The Culture Works Collective

We think it is important that we have representatives from the cultural sector, but that the membership is wider than that as we want culture and creativity to be embedded and championed by those across different sectors.

We have been working together as a group for almost a year (which is one of the three years we have been selected to serve).

This is who we are (listed alphabetically by first name):

Aaron Law
I joined Culture Works as a local person interested in all forms of heritage, art and culture alongside a desire to see creative industries flourish in the city for the benefit of residents. Working with organisations such as the Coventry Society, C20 West Midlands and Historic Coventry Trust, I see lots of opportunities in the built environment for arts and culture to work with venues and spaces. We have a great story to tell in the city and I hope we can promote it further.

Christabell Amoakoh
I joined the Culture Works Collective to represent African Cultural Heritage and contribute to the implementation of the Coventry Cultural Strategy, while gaining deeper insight into the role of arts and culture in our community’s socioeconomic development. This involvement also strengthens our appreciation of diverse cultural perspectives and enhances our networking, communication, and cross-cultural adaptability.

Doreen Foster
I want to be part of a movement championing a new model of leadership of arts and culture with and for the city. I believes that if we can disrupt the status quo and deliver real impact and change through Culture Works – a more collaborative and citizens led approach – we might inspire others to follow. Not expecting it to be easy, but excited to see what we can achieve together.

Janet Vaughan
I’m part of the Culture Works Collective because I believe strongly that arts and cultural policy should be devised, owned and delivered collaboratively by the city’s residents, to help make our city a better place to live and work. I’ve worked in the arts (mostly) in Coventry since the early 90s – at the Belgrade Theatre in Education, then as a freelance socially-engaged artist and designer working out in communities and with nationally important, locally-based companies such as Talking Birds and Theatre Absolute. I was part of Julie’s Bicycle’s first cohort of Creative Climate Changemakers, called the UK’s first Citizens’ Assembly on Arts & Culture in 2021, and have been Designer and Co-Artistic Director of Talking Birds since 2002.

Jonothan Neelands
I joined the Culture Works Collective to support Coventry’s cultural sector in making a difference to Coventry and its communities.

Canon Kate Massey
I am Canon for Arts and Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral. In this role, I am building on the Cathedral and diocese’s rich heritage of working for reconciliation, focusing especially on weaving this strand of ministry more closely with the Cathedral’s arts offering to develop creative mission opportunities.

Laura Elliot
I am Chief Executive of the Belgrade Theatre and a senior cultural leader with over 15 years’ experience across organisations including Oxford Playhouse and Warwick Arts Centre. Together with Corey Campbell, I have led the Belgrade through a significant period of strategic change and rebrand, with a vision to be a people-first theatre where diversity powers storytelling; delivering co-created and participatory work at its heart. As a Culture Works rep, I help shape the strategic direction for culture across the city, and I also sit on the board of several arts organisations nationally.

Lorella Medici
I am a creative director and founder member of Arty-Folks, a Coventry-based charity that supports adults struggling with mental ill health on their recovery journey through the visual arts. Our work is driven by a passion for collaboration, authenticity, and the belief that creativity is the foundation to good mental health. We often think about creativity as making something new and original, but in fact the Latin root meaning of the word means ‘to grow’.

Marguerite K. Nugent
Coventry has so much happening in terms of arts, culture and heritage and as Cultural Director for Culture Coventry Trust, I’m very involved in the delivery of the offer. I’m looking forward to playing a part in how we shape the future of culture in the city, engaging with stakeholders across different sectors and developing innovative strands of work.

Mark Steele
I am the Coventry Music Lead and Chair of the Coventry Cultural Education Partnership and a committed champion for inclusive cultural opportunities for children and young people. My involvement with Culture Works is driven by a belief that creativity and access to culture is key for all. I bring deep experience in music education and cross-sector partnership working, ensuring Coventry’s cultural landscape remains vibrant, equitable and future focused.

