is admitted as a solicitor in both England and New South Wales, Australia. She has also lectured in law at universities in both countries. She now provides legal advice and support to the Linklaters construction team and its clients on recent and proposed changes to construction law as well as responding on Linklaters behalf to government and industry consultations. She regularly delivers training seminars to lawyers and clients. Kirstin read jurisprudence at St. Hildas College, Oxford.

Climate Change Adviser, Greening London’s Theatres

Mark Watts was former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone’s, chief advisor on climate change and led the development of the London Climate Change Action Plan, which set out how the city will achieve a 60% cut carbon emissions by 2025. This included improving the energy efficiency of homes and offices; moving London’s energy supply from the national grid to a more efficient decentralised system based on combined heat and power; and public transport policies. Mark also led on the development of a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for London, which considered how London could adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change, such as increased risk of flooding and extreme summer temperatures. He also led on all matters relating to the C40 and its partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative and the Greening London’s Theatres initiative.

Actor, impressionist and WWF Ambassador

Alistair McGowan is best known for The Big Impression (BAFTA 2003). After leaving the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he began working as a stand-up comic and appeared often at The Comedy Store. From 1992-1996, he was a regular voice on Spitting Image and on Radio 4 comedy shows including: Weekending, The Harpoon, The Nick Revell Show. He has appeared in Celebrity Mastermind, hosted Have I Got News For You? and discovered his ancestors on Who Do You Think You Are? His theatre work includes: Kafkas Dick and Endgame (Nottingham Playhouse), Art (Wyndhams) The Government Inspector (Chichester), Merry Wives: The Musical (RSC) and Little Shop of Horrors (Duke of Yorks/Ambassadors). As a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Ambassador he is an active campaigner for the environment and is looking for every theatre production in the UK to fulfil certain obligations in terms of their environmental impact.

Executive Director, Arcola Theatre

Ben Todd completed his PhD on the modelling of solid oxide fuel cells for power generation at Cambridge University Engineering Department. He has worked in technical and strategy consulting on commercial and government projects including at Cambridge Consultants, Ti Cycles of India, Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems and Synnogy. As well as being Executive Director of Arcola Theatre, Ben works as a Technology Broker for the Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Knowledge Transfer Network run by the UK Technology Strategy Board.

Executive Chairman, Glyndebourne Productions Ltd

Gus Christie was educated at Eton College and King’s College, London, where he gained a degree in Zoology. He worked as a wildlife film cameraman, making films for the BBC and the American market. He joined the Board of Glyndebourne Productions Limited in 1989 and took over the chairmanship of Glyndebourne from his father in 2000. As Executive Chairman of Glyndebourne Productions Limited, he runs the company with the senior executive and reports to the Board and Trustees. His interests include sport, music and nature.
Photo: Mike Hoban

Arts Management Consultant

As an arts consultant Donnas current projects include: advising on arts capital projects; business planning; management of change consultancy; ArtsQuest assessor; facilitation and mentoring. From 2003 to 2007 Donna was Chief Executive at Royal & Derngate where her achievements included managing and raising funds for the 15.5 million redevelopment and completely restructuring and rebranding the organisation. Previously Donna was General Manager for Really Useful Theatres, responsible for the successful management of all productions within RUTs thirteen West End Theatres. Her previous role was as Finance Director at the Royal Court, where she was responsible for the financial planning and management of the 27 million redevelopment, and the financial management and control of all operations. Prior to that she worked for a number of national and international theatre production and touring companies. Donna is a Regional Council Member of ACE East Midlands, a Council Member and member of Industrial Relations Committee for TMA, and a Board Member of the National Student Drama Festival.

Principal, Short and Associates Architects

Alan Short is Principal of Short and Associates Architects, and Professor of Architecture at the University of Cambridge. He is the architect of a number of naturally-ventilated theatres, including the Contact, Manchester, and the Garrick, Lichfield, and won the RIBA President’s Award for Outstanding Practice-Based Research in 2007 for his work on low-energy education buildings. At Cambridge, Alan was Principal Investigator on the ‘Designing Dynamic Environments for the Performing Arts’ research project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and carried out with the University of Salford, while a team led by his practice has recently completed a new version of the Arts Council/CABE Guide to Capital Projects in the Arts.

