Paul Hamlyn Foundation announces new appointments to support June 2015 strategy launch
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Chief Executive, Moira Sinclair, announced today a number of new appointments to ensure the Foundation is best placed to deliver its new strategy, released in June 2015.
The Foundation is bringing new people to the organisation, as well as promoting its own staff. Everyone brings with them a wealth of knowledge and experience in grant-making and driving social change that will be instrumental in carrying out the organisation’s strategic priorities.
Moira Sinclair said:
“At the heart of our new strategy is a commitment to back people with great ideas and I am clear that we need to invest in great staff as well as great grants if we are to make that commitment a reality.
“We need people within our organisation who are committed to our mission and can bring expertise and diligence to help us create change. I am delighted to be able to promote from within and to welcome new colleagues to the team.”
The following appointments have been made:
Rob Bell has been appointed as Director, Strategy. Rob was previously Head of Social Justice at the Foundation, having joined from the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust where he was a programme director.
Régis Cochefert has been appointed Director, Grants and Programmes. Régis was previously Head of Arts, as well as Acting Head of Education & Learning, at the Foundation. Prior to joining PHF, Régis had senior roles at Aldeburgh Music.
Jane Steele has been appointed as Director, Evaluation and Impact. Jane was previously Head of Research and Evidence at General Teaching Council for England.
Ushi Bagga and Sarah Jane Dooley have been promoted to Senior Grants Managers, as a job-share, in our Access and Participation in the Arts work. Ushi was previously General Manager at Paines Plough Theatre Company and Sarah Jane was at Liverpool City Council, where she was Visual Arts Co-ordinator before joining PHF.
Catherine Sutton will join Paul Hamlyn Foundation on a fixed-term basis as Senior Grants Manager (job-share) maternity cover for Sarah Jane. Since leaving English National Opera where she ran the Baylis programme, Catherine worked at Art Inform and as a freelance consultant.
Maria Evans will join as Senior Grants Manager to focus on our Education and Learning through the Arts theme. She is completing a PhD at the University of Warwick, researching the influences on the teaching of Shakespeare in England, and was previously Director of Education at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Ruth Pryce will join as Senior Grants Manager to develop our support for organisations working with young people. Ruth has more than 15 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector, including six years working for BBC Children in Need.
Alex Sutton will join as Senior Grants Manager to focus on our migration and integration work. Alex has over 11 years’ experience working in the sectors of migration, youth work and international development, including time at the Overseas Development Institute and as Deputy Chief Executive at Praxis Community Projects.
Hanif Leylabi will join the Foundation as Communications Officer. Most recently, Hanif was Marketing and Communications Officer at Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service. He has worked in communications roles across the voluntary sector for 6 years.
Eleanor Iles and Penny Yewers are joining as Grants Assistants in early September.
Notes to Editors
About Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Paul Hamlyn Foundation was established by Paul Hamlyn in 1987. Upon his death in 2001, he left most of his estate to the Foundation, creating one of the largest independent grant-making foundations in the UK.
The Foundation’s mission is to help people overcome disadvantage and lack of opportunity, so that they can realise their potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives. It has a particular interest in supporting young people and a strong belief in the importance of the arts.
For more information visit www.phf.org.uk and follow the Foundation on Twitter
About the new appointees
Rob Bell has been appointed Director, Strategy. Rob was previously Head of Social Justice at the Foundation, having joined from the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust where he was a programme Director. Previously a senior researcher in the Cabinet Office and Department for Education, Rob was also a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh and London South Bank University.
Régis Cochefert has become Director, Grants and Programmes. Régis had been Head of Arts since 2015 as well as Acting Head of Education & Learning since 2014. He was previously Head of External Relations and then Opera General Administrator at Aldeburgh Productions (now Aldeburgh Music) and, before that, the co-founder of the French Theatre Season.
Jane Steele has been appointed Director, Evaluation and Impact. Jane was previously Head of Impact and Evaluation. Before joining the Foundation, Jane was Head of Research and Evidence at the General Teaching Council for England, and has worked in research and consultancy for public and not for profit services, including at the Office for Public Management (OPM) and the Policy Studies Institute.
