Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Our panel will share their experiences of running successful cultural businesses and the policies and programmes that exist at a West Yorkshire level to support the cultural and creative sector. For a sector predominantly made up of small and medium sized enterprises, navigating the constraints of consumer spending and the challenges of public funding is difficult and how we are able support more of these business to succeed is important both economically and culturally.
Leeds Beckett University’s Vivienne Gaskin will lead the panel for this unmissable event. There will be an opportunity for networking afterwards.
This event is being held during Leeds Beckett University’s Policy Week – a series of events that aim to share best practice, case studies and development opportunities.
Nicky
Chance-Thompson MBE DL has been at the helm of The Piece Hall since 2017,
overseeing the Trust’s vision to make this iconic building a world class
visitor experience using heritage, trade and culture to help preserve this
precious asset for generations to come.
Under her leadership an outstanding arts, culture and
community events programme has been implemented including a 5-year deal with
promoters to bring global music stars to The Piece Hall.
Nicky and has overseen growth in visitor numbers to
almost 3 million each year with the organisation described as an example of
“Levelling Up” in action.
She is a
commissioner of ‘No Place Left Behind’, is Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire
Culture, Heritage, and Sport Committee and Co-Chair of Calderdale Year of
Culture 2024.
Prior to
The Piece Hall Nicky had a multi award-winning career in media, marketing and
advertising before moving on to deliver major Government infrastructure
programs - specialising in regeneration.
In 2023
Nicky was recognised with an MBE in King Charles’ first birthday honours list,
she has been a Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire since 2019, crowned
Yorkshire Businesswoman of the Year and was also awarded a place on the highly
regarded Northern Power Women’s Power List. Nicky has also received the IOD
Judges Special Award in recognition of her achievements.
Dr David Hopes
is Head of Service for Leeds Museums & Galleries. David was formerly Head of
Interiors and Collections for the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) from
2016-2021 and, previous to this, Director of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
in Alloway (also part of the NTS).
David has over
20 years’ experience as a curator working on a range of initiatives from the
Open Museum’s Pollok Kist Project to new-build capital projects such as MUSA
(now the Wardlaw Museum, University of St Andrews) and Robert Burns Birthplace
Museum (shortlisted for the Museum of the Year Prize, 2011). David is a member
of the Recognition Committee and the UK Accreditation Committee, and a trustee
of Robert Burns Ellisland Trust and the Leeds Art Fund. Research interests
include digital humanities, the subject of a research fellowship with the
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and The Shakespeare Institute (University of
Birmingham), Burns and literary material culture, and relevance in historic
house museums.
Helen Pheby joined the West Yorkshire Combined Authority as Head of Culture, Heritage and Sport in April. She was previously Associate Director, Programme, at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where she held various roles since 2001. Helen’s particular interest is in the socio-economic benefits of arts and heritage. Her PhD considered the barriers to cultural access and how they might be overcome. Helen’s career was inspired by a school visit to YSP and the cultural heritage of West Yorkshire, including Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, critic Herbert Read and educator Alec Clegg – especially his belief that everyone’s potential can be fulfilled through a creative approach to learning. Helen was an advisor to the Arts Council Collection (2016-17) and Chair of UP Projects (2019-22). She is on the Board of the Wellspring Academy Trust.
Vivienne Gaskin has worked in the
Creative Industries for 25 years. Formally Director of Live and Digital arts at
London's Institute For Contemporary Arts (ICA) for ten years. She later ran her
own artists agency business Vivienne Gaskin Cultural Management with clients
including John Squire (Stone Roses), Edwyn Collins and Gina Czarnecki. Other
positions include consultant for RAMM Exeter, Head of Programme and Education
for the Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow, and programme Manager for the
Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle.
Vivienne has worked in academia since
the later 1990s. including posts at Birkbeck College, University of Leeds,
University of Gloucestershire and for the past 9 years at Leeds Beckett
University where she has taught Creative Industries, Artist Management, Arts
and Festival Management and dissertation supervision.
She is currently completing her PhD in
cultural history.
