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People

Find out more about the people and networks behind Creative PEC.

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Creative PEC Networks

Core Team

Core Team

Meet our Core Team who are based between Newcastle University and RSA House, London.

Hasan Bakhshi - Creative PEC
Hasan Bakhshi MBE

Director

Nataliya Nikolova - Creative PEC
Nataliya Nikolova

UK Administration & Partnerships Manager (Creative UK)

Emily Hopkins - Creative PEC
Emily Hopkins

Policy Advisor

Rodrigo Cavalcante Michel - Creative PEC
Rodrigo Cavalcante Michel

Research Associate (policy)

Nik Gunn - Creative PEC
Nik Gunn

Policy Adviser

Anna Zabow - Creative PEC
Anna Zabow

Head of Communications (job-share)

Alejandro Ramirez Guerra - Creative PEC
Alejandro Ramirez-Guerra

Research Associate at Newcastle University Business School

Tom Cahill Jones
Tom Cahill-Jones

Research Network Manager

Simon Budgen

Head of Operations

Billy Beckett - Creative PEC
Billy Beckett

Communications Manager

Lilli Geissendorfer - Creative PEC
Lilli Geissendorfer

Deputy Director

Bernard Hay
Bernard Hay

Head of Policy

Duncan Todd
Duncan Todd

Finance and Administration Manager

Makena Guantai Day
Makena Guantai Day

Executive Assistant

Alice Kent
Alice Kent

Head of Communications (job-share)

Giorgio Fazio - Creative PEC
Giorgio Fazio

Research Director of Creative PEC and Chair of Macroeconomics at Newcastle University Business School

Industry Champions

Industry Champions

Meet our Industry Champions. They are a UK-wide network of practitioners, drawn from all parts of the creative industries to provide Creative PEC with on-the-ground insight to inform our research and policy work.

Annie Lydford - Creative PEC
Annie Lydford

Annie is Managing Director at Nevill Holt Opera

Nicole Yershon - Creative PEC
Nicole Yershon

Freelance Advertising Consultant

Nia Williams - Creative PEC
Nia Williams

Director of Learning and Engagement at National Museum Wales

Claire Whitaker - Creative PEC
Claire Whitaker

Bid Director, Southampton City of Culture 2025

Sharon Watson - Creative PEC
Sharon Watson

CEO and Principal of Northern School of Contemporary Dance

Annie Warburton - Creative PEC
Annie Warburton

Chief Executive at Cockpit Arts

Sandeep Virdee - Creative PEC
Sandeep Virdee

Artistic Director and Founder Trustee at Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust

Zing Tseng - Creative PEC
Zing Tsjeng

Freelance Journalist

Polly Tootal - Creative PEC
Polly Tootal

Freelance Photographer

Yehrin Tong - Creative PEC
Yehrin Tong

Illustrator

Nia Thomas - Creative PEC
Nia Thomas

Managing Director at Boom Cymru

Maria Tanjala - Creative PEC
Maria Tanjala

Co-founder of Big Couch and FilmChain

Phil Stuart - Creative PEC
Phil Stuart

Founder and Creative Director of PRELOADED

Tolu Stedford - Creative PEC
Tolu Stedford

Development Producer at the Independent Film Trust and CEO of Creative Lions Productions

Nick Starr - Creative PEC
Nick Starr

Co-Founder at Bridge Theatre

Amy Smith - Creative PEC
Amy Smith

Head of Talent at Framestore

Jaswinder Singh - Creative PEC
Jaswinder Singh

Director of Asian Arts Agency

Nasima Siddiqui - Creative PEC
Nasima Siddiqui

Co-Founder at WyndyMilla

Michelle Adia Scarlett - Creative PEC
Michelle Adia Scarlett

Community Immersive Producer

Will Saunders - Creative PEC
Will Saunders

Consultant and Executive Producer

Indhu Rubasingham - Creative PEC
Indhu Rubasingham

Artistic Director at Kiln Theatre

Lara Ratnaraja - Creative PEC
Lara Ratnaraja

Cultural Consultant

Laura Pye - Creative PEC
Laura Pye

Director at National Museums Liverpool

Rachel O'Riordan - Creative PEC
Rachel O’Riordan

Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Kobi Onyame - Creative PEC
Kobi Onyame