Nick Henry
Nick Henry is a Professor of Economic Geography and Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor, Cultural and Creative Economy at Coventry University Group. He is a Non-Executive Director of Creative United. His role in Culture Works reflects Coventry University’s commitment to the city and its Cultural Strategy as an enabling civic, cultural and educational anchor and partner.

Nor Aziz
I work at the intersection of culture, heritage and social impact as a Coventry Culture Trust trustee and community producer, committed to advocacy through cultural practice and co-creation. My motivation for joining Culture Works is to translate shared learning from grassroots practice into strategic action, ensuring community insight shapes policy, investment, and decision-making.
I advocate for leveraging the cultural ecosystem to strengthen community cohesion and drive economic and social growth in ways that are meaningful, accessible and rooted in everyday life.

Nyasha Daley
I am an award-winning artist and producer, and City of Culture Leadership Development Programme and Clore Leadership Fellowship Alumni. My writing and acting practice is focused on melanated identities, including my own. joined the Compact for lots of reasons… it can’t be always be the same voices and faces (that includes me!) around ‘the table’. I’m also very interested in how we exploit the synergies with the Creative Industries, whilst preserving traditions, rituals and practice too.

Prashant Kansara
I’m a visual artist from Coventry and a Rep for Culture Works. I got involved to help highlight the challenges freelance creatives face locally and to support work that opens up more opportunities for all.

Reuben Cottrell
As the founder of Fyah Kamp, creative consultant and events manager, l am a dedicated and forward-thinking individual with a mission to create positive change within my community. I aspire to catalyse social progress in my community by utilising music to deliver meaningful messages to benefit younger generations.

Ryan Hughes
I am the Artistic Director and CEO of Coventry Biennial – a social, political and critical platform for contemporary art that delivers a festival of exhibitions, events and activities in Coventry and Warwickshire every two years. I joined Culture Works so that I could continue contributing to the local area’s cultural strategy work while serving artists, the local scene and cultural sector.

Salla Virman
I currently work as the Head of Culture and Creative Economy at Coventry City Council. I am really passionate about Coventry, as well as the power of arts and culture to change lives. Having worked in the cultural sector for a long time, I have seen the massive impact that arts can have to people’s self-confidence, skills, mental health and overall wellbeing. Coventry is bursting with talent from all ages and walks of life, and I want to play a part in ensuring that we can support creativity in Coventry in all of its forms.

Sarah Worth
I am deeply committed to improving the lives of the Coventry’s residents, specifically children and young people hang worked as lead of Highly Sprung, a small arts organisation in the city for more than 25 years. I know that arts, culture and creativity can be transformative in helping people understand and work towards a better future, for themselves and their communities. As a Culture Works Rep, I bring my passion for collaboration, getting things done and my strong belief in the power of creative solutions to address city challenges.

Sue Ogle
I joined Voluntary Action Coventry (VAC) in 1999 and became the Chief Executive in April 2019. I am a champion of the Voluntary and Community Sector and an advocate of the benefits of volunteering. VAC exists to strengthen communities, increasing resilience, building capability and improving quality of life for residents in the city. I joined Culture Works to reflect a Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) perspective within the group, with a particular interest in exploring how the Culture/ VCSE sectors could collaborate more effectively to reach all communities in Coventry.

Surinder Tamne
As a former nurse and Public Health leader, I am a community advocate with nearly five decades of experience in the NHS and Public Health landscapes, specialising in addressing inequalities and improving outcomes for diverse communities. As a first-generation migrant of Black African and Indian heritage, I bring a deeply informed and inclusive perspective to cultural work. I am committed to strengthening community connections, elevating underrepresented voices and supporting inclusive cultural initiatives that foster belonging, creativity, and improved wellbeing across Coventry, leaving no-one behind.

Vanessa Oakes
I am a freelance writer/designer/producer of opera and theatre who has been making creative stuff happen since 1988. I joined Culture Works because I want Coventry to feel like an optimistic place again. I believe that arts and creativity are an essential part of that change.