WHO WE ARE

Osas is an analyst at film and television strategy consultancy, Olsberg•SPI. Having grown up locally, Shoreditch Town Hall holds a personal significance for him, and he is particularly passionate about increasing engagement from communities traditionally less exposed to the arts, a cause inspired by his own experience of having to find his way to the arts through curiosity and self-discovery only later in life. His work involves delivering data-driven evidence bases that have helped unlock new funding streams for creative industry organisations, as well as fostering creative talent development and supporting location filming.

Additionally, through his work as the Co-Chair of the Steering Committee at Creative Access, which promulgates inclusive opportunities in the sector, he has provided strategic direction and governance to expand access to creative industry roles. He also works as a Trustee for Lafiya Nigeria, offering strategic oversight for reproductive health initiatives.

Alexandra is a senior commercial lawyer in the London office of Norton Rose Fulbright. She advises a wide range of clients including governments, lenders, developers and start-ups on structuring and financing major energy and infrastructure projects. She works on projects across the world and has a particular interest in emerging markets.

The arts have been a part of Alexandra’s life since she was little. She grew up playing the bassoon and piano and, from an early age, has enjoyed going to a variety of live performance art and exhibitions.

Alexandra is thrilled to be a trustee of Shoreditch Town Hall - she loves the diverse and novel creations it has to offer, the enormous support it provides for developing artists, its buzzing and vibrant character and, of course, its beautiful architecture.

Tania began her career in the arts working for music festival promoters MFMG and Festival Republic and has worked across music and the arts for 25 years. Tania has created and devised events and stages across multiple arts, music and science for Latitude Festival, Reading & Leeds Festivals, Pimms Summerfest, Phoenix, Homelands, Trafalgar Square, US Fleadh, Electric Picnic Dublin and Big Chill. Tania Chaired the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2011 & 2013, won the AAA Editor’s Award in 2016, the Dan Crawford Innovation Award in 2014, BAFA Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Arts Festivals in 2011 and Latitude won The Stage Award for Special Achievement in Regional Theatre in 2008 and UK Festival Awards Best Line Up in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2018.  Tania is delighted to be a Trustee of Shoreditch Town Hall and to champion the important and exciting work being shown and grown here.

Jesse is a theatre director from Bristol. He is a founding member of award-winning company The Wardrobe Ensemble who are associates of Complicite and Shoreditch Town Hall, and they have toured nationally and internationally.

Jesse was Resident Director at Royal & Derngate, Northampton, having won the Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme award. He is also an alumni of the Old Vic 12, National Theatre directors program and Bristol Old Vic’s Made in Bristol scheme.

In 2011 Jesse founded the Wardrobe Theatre where he was Artistic Director until 2015, which he helped establish as the leading fringe theatre in the city.

As a freelancer Jesse has worked at some of the country's leading theaters including The National Theatre, The Old Vic, The Young Vic, Bristol Old Vic, Royal & Derngate and Liverpool Everyman.

He is passionate about the work that Shoreditch Town Hall does developing artists and ideas from their infancy, working with them every step of the way to produce excellence. The venue is a safe space for artists to explore, take risks and experiment and he is proud to have a continued relationship with the organisation.

Yogeeta is a healthcare executive with over 12 years of global commercial, strategy and advocacy experience across industry and non-profit organizations in life sciences and global health. She currently leads Strategy, Marketing and Product Development for Unizima, a technology start-up focused on expanding manufacturing capacity for vaccines and biologics in emerging markets. Prior to Unizima, Yogeeta held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility at Merck & Co., a large biopharmaceutical company, across marketing and policy in the pharmaceuticals and vaccines businesses as well on Merck’s corporate social responsibility initiatives such as Merck for Mothers, an initiative to reduce preventable maternal mortality across the globe. Yogeeta’s background is in public health and she started her career as a researcher and consultant working with international non-profits focused on community development and health systems strengthening in low- and middle-income countries. Yogeeta holds an MSc. in Global Health from Harvard University and a B.A in Public Health and Management from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in London with her husband and 2 year old son and is passionate about community empowerment, particularly through helping under-represented groups develop a stronger voice.

Roxanne is a senior arts leader, cultural producer and engagement specialist. She is Executive Director of contemporary performance company Clod Ensemble, where she leads on the strategic development of new partnerships and projects and is responsible for delivering the artistic programme across live performances, public events and participation. She has worked closely with artists, audiences and communities to create socially resonant, bold, award-winning programmes and public artworks across the live arts sector for more than 15 years. Preceding her Executive Director role, she has worked at venues and independent organisations such as Fuel, The Old Vic, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Tobacco Factory, Battersea Arts Centre, OperaUpClose, 14-18 NOW.

Landen is currently the CFO of ETM Group. ETM is one of London’s most renowned award-winning bar and restaurant groups, owning 14 venues across central London including The Botanist on Sloane Square and The Jugged Hare in the City. The business has over 500 employees and has a turnover of over £40M.

Previously Landen has been CFO of Itsu - the Julian Metcalfe founded healthy food retail company - where he spent 6 years helping to grow the business significantly from 30 to 70 sites and delivering circa £100m turnover in 2017.