Recording artist, Producer and Songwriter

Dave Moutrey - Creative PEC
Dave Moutrey

Director and CEO at HOME

Liz Mosley - Creative PEC
Liz Mosley

Self-employed Graphic Designer

Helen Mort - Creative PEC
Helen Mort

Author

Jo Morrison - Creative PEC
Jo Morrison

Director of Digital Innovation at Calvium

Conor Mitchell - Creative PEC
Conor Mitchell

Founder and Artistic Director of The Belfast Ensemble

Fiona McLaughlin - Creative PEC
Fiona McLaughlin

Co-founding Director at Taunt Studios

Vaughn McKenzie - Creative PEC
Vaughn McKenzie

CEO of JAAK

Samuel McDowell - Creative PEC
Samuel McDowell

Co-Founder and Director of Charco Press

Amanda Maxwell - Creative PEC
Amanda Maxwell

Community Manager and board member of shesaid.so

Anna Lowe - Creative PEC
Anna Lowe

Co-founder and Director of Partnerships at Smartify

Hope Dickson Leach - Creative PEC
Hope Dickson Leach

Writer and Director

Vikas Kumar - Creative PEC
Vikas Kumar

Founder and Director of GemArts

Nick Keynes - Creative PEC
Nick Keynes

Director at Tileyard Studios

Anra Kennedy - Creative PEC
Anra Kennedy

Content and Partnerships Director at Culture24

Noel Kelly - Creative PEC
Noel Kelly

Chief Executive Officer and Director at Visual Artists Ireland

Kurban Kassam - Creative PEC
Kurban Kassam

Freelance Film Producer

Reiko Kaneko - Creative PEC
Reiko Kaneko

Ceramicist, Designer and Educator

Jennifer Johnston - Creative PEC
Jennifer Johnston

Head of Learning at Into Film

Lyndsey Jackson - Creative PEC
Lyndsey Jackson

Deputy Chief Executive at Edinburgh Fringe Festival Society

Alia Alzougbi
Alia Alzougbi

Artist, Educator and Cultural Producer

Sade Banks
Sade Banks

Founder and CEO of Sour Lemons

Mandy Barker
Mandy Barker

Founder of Sail Creative

Natalie Griffith
Natalie Griffith

Brand & Marketing Director of Unit 2 Games

Lucy Bayliss
Lucy Bayliss

Head of Creative Programmes at DanceEast

Charlotte Beevor
Charlotte Beevor

Entrepreneurial Designer and Stylist

Kevin Beimers
Kevin Beimers

Director of Italic Pig

Stephen Bennett
Stephen Bennett

Joint Head of Policy Lab and Visual artist

Sarah Bird
Sarah Bird

Director of Wild Rumpus

Wolfgang Buttress - Creative PEC
Wolfgang Buttress

Artist

Ben Carlin
Ben Carlin

Co-Founder of Megaverse and Immerse Sheffield

Phil Critchlow
Phil Critchlow

Founder and CEO of TBI Media

Stephanie Edwards
Stephanie Edwards

Co-Founder of Urban Symbiotics

Tom Adeyoola
Tom Adeyoola

Entrepreneur

Tony Heaton
Tony Heaton

Freelance Sculptor and Performance Artist

Tom Chalmers
Tom Chalmers

Founder and Managing Director at Legend Times Group

Sarah Ellis
Sarah Ellis

Director of Digital Development at Royal Shakespeare Company

Syima Aslam
Syima Aslam

Director at Bradford Literature Festival

Paul Corcoran
Paul Corcoran

Chief Executive at Agent Marketing

Michaela Greene
Michaela Greene

Development and Communications Director at Roundhouse

Loyd Grossman
Loyd Grossman

Chairman of The Royal Parks

Inua Ellams
Inua Ellams

Poet, Playwright, Performer, Graphic Artist and Designer

Ben Evans
Ben Evans

Director at London Design Festival

Amir Hussain
Amir Hussain

Chief Executive at Yeme Architects

Global Creative Economy Council

Global Creative Economy Council

The Global Creative Economy Council (GCEC) grew out of the PEC International Council that was working in the first stage of Creative PEC, from 2018-2023. Learn more about the work of the International Council.

The GCEC brings together academics, practitioners, policy professionals and investors from five continents to identify and discuss emerging trends of global significance in creative economy practice and policy. In particular, it aims to provide inclusive perspectives on global policy issues that span both Global South and Global North, and consider ideas for transnational policies and standards. Supported by PEC Creative and the British Council, it contributes to the work of both organisations by providing targeted insights and related research.

