John de la Cour Chair of Severn Arts Board of Trustees Expand John has worked with numerous arts and welfare organisations over many years, predominantly as a funder. He is Director of The Elmley Foundation, a grant making charity which supports the arts in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and his background includes spells in senior positions at the Arts Council. For ten years until June 2005 he was South West Regional Manager of the Big Lottery Fund (formerly the National Lottery Charities Board, later the Community Fund), where he was responsible for all application assessment and grant management. He has been closely involved in the design of programmes to help disadvantaged people and pioneered joint working with the other lottery distributers which led to the launch of Awards for All. John is a Fellow of Hereford College of Arts, whose Board of Governors he chaired for eight years, and holds an Honorary M.A. from the University of Worcester.
Dan Herbert Expand Dan is Director of Education for Birmingham Business School and has overall responsibility for the development of programmes and the delivery of high quality education for all of the School’s students.
Karen Edwards Expand Karen has a wealth of commercial and retail experience and is an established leader in Worcestershire’s charity sector. Currently working for Citizens Advice Karen is responsible for assessing quality and performance across the national network. Karen is also an accomplished violinist and a trained teacher.
Bill Davies Expand Before entering the world of legal education, Bill was a professional violinist. Bill studied at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music before embarking on a 20-year career performing in ensembles and orchestras such as the BBC Concert Orchestra, the London Concert Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Bill also worked in musical theatre and has taught the violin in a number of schools. Bill is Head of the School of Law at the University of Worcester.
Hannah Needham Expand Hannah is Assistant Director for Communities at Worcestershire County Council and is the Council’s nominated member on the Severn Arts board. Previous roles include being an Assistant Director and Strategic Commissioner within Children’s Services. These roles have involved leading the development of Worcestershire Children’s First, the creation of Worcestershire’s Children and Young People’s Plan and the commissioning of community health services for children. Hannah is supporting Severn Arts with her invaluable experience and knowledge in business development and strategic planning.
Andy Watts Expand Multi-instrumentalist Andy Watts is Associate Principal Bassoon with The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and founder and director of folk/early music group The Carnival Band. He has had a distinguished career as a bassoonist playing with many of the UK's leading period instrument ensembles. He teaches baroque and classical bassoon at The Royal Academy of Music and The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. In Worcester he coaches the recorder consort at the Elgar School of Music and teaches recorder at Oldbury Park RSA Academy.
Chloë Phillips Expand Chloë has been involved in music and the arts from a young age, having benefitted from free county tuition whilst she was at school, and like other board members is passionate about enabling and promoting music and arts opportunities for people in Worcestershire. Chloë plays violin with Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra and other occasional ensembles, and piano and clarinet when time allows. Chloë is a District Judge on the Midland Circuit.
Julie Berrow Expand Julie trained as a violinist at the Royal Academy of Music. She joined the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at the age of twenty, taking part in extensive concert work, tours, educational projects and recordings. From 2006 - <insert date> Julie took on the role of headteacher, leading inner-city primary schools and supporting leadership in schools in challenging circumstances. Julie is on the governing board of a Birmingham preparatory school and is an elected member of the Birmingham Diocesan Board of Education.
Owen Harper Expand After completing an Mtheatre in Touring Theatre at the University of Worcester, Owen has discovered a strong passion for socially engaged and responsive art. He focuses primarily on the category of 'Class' and challenges to predetermined hierarchies in society. Owen is a founding member of the Worcestershire based theatre company 'Ten Minutes Late Theatre' (TML) whose practices involve creating devised and socially engaged work that is thought provoking. Owen is an advocate for artists' development, inclusivity and widening participation, and he hopes to bring a fresh, youthful outlook to Severn Arts.
Charlie Shiels Expand Charlie is currently CEO of ArrowXL, a large UK Logistics business with a Worcester operating base. A long-time Worcestershire resident, Charlie has 20 years board level experience and brings a significant commercial background to the Severn Arts Team. He also has previous experience working with young people through career related projects and is passionate about the arts, culture and music.
Emma Whittle Expand Emma is an event curator and producer currently working as Programme Manager for Cheltenham Literature and Science Festivals, where she is responsible for projects ranging from talks, shows and workshops to installations and interactive activities. She is passionate about the importance of the arts to our wellbeing and is committed to increasing opportunities by creating memorable cultural experiences that spark interest, remove barriers to access and inspire a confidence to participate.