Gloucester Culture Trust is led by a director and a board of trustees.
We are a team of seven, with a diligent board of trustees. It’s important to us that our board is diverse and representative of Gloucester’s residents. There is a mix of creative and commercial professionals, from independent practitioners through to leaders of major organisations.
Here’s a little bit about us…
Phil Hindson: Chief Executive
Phil is a highly experienced creative leader and cultural advocate, with over 25 years’ experience in the sector. For the last 15 years he has worked at Arts Council England in the South West, leading on its approach to developing the theatre sector and capital development programmes and establishing a wide range of strategic relationships with key stakeholders from across the South West. Immediately before joining GCT, Phil was strategic lead for the West of England, working with local authorities, universities, arts organisations, the creative sector, DCMS, and local community leaders to secure investment in arts and culture and develop the cultural offer locally.
phil@gloucesterculture.org.uk
James Garrod: Programme & Operations Manager – Jolt
James has a background in social enterprise and has over 10 years’ experience in working with young people to help them start businesses or develop employability skills. He has a passion for art and has supported various artists to build their professional careers.
james@gloucesterculture.org.uk
Jussara Nazare: Host and Network Builder – Jolt
Jussara is a Multidisciplinary Eco Designer and Jolt’s Programmes Assistant initially through the Kickstarter Scheme after graduating from University of Gloucestershire with BA Hons in Graphic Design. A multicultural, multifaceted award winning young designer with a background in Textiles Art, Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography. In her spare time she’s passionate about plants, eco friendly design and supporting local arts, music and cultural events through her energetic and colourful creative approach
Vashti Waite: Strategic Producer – Together Gloucester
Vashti Waite has decades of experience working across sectors, cultivating new and existing audiences for festivals and events, conferences, arts activism, educational and research projects, community participation and regeneration programmes.
Vashti organised a leaving school celebration to see T’Pau at Gloucester Leisure Centre in 1988, this led to studying Event Management and working at community festivals, like Brent Diwali, to major events, like Glastonbury Festival.
With a passion for thinking about future generations Vashti worked on the launch event for Bristol’s European Green Capital and Massive Attack Act 1.5 Climate Action Accelerator. Vashti has produced large scale destination programmes including Green Futures for Coventry City of Culture, and London’s largest free outdoor arts festival for London 2012 Festival.
Vashti grew up in Gloucestershire and is excited to connect and collaborate to deliver Together Gloucester’s ambitions.
Dylan Williams: General Manager
Dylan started at GCT as one of four Creative Leadership Trainees. A “young creative”, former co-founder of his own Record Label/Club Night “Basilica”and Music Producer/DJ previously supported by the Upsurge Artist Development Programme. He is passionate about the important role culture plays within the identity of the City he grew up in, especially for aspiring creatives.
dylan@gloucesterculture.org.uk
Amy Belson: Trustee
Amy is the Executive Director of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in West London. She has previously worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Soho Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and Royal Court Theatre.
Hannah Brady: Trustee
Creative Producer with Squidsoup Hannah brings a specialism in delivering complex and multi partnered creative projects and programmes. Hannah cares about creating ground breaking and sustainable creative projects Hannah has toured extensively with a range of companies to many exciting venues and festivals – highlights include the Venice Biennial, Banff Media Centre and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
Caroline Courtney: Nominated Trustee
Caroline is the elected Liberal Democrat Councillor for Tuffley and Cabinet member for Culture and Leisure. Caroline is an IT consultant and has worked locally for Eagle Star, Zurich Financial Services and TSB. While studying she worked part-time as a play worker at Podsmead Neighbourhood Project and has a strong record of voluntary work, including as a befriender to adults and children with learning disabilities and mental health issues as well as joining a telephone bank during the pandemic, calling vulnerable households to ensure they had access to food, medical supplies and to signpost to other sources of support and assistance.
Esther Croft: Trustee
Esther is a vocal advocate for the importance of culture and arts as a key ingredient of successful regeneration. Esther believes that the existence of an active, innovative and vibrant Culture Trust is a vital component of a thriving city and strongly support the need for such an organisation in Gloucester. Working for Reef Group to deliver mixed use city centre regeneration sites and in particular the Forum in Gloucester, her areas of expertise include public sector land acquisitions/disposals/joint ventures and regeneration. She wishes to see better integration between the cultural organisations in Gloucester and the developments she is working on.
Cherrelle Ford: Trustee
Cherrelle is a chartered accountant and has run their own accounting practice for the last two years, having previously worked for Hazelwoods LLP and Overbury Enterprises in Gloucester. Cherrelle lived in Gloucester their whole life until recently, and has worked with both Strike A Light and Jolt, participating in and assisting with events run by the charities. Cherrelle is passionate about arts and culture and GCT’s mission to put culture at the heart of Gloucester.
Jess Gibbs: Trustee
Jess is a producer working in Gloucester. She is currently the producer at Strike A light and leads on their artist development strand. She has a particular interest in access and inclusion and LGBTQ+ work.
Clair Greenaway: Trustee
Clair is a highly experienced strategical cultural leader and educator. She was Executive Director of Cheltenham Literature Festival from 2005-2011 and is currently Academic Course Leader for Events Management at the University of Gloucestershire. Clair is a founding trustee of GUST, a Gloucester based cultural charity which acts as an incubator and enabled for new projects and emerging talent in the city.
Luke Lutman: Trustee
Director of Phoenix Consultants, Luke has been working in Gloucester since graduating from the University of Gloucestershire, developing products and producing prototypes and installations including the design of JOLT Studios. Luke is passionate about the city and is working hard to play his part in its development. He has also now taken on the leadership of the Gloucester Chamber of Commerce to develop it to serve the city and its business community.
Mark Powell: Trustee
Mark is the Artistic Director of Prime Theatre, an ACE NPO arts and education company for young people aged 5 to 25. Prime makes professional productions, develops emerging artists and delivers creative community projects from its base in Swindon. Mark is Chair of Trustees at Stockroom and was part of Arts Council England’s South West Area Council. Mark is an Arts Award Adviser, a writer and lyricist and has a British Sign Language Level 2 qualification.
Jennifer Taylor: Trustee
Jennifer Taylor is a local authority director, with 18 years experience in local government. She began her career working on regenerative public art projects and remains passionate about the importance of culture in place. Jennifer is an avid reader and gardener and is proud to call Gloucester home.
Nikolas Venios: Trustee
Having graduated from Nottingham Trent with a First Class Degree in Product Design, Nikolas went into advertising at Saatchi & Saatchi before founding the award-winning Ideas Agency in 2013. The Ideas Agency believes that anything real begins with the fiction of what could be, therefore imagination is the most potent force in the universe.
All businesses need to think of fresh ideas and continually innovate to survive. That’s what The Ideas Agency work with them to do, bringing new products, services and strategies to life. The Ideas Agency has a diverse client portfolio, having collaborated with the likes of Rolls-Royce, BMW, Cloetta, Red Bull, PepsiCo, Etex Group, The National Trust, Cancer Research UK and more to continually develop solutions that keep them relevant to the shifting needs of their business and audience.