Daniar Amanaliev - Creative PEC
Daniar Amanaliev – Kyrgyzstan

Co-founder and CEO of ololo group. Chair of Kyrgyzstan’s Creative Industries association.

Laura Callanan - Creative PEC
Laura Callanan – New York City, United States

Founding Partner of Upstart Co-Lab

Edna Dos Santos - Creative PEC
Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg – based in Geneva, Switzerland and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Vice-President, International Federation on Multimedia Associations

George Gachara - Creative PEC
George Gachara – Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia

Social entrepreneur, Arts Manager, and the Managing Partner at HEVA Fund LLP.

Avril Joffe - Creative PEC
Avril Joffe – Johannesburg, South Africa

Post Graduate Coordinator of the Cultural Policy & Management Department at the Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand

Marcel Kraus - Creative PEC
Marcel Kraus – Prague, Czech Republic

Head of the Hyb4City department at Charles University's Hybernská Campus, Prague

Jairaj Mashru - Creative PEC
Jairaj Mashru – Mumbai, India

International Advisory Board of the Global Creative Economy Council

Omar Nagati - Creative PEC
Omar Nagati – Cairo, Egypt

Architect, Urban Planner and Co-founder of CLUSTER

Diana Marcell Rey Vasque - Creative PEC
Diana Marcela Rey Vásque

Cultural Statistics Expert at UNDP for Saudi Arabia, Associate Researcher at Lado B

Leandro Valiati - Creative PEC
Leandro Valiati – Brazil, France and the UK

Senior Lecturer and Programme Director in Creative and Cultural Industries Programmes, University of Mancheste

Andrea Dempster Chung - Creative PEC
Andrea Dempster Chung – Jamaica

Andrea Dempster Chung is the co-founder and executive director of Kingston Creative, an NGO that uses arts to achieve social and economic transformation.

Dwinita Larasati – West Java, Indonesia

Lecturer and Researcher at Industrial Design Program, FSRD ITB, Indonesia Tita is a product designer, lecturer/researcher at the Faculty of Art & Design, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Focal Po…

John Newbigin - Creative PEC
John Newbigin – UK

Chair, Creative PEC’s Global Creative Economy Council John is the Mayor of London’s Ambassador for the Creative Industries and is Chair of Creative PEC’s Global Creative Economy Council Gl…

Research Alumni

Research Alumni

Our Research Alumni made up our research consortium during Creative PEC’s first phase from 2018-2023.

Alejandro Ramirez Guerra - Creative PEC
Alejandro Ramirez-Guerra

Research Associate at Newcastle University Business School

Xiaoren Wang
Xiaoren Wang

Postdoc research associate at CREATe

Claudia Burger
Claudia Burger

Policy Insights Manager

Tom Chivers - Creative PEC
Tom Chivers

Research Associate

James Davies
James Davies

Research Fellow, City-REDI, University of Birmingham

female silouette
Ania Ostrowska

Research Officer (Screen), Creative Scotland

Matt Lyons
Matt Lyons

Research Fellow at City REDI, University of Birmingham

Victoria Barker
Victoria Barker

Research Associate in Creative Economy, University of Manchester

Raphael Leung
Raphael Leung

Data Science Fellow at Nesta

Oliver Cox
Oliver Cox

Heritage Engagement Fellow at the University of Oxford

Richard Sambrook
Richard Sambrook

Professor of Journalism at Cardiff University

Jorge Velez-Ospina
Jorge Velez-Ospina

Research Fellow in Innovation and Creative Industries

Ula Furgal
Ula Furgal

Research Associate at CREATe, University of Glasgow

Wessel Vermeulen
Wessel Vermeulen

Lecturer in Macroeconomics at Newcastle University Business School

Olivia Gable
Olivia Gable

Policy Analyst at the Work Foundation

Martha Bloom - Creative PEC
​Martha Bloom

Researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex

Rebecca Florisson - Creative PEC
​Rebecca Florisson

Policy Analyst at the Work Foundation

Melanie Wilkes - Creative PEC
​Melanie Wilkes

Policy Advisor at the Work Foundation

Diana Gutierrez Posada - Creative PEC
Diana Gutierrez Posada

Research Fellow at City REDI at the University of Birmingham

Tasos Kitsos - Creative PEC
Tasos Kitsos

Research Fellow at City REDI at the University of Birmingham

Eva Nieto McAvoy - Creative PEC
Eva Nieto McAvoy

Research Associate at the School for Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University

