About us

Jessica Loveless grew up and still lives in Hackney. She has two young children and lots of creative passion. Her first job in the arts was at Hackney Empire where she was inspired and excited to pursue a career in the arts. Now a freelance creative producer, facilitator and consultant Jess has produced live music events, festivals, roundtables and more with organisations including Battersea Arts Centre, Tate Britain, Roundhouse and the GLA. Jess has also worked with children, young people and schools in Hackney and east London, as well as nationally, and has trained staff and trustee teams at organisations across the UK in how to improve their participation offer and work with young people in a meaningful way. She has loved the theatre since she was very young and also loves music, cooking (eating!) and travelling.

Britannia Morton is Executive Director for Sadler’s Wells and works with Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, Artistic Director and Chief Executive and the Board to define and deliver a long-term strategy for growth. She also leads on the planning and development of Sadler’s Wells East, the new venue in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which is due to open in 2024. She has worked at Sadler’s Wells since 2010 and previously led operational teams at Southbank Centre, the Barbican, Royal Albert Hall and ENO.

Manny Hothi is the Trust for London in August 2018 as Director of Policy. He became Chief Executive of Trust for London in July 2021. Previously, he was a Director at the London Community Foundation, which distributes small grants to community organisations across the city. Manny also spent 10 years working in the field of social innovation. He worked at Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation, on a wide range of issues related to public service reform. He also worked for the Young Foundation, leading their work on communities and housing. Manny started his career as a community worker in the Welsh valleys, working with the region’s small Black and minority ethnic population to tackle racism. He also worked for the Paddington Development Trust as a Neighbourhood Officer in the Queen’s Park area of London. He has extensive experience of working with low-income communities across the country, during a career that has been split between being a grant-seeker and a grant-maker. He has worked on a range of social issues related to life in low-income communities, and poverty more broadly.

Harry Handelsman is the founder and Chief Executive of Manhattan Loft Corporation. Recently MLC restored the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel and returned Sir George Gilbert Scott’s Grade I listed Gothic building to its original beauty. Other projects include the Chiltern Firehouse, Manhattan Loft Gardens, West India Quay in Canary Wharf and Ealing Studios. Harry has worked with some of the world’s leading architects, including Piers Gough’s CZWG, David Adjaye Associates, RHWL Architects and most recently worked with SOM and Space Copenhagen on Manhattan Loft Gardens in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20. Harry was made an honorary RIBA fellow in 2012 in recognition of his company’s work, reflecting the company’s ethos to create buildings that leave lasting legacies for the communities living in and around them. Harry sits on the board of Artangel and The Royal Albert Hall. He is a trustee of The South London Gallery and was actively involved in the renovation campaign at The Hayward Gallery, ‘Let the Light In’.

Naresh Ramchandani is a writer, ex-Guardian columnist, Partner at design firm Pentagram and co-founder of environmental nonprofit Do The Green Thing. Working for nonprofits and for-profits looking to advance the greater good, Naresh deploys creativity to further social justice and climate action—and advocates the creative industry to do the same. Naresh has spoken about the social role of creativity at the House of Commons and The Cabinet Office and was appointed honorary President of creative educational charity D&AD from 2020-2021.

Fanny Guesdon is a Director of Strategy & Planning at Brunswick Group, helping cultural and corporate clients refresh their purpose and narrative and advising them on thought leadership campaigns, transformations, and critical issues. She has advised a diverse range of organisations, including Roundhouse, the Bush Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre, Hay Festival, Louvre Abu Dhabi, the V&A and the British Museum. Fanny has worked in London, Paris, and Abu Dhabi and is the UK’s DEI Belonging & Inclusion Lead. She started her career in arts fundraising and philanthropy and co-founded Young Arts Fundraisers, a professional network funded by Arts Council England.

Elaine Bedell is the Chief Executive of the Southbank Centre. She was appointed in May 2017, becoming the first woman Chief Executive of Europe’s largest arts centre in its 66-year history.  She previously enjoyed a twenty-five-year career in the media as a Producer, Director and Commissioner.  She has been responsible for some of the UK’s most popular and original factual, entertainment and comedy titles, including Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Top Gear and The One Show.  Elaine owned her own production company, Watchmaker, which produced entertainment and drama programmes for radio and television, which was later sold to the Chrysalis Group. She became the BBC’s Controller of Entertainment and Director of Entertainment and Comedy at ITV. She was appointed a Trustee of the V&A Museum in 2015 and the Managing Director of the commercial arm of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Elaine has won a BAFTA and a British Comedy Award and served as Executive Chair of the Edinburgh International TV Festival for four years.