About Us

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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 Senior CRM and Personalisation 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 be part of the Trust, keeping her connection with the theatre world alive and helping to 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. 

Olivia has spent a decade working across public affairs, strategy and corporate communications.

Earlier in her career, Olivia helped establish and run the Northern Culture APPG and Northern Culture Club, creating platforms for cultural leaders and policymakers to work together to strengthen the sector. She is currently an Associate Director at Bradshaw Advisory, where she advises major organisations on stakeholder engagement, investment and place-based growth, alongside supporting a number of community and civic initiatives.

Born, raised and living in Manchester, she has deep knowledge of the region and strong relationships across its political, cultural and business communities.

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.