John Davies - Creative PEC
John Davies

Principal Data Scientist at Nesta

Cath Sleeman - Creative PEC
​Cath Sleeman

Quantitative Research Fellow, Creative Economy & Data Analytics at Nesta

Juan Mateos-Garcia - Creative PEC
Juan Mateos-Garcia

Director of Innovation Mapping at Nesta

Caitriona Noonan - Creative PEC
Caitriona Noonan

Lecturer in Media and Communication in the School for Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University

Rebecca Riley - Creative PEC
Rebecca Riley

Business Development Director of City REDI at the University of Birmingham

Paul Moore - Creative PEC
Paul Moore

Director of Future Screens NI (a part of AHRC's Creative Industries Clusters Programme) and a Co-Director of Ulster University's Creative Industries Institute

Anne Green - Creative PEC
Anne Green

Professor of Regional Economic Development at City REDI at the University of Birmingham

Raquel Ortega Argile - Creative PEC
Raquel Ortega-Argile

Chair of Regional Economic Development at City REDI at the University of Birmingham

Consortium Partners

Sawan Rathi - Creative PEC
Sawan Rathi

Research Fellow in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School

Mark Taylor - Creative PEC
Mark Taylor

Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Methods at Sheffield Methods Institute, University of Sheffield

Siobhan McAndrew
Siobhan McAndrew

Senior Lecturer in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Sheffield Methods Institute, University of Sheffield

Jonathan Jones
Jonathan Jones

Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University Business School

David O'Brien - Creative PEC
​Dave O’Brien

Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries at The School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at The University of Manchester

Sara Maioli - Creative PEC
​Sara Maioli

Senior Lecturer in Economics and Director of Post-Graduate Research at Newcastle University Business School


Core Team


Research Fellows Newtwork

Rupert Oliver Allen

Manager of Economic Analysis, Creative Industries Sector, Department of Canadian Heritage

Simona Iammarino

Visiting Professor at the Department of Geography & Environment of the LSE;

Marlen Komorowski

Senior Research Fellow, Centre for the Creative Economy, Cardiff University

David Throsby

Distinguished Professor of Economics at Macquarie University

Raquel Ortega-Argiles

Chair of Regional Economic Development at Alliance Manchester Business School

Hye-Kyung Lee

Professor of Cultural Policy at the Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College London


Research Alumni

Alejandro Ramirez Guerra - Creative PEC
Alejandro Ramirez-Guerra

Research Associate at Newcastle University Business School

Xiaoren Wang
Xiaoren Wang

Postdoc research associate at CREATe

Claudia Burger
Claudia Burger

Policy Insights Manager

Tom Chivers - Creative PEC
Tom Chivers

Research Associate

James Davies
James Davies

Research Fellow, City-REDI, University of Birmingham

female silouette
Ania Ostrowska

Research Officer (Screen), Creative Scotland


Industry Champions

Annie Lydford - Creative PEC
Annie Lydford

Annie is Managing Director at Nevill Holt Opera

Nicole Yershon - Creative PEC
Nicole Yershon

Freelance Advertising Consultant

Nia Williams - Creative PEC
Nia Williams

Director of Learning and Engagement at National Museum Wales

Claire Whitaker - Creative PEC
Claire Whitaker

Bid Director, Southampton City of Culture 2025

Sharon Watson - Creative PEC
Sharon Watson

CEO and Principal of Northern School of Contemporary Dance

Annie Warburton - Creative PEC
Annie Warburton

Chief Executive at Cockpit Arts


Global Creative Economy Council

Daniar Amanaliev - Creative PEC
Daniar Amanaliev – Kyrgyzstan

Co-founder and CEO of ololo group. Chair of Kyrgyzstan’s Creative Industries association.

Laura Callanan - Creative PEC
Laura Callanan – New York City, United States

Founding Partner of Upstart Co-Lab

Edna Dos Santos - Creative PEC
Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg – based in Geneva, Switzerland and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Vice-President, International Federation on Multimedia Associations

George Gachara - Creative PEC
George Gachara – Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia

Social entrepreneur, Arts Manager, and the Managing Partner at HEVA Fund LLP.

Avril Joffe - Creative PEC
Avril Joffe – Johannesburg, South Africa

Post Graduate Coordinator of the Cultural Policy & Management Department at the Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand

Marcel Kraus - Creative PEC
Marcel Kraus – Prague, Czech Republic

Head of the Hyb4City department at Charles University's Hybernská Campus, Prague

Author

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