Trustees

Dave Moutrey is Director and Chief Executive of HOME a purpose built multi art form venue that opened in May 2015.  He conceived and led both the merger of Cornerhouse and Library Theatre Company and the £25m capital project to create HOME which has attracted almost 1m visits per year since opening. HOME includes 5 cinema screens, education spaces, digital production and broadcast facilities, a 500 seat theatre, 150 seat flexible theatre, large gallery, café bar, restaurant, offices and other ancillary spaces consistent with a production centre. HOME provides opportunities for artists and audiences to create work together, as well as a social and cultural hub. In April 2018 Dave was seconded to Manchester City Council in a part time role of Director of Culture.  He is responsible for advising the council on policy and strategy for culture and working closely with the Cultural Leaders Group on joint working and other collaborative initiatives. Dave was awarded a Doctor of Arts honoris causa by the University of Salford is a Fellow of the RSA, a member of the Chartered Management Institute, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.  He is also an advisor to the British Council and holds a number of non-executive roles on not-for-profit boards. Dave Moutrey became Chair on 21 February 2022.

Paul Cartwright was a partner of the private equity firm, Rutland Partners LLP until December 2018. Paul joined Rutland in 1988 and has been actively involved in its development through to becoming Managing Partner in 2005. Paul has been a lead member of the team in raising £800m for investment across the three Rutland Funds since 2001. Paul has also led a wide range of turnaround and restructuring investments for Rutland and held many board positions in portfolio companies. Paul still represents Rutland in certain portfolio companies. Prior to joining Rutland, Paul qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen working in corporate finance and consultancy. Paul Cartwright became a Trustee on 1 July 2017 and was reappointed by The Secretary of State at the DCMS for a second term from January 2021.

James has been Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate Theatres and Northampton Filmhouse since 2013 and is a Non-Executive Director of Spirit of 2012 and Talawa Theatre Company. Previously he’s been Associate Director at the New Vic Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, the National Youth Theatre and London’s Theatre503 and held roles as a Franco-British Young Leader and Fulbright Fellow. He has directed, produced, and toured work to several hundred theatres, opera houses and festivals across the UK and abroad, with his productions winning Olivier, The Stage and UK Theatre awards. James Dacre became a Trustee on 21 February 2022.

Suba Das is an award-winning director, producer and dramaturg, brought up in the North East of England before reading English at Cambridge. He was Creative Director of the iconic Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres and previously Artistic Director and Chief Executive of HighTide, one of the UK's leading new writing theatre companies. Prior to HighTide, Suba was Associate Director at Leicester Curve, overseeing all artist development and community engagement; and Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio and English Touring Theatre. Suba's other directing credits include the world premiere production of Ravi Shankar's only opera Sukanya for the Royal Opera House and London Philharmonic Orchestra; and for the Young Vic, The Roundhouse, Northern Stage, Nottingham Playhouse and Bolton Octagon. Suba is passionate about access to theatre buildings and cultural activities for audiences of all backgrounds across the UK and he is also a trustee of the North Music Trust (Sage Gateshead); and the Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival. Suba Das became a Trustee on 21 February 2022.

Manpreet Gill is our Boardroom Apprentice. She was brought up in and lives in West London with her family. She is a civil servant, working for the Economic Regulator of the Water Industry, OFWAT. She has spent the majority of her career in the civil service in a variety of policy, delivery and analytical roles, developing and delivering key programmes of work for different government departments. She has focused on providing challenge as a HM Treasury spending lead, developing public policy programmes and championing effective dissemination of strategic objectives. Manpreet is passionate about the creative arts and purposeful leadership. She joined our Board in January 2023 as part of the Boardroom Apprenticeship Programme. 

Stephanie Hall is a barrister specialising in town and country planning at Kings Chambers. She lives with her family near Leeds but works across England and Wales. Stephanie represents both local authorities and developers at planning appeals and in the Courts. She has particular experience of large schemes and major infrastructure projects, sometimes involving theatres and very often involving works to or in the setting of listed buildings. Stephanie appears in the list of top-rated planning junior barristers, is a member of the Planning and Environment Bar Association, the Compulsory Purchase Association, the Parliamentary Bar Mess and the National Infrastructure Planning Association. Stephanie Hall became a Trustee on 21 February 2022.