Buildings Conservation Group, Alan Baxter and Associates

Alistair Fair is an architectural historian. After studying History at Oxford and Architectural History at the Courtauld Institute of Art, he recently completed a Ph.D. at Cambridge University, the subject of which was ‘British theatres: 1926-1991’. The Ph.D. combines an overview of the subject with particular consideration of twelve theatres, using documentary, visual and oral evidence to build up a detailed understanding of their architecture and the ways that these buildings have responded to changing functional and symbolic considerations. In a freelance capacity, he has worked with Short and Associates on a number of projects, including the new Arts Council/CABE Guide to Capital Projects in the Arts. Since April 2008, he has been employed by Alan Baxter and Associates, where he works within the Buildings Conservation Group.

Chairman, Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT)

Mark White’s theatre industry career started as a West End chief electrician and as the Buildings and Technical Manager for a West End theatres group. He went on to be the Technical and Project Manager for the Royal Opera House, and became a ROH Theatre Consultant during the Covent Garden redevelopment from 1995-99. Currently employed by Electronic Theatre Controls Ltd, Mark is also Chairman of the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT), the national organisation raising technical standards in the theatre industry. ABTT is responsible for the ‘Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment’ guidance published in conjunction with the District Surveyors Association and The Institute of Licensing, and ‘Theatre Essentials’, a guide on health and safety in theatres.

Partner, Max Fordham

Ian Smith BSc PGCE is a partner in Max Fordham. He specialises in the design of buildings for the visual and performing arts. His first project was the award winning Charles Cryer Studio Theatre which incorporated a borehole cooling system. Current projects include new theatres for the Hull Truck Theatre and Cheltenham Ladies College, the restoration of the Royal Hall, Harrogate, Leeds City Varieties and Richmond Theatre. He is an active member of the ABTT and is helping it to embody current best environmental engineering practice into the new Technical Standards.

Group Director, Building Services Design, Buro Happold

Stephen is a Director of Buro Happold based in the Bath office where he leads a team of multi-disciplinary integrated design engineers working on national and international projects. Throughout his career Stephen’s contribution to projects has been to apply a first principles approach to the fundamentals of building design and engineering to ensure that sustainability is applied at all stages and that the building design and its technology are integrated into complete systems. Stephen has a specialist interest in heat transfer and the importance of air movement in and around buildings which underpins his approach to low carbon design. Stephen is currently leading the design of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, The Grand Museum of Egypt, Cairo and Reading Civic Centre, Reading, UK.

Project Director, RST Transformation, Royal Shakespeare Company

Peter Wilson joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2005 to head the team delivering the five year Transforming Our Theatres programme. After graduating in natural sciences at Cambridge he joined the Tate Gallery and has worked in the arts for more than 35 years. As Director of Projects for Tate he was responsible for both Tate Modern and the Tate Britain Centenary Development. Earlier Tate projects included Tate St Ives in 1993 and Tate Liverpool in 1998. Peter was awarded an OBE for services to museums in 2001 and last year was made an honorary fellow by RIBA.

Co-founder, Bennetts Associates Architects

Rab Bennetts OBE leads the design direction of Bennetts Associates and is personally involved in many of the firm’s projects. He studied at Heriot-Watt University /Edinburgh College of Art graduating in 1977. There he won several prizes including the Final Year Architecture Prize, jointly with his partner Denise Bennetts. In 1987 they set up Bennetts Associates. The firm, based in London and Edinburgh, has been responsible for many recognised projects such as the PowerGen Headquarters, Wessex Water Operations Centre, the Gateway Centre in Loch Lomond, Hampstead Theatre, a 480 room hotel in Westminster, and Brighton & Hove Central Library. Two notable commissions at present include the £100 million transformation of the RSC’s Stratford home the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the New Street Square development in the City of London. The firm has won 11 RIBA awards, has been shortlisted for the Stirling Prize several times and won the Architect of the Year award from Building Design and Building magazines in 2005-6. Rab is also extensively involved in outside bodies and, at present, he is a Board member of the newly-formed UK Green Buildings Council, a member of the construction industry’s 2012 Olympic Task Force and a Director of Sadler’s Wells. He has in the past chaired the RIBA’s Competitions Committee and advised the Government on sustainability policy. Rab was awarded the OBE for services to architecture in 2003.

Premises Manager, Theatre Royal, Plymouth

Kevin Faulkner has been the Premises Manager at the Theatre Royal Plymouth since July 2004. He is responsible for maintaining all plant, building services and building finishes to the high standards appropriate to this iconic building, and its architectural award winning production facility, TR2. Kevin has progressed “through the ranks” from an engineering background via the theatres’ management of a leisure and concert venue the Plymouth Pavilions. A specialist in controls and BEMS (Building Energy Management System) Kevin found his knowledge of HVAC plant invaluable in achieving customer comfort as efficiently as possible. Unashamedly a maintenance man since 1975, Kevin thinks outside the normal “theatre” box. The Theatre Royal has achieved national recognition for its energy efficiency after reducing gas, electricity and water consumption by 30%, This has been achieved by a combination of replacement plant and fine tuning of existing equipment.