Ushi Bagga and Sarah Jane Dooley have been appointed Senior Grants Managers (job share), taking the lead on our Access and Participation in the Arts work. Sarah Jane and Ushi were previously Grants Managers working in the Foundation’s Arts programme.
Ushi has more than 17 years’ experience working in the art sector, including 10 years’ in the subsidised theatre sector in roles at the Traverse Theatre, National Theatre and Royal Court. Before joining the Foundation, she worked as General Manager for Paines Plough Theatre Company, supporting the development of new writing and producing work that toured the UK and internationally.
Ushi joined the Foundation in 2008 as a grants officer and has held a varied portfolio of grants across art forms, with a strong emphasis on theatre, dance and performing arts. She has worked on a number of the Foundation’s Special Initiatives, including JADE and ArtWorks and is currently managing the second iteration of the Breakthrough Fund.
Sarah Jane has more than 14 years’ experience working in the arts sector. Since joining PHF in 2006 as a grants officer, she has managed a mixed portfolio of grants that includes visual arts, music, theatre, literature and poetry. Sarah Jane has also been managing PHF’s Awards for Artists scheme, which provides individual support for Visual Artists and Composers.
Sarah Jane’s background is in visual arts; before joining PHF she was Visual Arts Co-ordinator at Liverpool City Council, and prior to that worked in development and project management roles with arts organisations including Venice Biennale, Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice), Liverpool Biennial and Open Eye Gallery.
We are also pleased to welcome Catherine Sutton on a fixed-term basis as maternity cover for Sarah Jane, in the capacity of Senior Grants Manager (job-share). Currently a freelance consultant with a strong focus on impact and evaluation and clients such as the National Foundation for Youth Music, Trinity College London, London Symphony Orchestra and Live Music Now, Catherine has a wealth of experience in arts participation and education. She was previously the Director of Arts Inform and Head of ENO Baylis at English National Opera, responsible for the organisation’s learning and participation programmes.
Maria Evans is joining PHF to concentrate on our Education and Learning through the Arts theme. She is completing a PhD at the University of Warwick, researching the influences on the teaching of Shakespeare in England and exploring teacher training and professional development, as well as the role of cultural organisations within education. Since leaving the Royal Shakespeare Company (where she was Director of Education) to start her PhD, Maria has worked as a freelance consultant, coach and mentor for a wide range of arts and educational organisations – including the National Theatre, CapeUK, Royal Shakespeare Company, Creativity, Culture & Education and Arts Council England.
Ruth Pryce is joining the Foundation to develop our support for organisations working with young people. She has over 15 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector, including six years working for BBC Children in Need (the UK’s largest independent grant-maker for disadvantaged children and young people). In her last post there – as Head of Quality, Assurance & Risk – Ruth was responsible for developing and defining the organisation’s strategic direction in terms of grant-making, having previously delivered ambitious programmes and been Regional Officer (London & South East). Ruth’s most recent roles were Grants, Policy and Project Adviser at London Councils, and Programme Manager at the R.E. Ross Trust in Melbourne, Australia. Earlier in her career, she was CEO of STAR (Student Action for Refugees).
Alex Sutton joins PHF to focus on our migration and integration work. He has over 11 years’ experience working in the sectors of migration, youth work and international development. Before becoming Social Protection Programme Manager at the Overseas Development Institute, Alex was Deputy Chief Executive at Praxis Community Projects, an organisation supporting vulnerable migrants in London. During his time at Praxis, Alex led the development and implementation of Praxis’ strategy ‘Challenging Exclusion’, as well as its highly successful youth programme which gave a voice to young asylum seekers and young people with irregular status using participatory arts.
Hanif Leylabi will join the Foundation as Communications Officer. Hanif has worked in communications roles across the voluntary sector for six years, at organisations including Liverpool Students Union, Northumberland County Council and Love Music Hate Racism. Hanif will be joining PHF from Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service, where he was Marketing and Communications Officer.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation will be recruiting three Grants Managers in September/October 2015 (with a focus on access & participation in the arts; education & learning through the arts and organisations working with young people) to join the existing team composed of Eve Dallas, Susie Dye, Noelle Gilbert and Dorothée Irving.
Please direct media enquiries to the Communications team at Paul Hamlyn Foundation:
Phone: 020 7812 3396
Email: communications@phf.org.uk