About Us

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Tom is an experienced charity specialist, currently working as the Head of Grants and Impact for Cheshire Community Foundation. Previously, he worked for almost a decade at BBC Children in Need, focussing on grant making, quality assurance and charity governance. He has previously worked for charities and theatres across the North-West, including Arts Council England, Contact and the Nuffield Theatre. In particular, he has a passion for supporting work which helps Children and Young People reach their full potential.

Tom has a lifelong passion for theatre and the arts, and has worked both on and off stage. Growing up he had a keen interest in music and musical theatre, as well as working in audio/visual technology for theatre spaces for several years. He graduated with a degree in Theatre Studies at Lancaster University, followed by a master’s degree in ‘Professional Contemporary Arts Practice’. As a performer, he has toured the UK, supporting acts such as the Arctic Monkeys, Stereophonics, Scissor Sisters and Dizzee Rascal, and has appeared on stages at festivals such as Kendal Calling and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

Pippa has been with ATG since 2012, and in that time has worked in senior management positions across a variety of venues in ATG’s portfolio. In her current role, she supports ATG’s regional venues with operational oversight, and the development and execution of the business plan across the estate. She is also a Trustee of Outside Edge Theatre Company, which is the UK’s only theatre company and participatory arts charity focused on improving the lives of people affected by any form of addiction, and is a graduate of the Clore Leadership short course. 

Collaborative, creative, conscious… and very northern!

Hollie is Group Head of Creative Learning at Ambassador Theatre Group Entertainment (ATGE), leading the UK, US and Europe Creative Learning strategy, with a vision of 'locally driven with international significance.'

A LIPA Community Drama graduate, her early career began as a multi-disciplinary arts practitioner before joining ATGE in 2012 as Creative Learning Manager at Sunderland Empire working alongside the Sunderland Empire Theatre Trust to deliver a fresh approach to Creative Learning, secure major funding and earn national recognition in the field of inclusivity and partnership working.

Since 2018, she has led and expanded ATGE’s Creative Learning programme across the UK - contributing to the early development of the Manchester Palace & Opera House Trust and the launch of the Manchester Creative Learning Department -  and now embarking on an exciting learning curve whilst expanding Creative Learning further internationally.

Chloe has spent much of her career specialising in arts marketing for some of the country’s biggest regional theatres, including Leicester Curve, Nottingham Playhouse, and the Palace Theatre and Opera House. She also taught Acting at BrightLights Theatre School in Loughborough for 4 years, putting to use everything she learned through her own participation in various theatre groups and arts projects growing up in Manchester.

More recently, she took on the new challenge of moving into the world of retail and is currently Digital Content Manager for nursery brand Mamas & Papas. Remaining a huge advocate for Creative Learning and the value the Arts brings to people's lives, she's thrilled to have joined the Trust to keep her connection with the theatre world and to help make a difference by raising funds to ensure more people can engage with the Arts.

Peter the Chief Executive of the NUS Charity. It’s a national umbrella body providing advice, training, and advocacy for all the Students Unions across the four nations of the UK. It also runs a purchasing consortium for all the items sold in shops, bars, and catering outlets. The Charity also provides business and professional services to members including a national student discount scheme and digital ID product.
 

Before NUS, Peter held senior roles at the University of the Arts, Kings College London and Liverpool University. When much younger and following a stint as a performer, Peter worked in theatres, live music venues and nightclubs in any capacity that people would have him.  He was stage crew at Stratford East, Event Manager at ULU, General Manager of the Marquee Club, then the London Astoria and Director of Jacksons Lane - a Community Arts Centre in North London. He has a wide range of Board Experience from Union Chapel and Haringey Arts Council to Endsleigh Insurance and the International Student Identity Card. 

Laura has many years’ experiences in the Engagement sector. Until recently, she was Head of Creative Engagement at Contact, the leading Manchester based multi-arts venue with young people at the heart of all they do, leading on on creative programming and young person’s participation. She has experience working as a Senior Leadership Team level, supporting strategic decisions on vision and values of the theatre; from commissioning new pieces of theatre work to leading on strategies surrounding youth participation within the creative sector. After 8 years in the charity sector, including as Head of Operations (Service Delivery) for The Prince’s Trust, her passions lay with supporting young people aged 11-30, specifically raising their creative aspirations in art, theatre, music and culture. 

Julian is an award-winning writer, director and educator. He trained at the University of Kent and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He is currently Head of Musical Theatre at Guilford School of Acting, was previously: Artistic Director of Sevenoaks Playhouse; Artistic Director of the Global Search for New Musicals at the International Festival of Musical Theatre Cardiff and Associate Director of the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch For his work at Sevenoaks Playhouse he won the Best of Business Best Marketing Campaign Award, and at West Yorkshire Playhouse he led a successful ACE funded project into diversifying audiences and opening up the building to communities. He is a passionate advocate for arts organisations engaging with their communities across all age groups, and the relationship between communities, performing arts and education has been at the heart of his career. 

Gerry was born in Guangzhou in China, grew up in Hong Kong, came to Manchester as a teenager, completed his education in UK, graduated from University of York and joined what was to become a landmark family business, Yang Sing Restaurant, at its inception. Describing himself as a Chinese Mancunian, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Gerry has been actively involved in the commercial, educational, charitable and cultural life of Greater Manchester for many years. He was awarded the OBE in 2003, elected as President of Manchester Chamber of Commerce (2003- 2004), made a Deputy Lieutenant in 2007, and was High Sheriff of Greater Manchester in 2017-18. He also received honours from all four universities in Greater Manchester. His present public roles include President of Disabled Living and Envoy of Manchester China Forum. He is also working closely with RHS to create the first genuine traditional classical Chinese garden in UK at RHS Garden Bridgewater. He is proud, honoured and delighted to be appointed as a Trustee of the Palace Theatre & Opera House Trust.