Artistic Director and CEO
Dr Errol Francis
Dr Errol Francis is artistic director and CEO of Culture&. Errol studied photography and fine art at Central Saint Martin’s, University of the Arts London. His doctoral research at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London focused on postcolonial artistic responses to museums.
Errol’s background in mental health activism has influenced his arts practice such as his role as head of arts at the Mental Health Foundation and his directing of the Anxiety Arts Festival 2014, Cyborgs 2019 and his work in the curatorial research group PS/Y.
Errol is currently content producer for the Culture Box research project at the University of Exeter which promotes social interaction and public health through the arts in the time of Covid-19 for people living with dementia in care homes. He is visiting lecturer at the University of Greenwich, Goldsmith’s University of London and Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Strategic Development Manager
Ann Jones
Ann founded her company ArtProjects and Solutions in 2000 and brings to Culture& an international perspective and many years experience in working in the arts and heritage sector. She has devised and delivered creative programmes and strategic and organisational development projects for museums and cultural organisations across the UK and overseas; her clients include Arts Council England, British Council, Bacardi Global Brands, Qatar Museums Authority, V&A and Visiting Arts to name a few. Ann is also an internationally accredited coach and committed to supporting individuals, and organisations in reaching their potential.
‘I am so excited about joining the Culture& team! Our arts and cultural heritage belong to us all and I’m looking forward to helping Culture& open up opportunities so that everybody can enjoy their heritage.’
Internal Quality Assurer, New Museum School
Jill Notley
Jill is a learning & development professional with over 20 years’ experience of designing, developing and delivering work-based skills programmes. This has involved working with organisations both within the UK and overseas. In addition to being CIPD qualified, Jill is a qualified teacher, assessor and internal verifier, and her work focuses on supporting organisations to ensure the quality of the qualifications they deliver is to the highest standard, resulting in the best quality teaching and learning experience for the learners. Although fairly new to the culture & heritage sector, Jill is thrilled to be working in this exciting and dynamic environment, and with organisations and learners who are passionate about their specialism.
Programme Coordinator
Samuel Pontin
Sam joined Culture& in 2017 with a BA Hons Degree from the University of York in History. While completing his degree Sam worked on a number of projects with Eastside Community Heritage, from audio transcription and design, to a pop-up Lottery Funded exhibition ‘Saving the Queens: Queens Market’, featuring oral histories of contemporary and past stallholders at Queens Market, Upton Park.
Sam has experience in admin, planning and coordination, organising and supporting a number of Culture& events including New Museum School Graduations and Sharing Days, and the ‘Imagination Café’ in collaboration with the University of West London, which toured Great Britain in 2018 and was on show at MOSTYN Gallery – Llandudno, Menier Gallery – Southwark, and the City Art Centre – Edinburgh. Sam is dedicated to ensuring the smooth running of all day-to-day operations, projects and events; to the benefit of advancing diverse arts, and heritage.
Finance & Operations Manager
Kate Sarley
Kate was born in Baghdad Iraq and raised in East London, her traditional Arab name is Innam Catherine bint Suhail bin Mohammed bin Salih al-Hashemi.
She trained in Technical Theatre and Stage Management at RADA before studying Arts Admin at Birkbeck College, University of London. Kate then spent over ten successful years as a Stage Manager for the RSC, Unicorn Kids Theatre and in the West End.
Having move into administration Kate worked for English Heritage, Soho Theatre Company and Theatre Royal Stratford East, before undertaking senior management contracts with Colchester Arts Centre, Talawa Theatre Company, Oval House, Daily Life Ltd, Jacksons Lane, Discover Centre for Children, Eastern Angles, Shape East Architectural Centre and Hoxton Hall. Current clients include Culture&, Hans de Krester Associates and tiata fahodzi.
Kate is the proud mother of two amazing young adults and a couple of cats
