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Bristol Beacon team

People

Who’s who at Bristol Beacon

Bristol Beacon employs over 60 members of staff across a range of activities from promoting a live music event or leading a workshop, to teaching a musical instrument or selling you a ticket.

Here you can find out more about us and the work we do at Bristol Beacon.

Contact Us

If you’d like to get in touch, please use our online contact form or phone our box office or reception numbers.

We don’t advertise our staff emails for security reasons. But we’re always happy to speak to our customers, audiences, partners and fellow music lovers.

Staff

Louise Mitchell CBE – Chief Executive Officer

Clare Jack – Chief Operating Officer

Nick Craney – Head of Operations

Siggy Patchitt – Head of Strategic Change

Beth Mackenzie – Executive Assistant to the CEO

Programming

Liz Williamson – Programme Coordinator

Judith Furse – Programme Coordinator and Artifax Project Manager

Matt Aitken – Senior Music Programmer

Owen Parry – Creative Producer, Industry

Todd Wills – Artistic Director

Creative Learning & Engagement

Adam Kent – Director of Creative Learning and Engagement

Chloe Hann – Schools Relationship Manager

Connie Badley – Community Engagement Officer

Ebony Love – Music Projects Coordinator

Ella Foster – Creative Pathways and CPD Lead

Giulia Bianchini – Creative Producer

Helen Ince – Inclusion Projects Lead

Julia Roderick – Head of Community Engagement

Lucinda Bristow-Goldschmidt – Creative Producer

Lizzie Connell – Music Hub Manager

Laurie Stewart – Head of Creative Learning

Louisa Wood – Music Hub Administrator

Megan Arrowsmith – Music Hub Administrator

Rhian Cocker – Senior Ensembles and Choirs Coordinator

Richard Croughan – Primary Music Lead

Tom Campbell – Junior Ensembles Coordinator

Vivienne Sansum – Exam and Library Coordinator

Commercial

Elliott Prendergast – Commercial Manager

Naomi Easy – Head of Commercial Business Development

Marketing & Communications

Abi Millican – Marketing Officer

Alex Riley – Digital Marketing Officer

Andy Boreham – Head of Marketing

Beth Napier – Marketing Manager

Ciaran Austin – Marketing Campaigns Officer

Duncan Smith – Digital Marketing Manager

Hilary Coleman – Marketing Manager

Sarah Robertson – Communications and Special Projects Director

Will Palmer – Marketing Assistant

Development

Abby Cotton – Development Officer

Annabel Fitzsimons – Development Officer

Jessica Lowes – Development Manager

Kate Rowland – Development Consultant

Kate Smith – Development Manager

Rosa Corbishley – Development Director

Box Office

Alison Shipp – Box Office Supervisor

Dougal Sisauri-Masters – Box Office Assistant

Jon Mills – Box Office Manager

Katy Wilkes – Box Office Manager

Olamide Ogunrinde – Box Office Assistant

Paris Holbrook – Box Office Assistant

Production Office

Abi Ward – Production and Event Coordinator

Daniel Wood – House Manager

Fabiola Morales – Assistant House Manager

Frazer Riches – Technical Services Manager

Hribhu Mendiratta – Artifax and Internal Events Coordinator

Jon  Fox – Senior Technician

Lauren Davies – Event Coordinator

Rory O’Gorman – Event Coordinator

Steffy Clements – Production and Events Manager

Sam Fox – Event Coordinator

Sam Lemon – Assistant House Manager

Tim  Brown – Technician

Tom Palmer – Senior Technician

Tom Sworn – Senior Technician

Facilities

Bertie Fisher – Facilities Assistant

Claire Weston – Deputy Facilities Manager

Joe Allotey – Facilities Manager

Romaine Smith – Facilities Assistant

Finance

James Bramwell – Finance Officer

Katie Blaser – Senior Finance Officer

Mai-Lan Vu – Finance Assistant

Simon Carter – Management Accountant

Sophie Whitaker – Head of Finance

People

Alison Williams – People Manager

Danielle Campbell – People Advisor

Mia Eagle – People Coordinator

 

Board of Trustees

Bristol Beacon is run by Bristol Music Trust and is a registered charity. We have a board of Trustees who oversee how our charity is run which is made up of a wide cross-section of local, regional and national people with a background in business, music, law, finance and education.

Marti Burgess

Marti is a lawyer and partner at Bevan Brittan, owner of Lakota nightclub, and member of The Society of Merchant Venturers. Marti sits on the board of Bristol Cultural Development Partnership and the Bristol City Council’s Economy Board where she represents Bristol@Night. She is the chair of the Black South West Network; a black-led racial justice charity.

Simon Chapman (Chair)

Simon retired as the senior audit partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the West and Wales having spent over 30 years with the firm. Simon is Chair of the Bristol Music Trust’s Board of Trustees and Audit & Risk Committee (ARRC).

Cllr Craig Cheney (Bristol City Council)

Craig is the Deputy Mayor of Bristol, councillor for Hillfields and member of the Mayor’s cabinet with executive responsibility for Finance, Governance and Performance at Bristol City Council.

Craig has responsibility for Bristol’s property assets, has a background in the financial sector, and is the director or the Bristol Museums Development Trust.

Tony Cherry

Tony is a former Partner at international law firm DAC Beachcroft LLP and its predecessor firms since 1983; in Bristol since 2002 and Regional Senior Partner from 2010 to 2016. Tony is also a Director of the Cabot Learning Foundation, for whom he Chairs the Audit Committee, the Boolean Maths Hub and Summerhill Academy Council.

Patsy Connor

Pat is Director of BBC South West and the BBC’s Head of Development & Events, UK. Pat oversees the BBC’s audience, external stakeholders and staff engagement in the South West, representing the BBC to both internal and external stakeholders. She also provides overall leadership for BBC Bristol and sits on the BBC’s Nations and Regions Board.