He also spent 10 years with PepsiCo, holding both the Pepsi UK / Ireland CFO and Tropicana / Quaker CFO roles and winning the coveted Chairmen’s award. He has also been CFO of the Paul Allen owned private members club, The Hospital Club
ACCA qualified, Landen is an accomplished functional and general manager with broad leadership skills across Strategy, Finance, IT, Property, Legal and Supply Chain.

Landen has a BSc in Animal Physiology from Queen Mary College and is originally from Bedfordshire. Currently he lives in St Margarets, has 3 children, is passionate about most sports and all things food and drink related.

Stephen has been CEO at the Big Issue Foundation since July 2007. His previous role was Director of Commercial Operations at Shelter, where he had responsibility for a chain of 100 charity Stores, a mail-order business and a Training business primarily focusing on Housing professionals. Stephen was a member of the Senior Management Team with cross organisational responsibility for the strategic management of the Charity. Stephen was at Shelter for 13 years.

Stephen helped found and ultimately chaired the professional body that represents most of Charity Retailers in the UK, ‘The Association of Charity Shops’. Stephen is a Trustee of the homeless health care charity, London Pathway and a Trustee of TRAID, a charity committed to protecting the environment and reducing world poverty by recycling and campaigning at home.  Stephen is proud to be the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Shoreditch Town Hall, massively enjoys the diversity of the programming, the wonderful work in the local community and the very fabric of the building itself!

Tom has 20 years’ experience in arts, culture and entertainment, and is passionate about supporting artists, institutions and brands that strive to have a positive impact on the world. Prior to his freelance career as a Brand, Marketing and Communications consultant, Tom spent just under a decade as Director of Marketing & Audiences at Somerset House, following previous roles at some of London’s most important producing theatres including Donmar Warehouse, National Theatre and Young Vic.

Tom is also Chair of the Board of Trustees of Outside Edge Theatre Company, the UK’s only theatre company and participatory arts charity making change and using the performing arts to support people affected by addiction. His impressive career spans theatre, exhibitions, visual arts, live music, digital culture, popular seasonal entertainment, emerging creative practice and pioneering engagement programmes.

Anya is Speaker for the London Borough of Hackney and Councillor for Hoxton East & Shoreditch.

She is a Proud North Londoner, and a mother of three children through fertility treatment and adoption, campaigning for both issues. She has worked for over fifteen years in fertility clinics and as a senior member of the national fertility charity Fertility network UK, and is passionate about supporting all those affected .

She has worked alongside three MPs, most recently as a parliamentary assistant for David Lammy, and is on the executive committee for the Fabian Women’s Network. She is passionate about encouraging a more diverse political landscape and encouraging women into political life. This drive has led to her involvement with the campaign group 50:50 parliament and to become an ambassador for the group compassion in politics.

Emma was previously Executive Director of Soulpepper, Toronto’s largest not-for-profit theatre. She joined the company in the autumn of 2018, taking up her leadership role alongside new Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha.

From 2009 - 2018, Emma was Chief Executive of Bristol Old Vic, leading the organisation in partnership with Artistic Director Tom Morris. Together they delivered the long-awaited £26m refurbishment of the 256 year old theatre, and successfully revitalised the organisation’s creative life and public profile; locally, nationally and internationally.

Previously she was Head of Producing for the 2009 Manchester International Festival, where she delivered a number of world premieres including Rufus Wainwright’s opera “Prima Donna” and the London transfer of Damon Albarn’s “Monkey”.

Past roles include Head of Theatre at Arts Council England, London and Cultural Programme Advisor at the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, where she was responsible for the initial feasibility planning for the stadium ceremonies.

From 2002 – 2005 she was Executive Director of BAC, also in partnership with Tom Morris as Artistic Director. She has worked with Complicite, Oxford Stage Company and the RSC, producing theatre on the London fringe, in the West End, on national and international tour.

Emma was a Clore Fellow, winner of the Clore Prize, and was made a Doctor of Letters by Bristol University.

She serves on the US Board of Shakespeare’s Globe, and is a member of Globe Council. She is a trustee of Cheek By Jowl and the Wardrobe Ensemble, and, from October 2022, will be Chair of Shoreditch Town Hall.

Fern Stoner qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG.  Subsequently she has held finance roles in both the commercial and not for profit sectors, including as Head of Finance at the National Theatre.  She joined Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as Finance Director in September 2013 and joined the Executive Board in June 2016.  In June 2017 she was appointed Director of Resources, responsible for Finance, and a range of corporate services including HR, Legal, Risk, Health and Safety, Governance, and Estates Management.  She was previously a trustee for British Youth Music Theatre.

Deborah is a creative and producer with over a decade of experience developing, curating and producing multi-disciplinary art at scale. A born and bred Londoner who is a product of participatory schemes and projects, Deborah currently works at the Southbank Centre as a producer and specialises in festival production and public space work. Her creative work tends towards immersive art, and she is currently one of the co-directors of a new multi-sensory work by experiential company BitterSuite, which is in research and development with Oxford University’s Cultural Programme. Throughout her freelance career, she has worked as a journalist with the Huffington Post UK, crafted award-winning short stories and hosted panels and in conversations at events including We Out Here Festival and The Albany.