About Us

Joanne Ooi is a creative entrepreneur and marketing strategist, and founder of EA Festival and EA Sustain, two acclaimed East of England events uniting art, ideas, and environmentalism. Formerly Creative Director of Shanghai Tang and CEO of Hong Kong’s Clean Air Network, she has led ventures spanning luxury branding, sustainability, and digital innovation. A graduate of Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania Law School, Joanne curates and produces projects bridging culture, business, and social change.

Anthony Roberts is Director of Colchester Arts Centre, which he has led for more than 30 years. The venue presents an eclectic mix of performance, championing new work, experimentation and innovation. Anthony is also chair of Frozen Light Theatre Company, a trustee of Bobby Baker’s Daily Life Ltd and acts in an advisory capacity for the arts partnership Hunt & Darton. He has worked extensively at the Edinburgh Festival where he has long campaigned for better access for artists and audiences with disabilities.

Sally is Director of Firstsite, winner of the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021 award. Previously Sally was Head of Programme at Modern Art Oxford, Deputy Head of Culture for the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, Chief Curator for London Underground, Director of Media Art – Bath and Residency Programme Manager at Spike Island, Bristol.

Frank is Museums Manager for Colchester + Ipswich Museums and a trustee of the Colchester Museums Development Foundation.. He was previously director of Norton Priory in Cheshire, where he led a £4.5m redevelopment.

Ben is Head of FE Music and Performing Arts at Colchester Institute. He has extensive experience over many years in actor training and educational leadership.

Rachel is Director of Signals, a centre for creative digital learning in Colchester. Rachel has managed the company since 2007 and has many previous years experience of working in media, education and arts organisations.

Ben is Creative Director at the Creative Coop, a Colchester-based creative studio. They specialise in branding, design and web development and primarily work with social enterprises, community projects and organisations, charities and the public sector. With over 15 years of industry experience and 10 years as part of a worker-cooperative, he aims to grow Colchester’s creative network, and provide opportunities and connections for both individuals and like-minded organisations in the local area. Alongside facilitating social events, he is an advocate for worker-cooperatives and has provided speaker sessions for universities both home and abroard.

Tom is the founder of Constellation Marketing, a strategic marketing agency based in Colchester. For Tom, creating an effective marketing plan comes from a deep understanding of our clients. His greatest asset is his strategic insight, with his energy and creativity influencing both national and global campaigns. As part of the thriving Essex Knowledge Gateway ecosystem, he has helped dozens of SMEs and innovative tech businesses to launch their brand. The face of the business, he is adept at building strong working relationships with industry and academic stakeholders, as well as managing collaborations with suppliers.

Rhi is the Marketing & Comms Director at the Mercury Theatre. She joined the Mercury as a Marketing Officer in 2017, having previously worked in healthcare commissioning for the NHS. Her specialisms include campaign management, content creation and audience development. A neurodivergent individual, Rhi has a passion for access & inclusion within the arts and launched the Mercury’s Access for All Scheme in 2021.

Kate runs her own independent design practice specialising in identity and visual design for the arts, culture, heritage, hospitality & environment. With over a decade of experience in London, she is now based locally and has built a network of trusted collaborators from the thriving creative community in Colchester. Alongside her design practice, she delivers creative workshops, talks and mentorship for other creative businesses, students and young people. She has a particular interest in creativity's role in cross-curricular learning and improving access to arts & design education.

Stavroula is Professor of Intellectual Property Law and Dean Partnerships (Research) at the University of Essex. She is an expert on copyright, creativity, information technology, and the digital economy, with a strong track record of research and policy engagement.

Michael is Reader in Art History at the University of Essex, where he is also Academic Lead for Digital, Cultural, and Creative initiatives. He joined academia after roughly a dozen years in the business world, which included roles as a management consultant and division president for a large US-based corporation.

Genevieve brings over twenty years’ experience in stakeholder engagement, fundraising, communications, and project management. Through her current role at Philanthropy Company, she works with a broad portfolio of arts, culture, and heritage organisations to shape fundraising strategy and deliver impactful projects. Prior to this she held roles at The Photographers’ Gallery, Royal Shakespeare Company, Goldsmiths, University of London and the University of Essex. An Art History graduate, she is passionate about initiatives that connect young audiences with the cultural and creative sectors.

Niki Taylor is the founder of Taylor’s Dance Company, offering inclusive dance classes in Colchester and Braintree for ages 3 to adult. An Associate of the IDTA, she has danced since childhood and is passionate about making dance accessible for all. In 2023, she launched Dance for Everyone CIC, supporting those with limited opportunities to experience the joy of movement. As a Creative Colchester board member, Niki champions grassroots creativity and works to strengthen connections and opportunities across the local arts and cultural sector

Emma Howe is an experienced Arts and Culture professional with over 15 years experience in the sector. She has been Director of the Minories Art Gallery in Colchester since May 2023. With her team she successfully reopened the gallery in August 2023 after a three-year period of closure. Prior to the Minories, she was Programme Manager of Exhibitions and Events at Firstsite Gallery in Colchester, where she specialised in co-curating exhibitions with community groups during a three-year experimental partnership with the Arts Council Collection. Emma has also worked as Collections & Learning Curator at Colchester Museums, where she was responsible for the museums' Fine Art and Medieval Archaeology collections, along with the museums' various learning and engagement programmes. Emma holds a first degree in Visual Studies from Norwich University of the Arts and a Masters degree in Museum Studies from the University of East Anglia, where she was one of the Sainsbury Centre Fellows. She has also recently completed the Clore Emerging Leaders professional development programme.

Carol is Commercial and Operations Director at the Mercury Theatre, where she has worked for over 20 years. Carol’s specialisms are venue hire, event planning and developing new commercial opportunities and she played a key role in the redevelopment of the Mercury completed in 2021. Carol lives in Colchester city centre and is a keen gardener.