Jonathan Dimbleby

Jonathan is a prolific and esteemed British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, an author and historian. Jonathan’s broadcasting career, that spans over 50 years, has led him to become a household name with programmes including: Any Questions? (BBC) and his namesake political programme Jonathan Dimbleby (ITV). Jonathan has a passion for improving environmental sustainability and is an ardent supporter of charitable causes with previous president positions at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), Soil Association and RSPB.

Katharine Finn

Katharine is a partner at PwC with over 30 years specialising in financial audits at the firm. She is currently the deputy chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and the Bristol City Chair for TheCityUK. She is also a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers and sits on their education committee and a Trustee of Avon Wildlife Trust. She has previously been the Prince of Wales’ Ambassador for Responsible Business in the South West.

Craig Gentle

Craig is the Chief Financial Officer at St. James’s Place Wealth Management since January 2018. Craig joined St. James’s Place in 2016 as Chief Risk Officer and prior to this he spent 22 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, 12 of which were as a Partner. During his time at PwC, Craig held a number of roles, including as a senior audit partner. Craig qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1993.

Tanya Lacey

Tanya is an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, signed to Sony RCA in 2009 and in 2012 created her own independent record label Laceywood Records. Tanya has written for, toured and collaborated with a wide array of artists worldwide, is passionate about female representation in music, and is actively involved in mentoring and teaching songwriting workshops to young people nationwide.

Sandra Meadows MBE, FRSA

Sandra is an independent business and EDI consultant, facilitator, Coach and Director of The Centre for Mentoring & Coaching. A Bristol resident since 1989, she holds extensive experience in the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector and considerable senior management and Board level expertise.

Sandra was awarded an MBE in 2020 for services to the community of Bristol and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and member of the Chartered Management Institute. She maintains a strong interest in improving individual and organisational performance and increasing diversity in leadership.

Recognised as ‘Top 100 Women in Bristol’ 2019 and ‘Most Influential Women in Bristol’ 2022.

Sonia Mills

Sonia spent her career in the NHS which included several CEO-level posts with NHS Oxfordshire, Swindon Marlborough NHS Trust and latterly CEO for North Bristol NHS Trust responsible for the development of the new Southmead Hospital. Sonia is chair of Bristol Music Trust Capital Fundraising Group and was previously a Governor at Colston Girls School and chaired the Board of Governors for UWE.

Louise Mitchell CBE (Bristol Music Trust)

Louise is the Chief Executive of Bristol Music Trust, the charitable trust that runs Bristol Beacon and was appointed in 2011.

Previously, Louise was the first Director of Glasgow UNESCO City of Music, a position taken after being at the head of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for 13 years where she spearheaded the regeneration of two of Glasgow’s most revered venues: the City Halls and the Old Fruitmarket. Louise is a board member of the Association of British Orchestras and also on the Board of Destination Bristol, is a Trustee of the Royal Philharmonic Society, a Royal Society of Arts Fellow, Vice Chair of British Association Concert Halls, and was also a past Board Member of International Society for Performing Arts.

In 2022 Louise was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in King Charles III’s first New Year’s Honours list in recognition of her services to the Arts in Bristol.

Andrew Nisbet

Andrew is the Founder and Chairman of Nisbets plc, the UK’s largest supplier of catering equipment, based in Bristol. Andrew served as High Sheriff of Bristol for 2012/13.

Tim Westwell

Tim is the Co-founder of Pukka Herbs, the organic and ethically traded herbal tea and supplements organisation. In 2001 Tim and business partner Sebastian Pole began making organic herbal teas with a unifying desire to contribute to a more positive world. Over 18 years Pukka herbs developed into a multi-million pound business supplying to 40 countries while keeping conservation through commerce at its core.

Governance Committees

Audit & Risk Committee (ARRC)

Tony Cherry (Chair)

Simon Chapman

Craig Gentle

Clare Jack (Bristol Beacon)

Sonia Mills

Louise Mitchell CBE (Bristol Beacon)

Creative Learning & Engagement Committee

Tony Cherry (Chair)

Sylvie Campen (Arts Council England, observer)

Lloyd Coleman

Tanya Lacey

Sophie Lewis

Sandra Meadows

Louise Mitchell CBE (Bristol Beacon)

Suze Pole

Bristol Beacon Strategic Advisory Group

Janice Bowman (Jackson Coles)

Ray Brown (Bristol Beacon)

Simon Chapman

Nick Craney (Bristol Beacon)

Phil Hindson (Arts Council England)

Sonia Mills

Louise Mitchell CBE (Bristol Beacon)

Charles Wilson (Chair)

Clare Jack (Bristol Beacon)

Capital Fundraising Group

Rosa Corbishley (Bristol Beacon)

Jeff Durant

Ros Kennedy

Sonia Mills (Chair)

Clare Jack (Bristol Beacon)

Andrew Nisbet

Louise Mitchell CBE (Bristol Beacon)

Chris Seaton

Paul Whitehouse

Equality & Diversity Working Group

Sandra Meadows MBE

Siggy Patchitt (Bristol Beacon)

Sarah Robertson (Bristol Beacon)

Tim Westwell

Alison Williams (Bristol Beacon)

 

Associate Artists & Companies

Paraorchestra

Paraorchestra is the world’s only large-scale virtuoso ensemble of professional disabled and non-disabled musicians. They are led by Artistic Director Charles Hazlewood with a mission to redefine what an orchestra can be for the 21st century.

 

National Open Youth Orchestra

NOYO is the world’s first disabled-led national youth orchestra. They exist to give some of the UK’s most talented young disabled musicians a progression route into the music industry. Bristol Beacon is the South West regional training centre for NOYO.