Environmental Officer, Ambassador Theatre Group

Natalie joined Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) two years ago and since has been appointed as ATG’s Environmental Officer. Since joining the Operations Department ATG has developed a Company Environmental Policy and full Improvement Strategy for the Group, looking at areas including waste and energy management and working towards implementing a full staff awareness and training programme to support this. As operators of 23 theatres across the country ATG currently consumes 22,435,260 kWh costing #1.3m per year (taken in Jan 2007). Natalie is in the process of using energy audits to aid venues to create individual energy management plans aiming to reduce the overall carbon footprint for the whole company. Towards the end of 2007 Natalie joined forces with the London Mayor’s team and is now working with them to achieve specific Theatre Industry standards.

Buildings Group Leader, London, Arup

David Richards is a mechanical engineer and Director at Arup based in London. Dave leads integrated design teams for cultural facilities, museums, galleries and performance venues both in Europe and the USA. Most recently he was involved in the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and is currently working on the Cyprus Cultural Centre in Nicosia. He has a keen interest in passive design and low energy use in the control of the internal environment. David has been a visiting tutor of environmental design and building services at the Architectural Association, The Bartlett, MIT, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Theatre Manager, National Theatre

John Langley is responsible for developing public realm projects at the National Theatre, most recently The Deck, a summer pavilion built on a hitherto-unused terrace, and is also part of the organisation’s co-ordinating group on environmental initiatives. The National has set a target of reducing consumption of gas and electricity by 20% by the end of 2008, and is well on the way to achieving this. The National is also participating in the Climate Change Action Plan for Theatre, the decentralised energy study being undertaken jointly by South Bank University and SBEG, and is a member of London Green 500.

Deputy Director, Theatr Brycheiniog

Lee Collins has a BA in Geography and an MA in European Media from the University Of Portsmouth. An arts marketing professional for ten years, Lee is currently Deputy Director of Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon, Wales. Previously, Lee worked for The Courtyard Centre For The Arts in Hereford and Brecon Jazz Festival. He lives in Hereford and travels to and from work across the Welsh border. Notable for some of the finest rural landscapes in the country, this is one hour-long commute he never tires of. Theatr Brycheiniog is a partner in The Mid Wales Entertainment Circuit which commissioned and developed the Renewables Energy Programme which benefits each of the eight member performing arts venues in mid-Wales.

Director, Dulas Solar, Low Carbon Partnership

Having graduated with a degree in industrial design from Cardiff University, Ben joined Dulas in the Solar International department designing solar systems providing remote power solutions for humanitarian projects throughout developing nations. As the industry and company have grown Ben’s role evolved into representing each of Dulas’ departments in a marketing role and becoming the Sales & Marketing Manager for the Solar UK department (primarily due to the introduction of grid connection in the UK). Ben is one of five Directors of Dulas, Dulas is the lead company within The Low Carbon Partnership, providing 50% grants for Phase 2 of the government’s Low Carbon Buildings Programme for the installation of solar thermal, solar photovoltaics and small wind systems for public buildings or not for profit organisations.

Director, Planning and Integrated Urbanism, Arup

Peter Head OBE FREng FRSA is a director of Arup. He is a champion for developing global practice that demonstrates that the way we invest public and private money in the built environment could be made very much more effective if the public and private sector adopted sustainable development principles and that this approach combined with bio-mimicry can be used to drive rapid carbon emissions reduction. He is a civil and structural engineer who has become a recognised world leader in major bridges, advanced composite technology and now in sustainable development in cities. He has won many awards for his work, including the Royal Academy Silver Medal, Award of Merit of IABSE and the Prince Philip Award for Polymers in the Service of Mankind. He has deep experience of successful global scale innovation in both construction and manufacturing sectors. He joined Arup in 2004 to create and lead their planning and integrated urbanism team globally. He was appointed in 2002 by the Mayor of London as an independent Commissioner on the London Sustainable Development Commission and leads the planning and development sub-group of the Commission. Peter is project director for the planning and development of the Dongtan Eco-city on Chongming Island in Shanghai and other eco-city developments in China for the client Shanghai Industrial Investment Co. Peter was named by the Guardian Newspaper in January 2008 as one the ‘50 global Green Heroes who could save the planet’ elected by a global peer group.