Annie Hampson is a Town Planner who prior to March 2020 was the Chief Planning Officer at the City of London. She has 40 years’ experience at a senior level within Planning Authorities involved in a great range of development schemes and in repurposing and refurbishing many listed buildings. She has given a wide range of talks and presentations and has experience in judging, negotiation and decision making. She is the Chairman of the London Diocesan Advisory Committee which has responsibility for over 600 Church buildings, many of which are listed and where Access and new needs lead to change. She was awarded an OBE in 2018 for her services to Planning in London. Annie Hampson became a Trustee on 14 September 2020.

Richard Johnston was Chief Executive of Delfont Mackintosh Theatres from 2004 until he retired in 2021. He was also Chief Executive of Stoll Moss Theatres/Really Useful Theatres from 1992-2000. From 2000-2004 he was Chief Executive of the Racecourse Holdings Trust/Jockey Club Racecourses, which is the leading group of UK racecourses. Earlier positions included Director of the Birmingham Hippodrome and Chief Executive of the Contemporary Dance Trust. Richard Johnston became a Trustee on 1 July 2017 and was reappointed by The Secretary of State at the DCMS for a second term from January 2021.

Gary Kemp grew up in Islington and attended local grammar school Dame Alice Owens and Anna Scher’s Children’s Theatre drama club, becoming a child actor in film and TV. In 1976 he left acting to concentrate on making music and song writing, founding the 1980s super group Spandau Ballet. His songs spent a combined total of 500 weeks in the charts and generated over 25 m record sales worldwide. Gary pursued an acclaimed solo career after Spandau Ballet split in 1990 and returned to acting, starring in films such as ‘The Krays’ and ‘The Bodyguard’ and performing on stage at Wyndham’s, Stratford East and the Trafalgar Studios. He writes articles on art, music and the theatre for numerous publications, including the Times, Guardian and Evening Standard, and presents and produces programmes for TV and radio. Gary Kemp became a Trustee on 1 July 2017 and was reappointed by The Secretary of State at the DCMS for a second term from January 2021.

Lucy Osborne is an award-winning set and costume designer based in London. She works internationally across the UK, Europe and United States, specialising in new writing and musical theatre. Current productions include a new production of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret for Gothenburg Opera and a new musical The Osmonds which is currently touring the UK throughout 2022. Lucy is also a co-founder of studio three sixty, working with performing arts venues to design and regenerate buildings which enrich people’s lives and empower users.  studio three sixty were recipients of the Stage Awards “Theatre Building of the Year” for their design of Paines Plough’s pop-up theatre ROUNDABOUT. Lucy is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Editorial Board for the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference (ITEAC) 2022.  Through Inspiring the Future she works with young people in schools to share career pathways into theatre. She is a passionate advocate for inclusive design in theatre architecture. Lucy Osborne became a Trustee on 21 February 2022.

Jane Spiers is incoming Chair of the National Theatre of Scotland (from September 2022) and Chair of Sound Scotland. She was formerly Chief Executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts (2012-2022) and Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall (2003–2012). Jane is an experienced producer, programmer, festival director and cultural policy advisor. She has an honorary doctorate (DLitt) from Robert Gordon University for services to the arts, is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland for her contribution to the cultural environment in Scotland and is an RSA Fellow. She is a Trustee of the Sage Gateshead and Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust and a member of Aberdeen City Council’s Adoption and Permanence Panel.  Jane Spiers became a Trustee on 14 September 2020.

Truda Spruyt is Managing Director, Culture at Four Culture, working with a range of clients across the arts from the International Booker Prize to the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. She has over twenty-five years’ experience of devising and executing integrated communications strategies, working with clients to define key messages, evaluate brand values and raise profile. She is Chair of the Philosophy Foundation and co-founder of Borough Book Bash. Truda became a Trustee on 7 October 2019, and was re-appointed on 2 September 2022.

Katie Town is Executive Director of Theatre Royal Wakefield, a Grade II* listed Frank Matcham theatre in West Yorkshire. She has led the theatre since the end of 2015, taking it through a process of rapid creative and organisational change, including building and opening a new extension. Katie previously worked as General Manager for the National Theatre’s Learning Department. Originally qualifying as a non-practising barrister, Katie decided a career in the arts seemed more interesting, initially working at the Royal Opera House and then in a number of smaller arts organisations, including Candoco Dance Company. Katie Town became a Trustee on 14 September 2020 and is also Vice Chair.