Welcomes and Farewells from the Board of Trustees
- Date
- Tuesday 28 Apr 2026
We are excited to announce the arrival of three new extraordinary Trustees to our Board, whilst also saying a huge thank you and farewell at the departure of some of our existing members.
We start by welcoming Gabriela Román González, Jon Opie and Julian Warren. Together, their diverse experience spans fundraising, archives, artist development and international curation, offering vital expertise and fresh perspectives to support the development of our work.
As we connect with new members, we extend our deep gratitude to Trustees reaching the end of their terms. Aaron Wright and Andy Wansell have both brought their unwavering passion and expertise to the organisation through this period of change. We are incredibly grateful for their service.
We also say farewell to Robin Deacon, who has been Chair of the LADA Board of Trustees since 2021, and more recently, Co-Chair with Cat Sheridan. Robin oversaw the successful recruitment of Mary Osborn as new permanent leadership for LADA.
Robin writes:
‘I am delighted to complete my term as LADA Chair knowing it is now in a strong position to continue doing what it has always done best – supporting and sustaining artists and artistic practices that exist in the realm of the marginal and uncategorisable. As LADA was a past advocate of my own work as an artist, I am especially proud to have helped guide an organisation I love back to a place of growth and possibility.’
‘In welcoming new staff and trustees, it is also important that gratitude and acknowledgement is extended to former team members who served the organisation with such loyalty and diligence over the last 18 months alongside Mary. My thanks go to Willy Amott (Operations & Public Programme Manager) and Justin Hunt (Interim Deputy Director) whose work and passion for live art will continue to leave a legacy for years to come. A special thank you is also due to Natalia Damigou-Papatou (Communications Manager) and Rosaleigh Harvey-Otway (Digital Projects and Resources) for their long-term contributions to LADA including through some of the most challenging and consequential periods of the organisation’s history.’
Image Jon Wright
Gabriela Román González
Gabriela Román González (she/her) is a curator and cultural strategist working across exhibitions, live programmes, and interdisciplinary art formats, with a practice centred on contemporary and process-led art, audience engagement, and more porous models of exhibition-making across disciplines. Her experience spans major institutions, festivals, and independent platforms, including Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto, Tate Modern, Galleria Continua, ZONAMACO, and Frieze London. She is Head of Exhibitions and Programmes at CASA, London, and founder of Not The Owners and Mentoras Creativas, two organisations through which she develops curatorial work and supports artists and cultural practitioners to deepen their practice, and build more sustainable professional trajectories across international contexts.
Jon Opie
Jon Opie (he/him) is Head of Artist Support for Acme, a London-based organisation providing over 500 affordable long-term studios for visual artists and a programme of awards and international residencies. He oversees relationships with artists, enabling them to sustain their studio practices. Previously he was the Deputy Director of Jerwood Arts, a funder offering grants for artist support programmes. He led on creating bursaries and fellowships, centring artists’ needs and inclusive practices. Previously he was a Trustee of Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company.
Image Hydar Dewachi
Julian Warren
Julian Warren (he/him) is an archivist based in Bristol. He began his career at Arnolfini, before moving to Bristol Archives where he became City Archivist. In 2017 he moved to the University of Bristol Theatre Collection to take up the role of Keeper of the live art and digital archives, before becoming Head of the Theatre Collection in 2023. Julian is committed to working towards the long-term preservation of the documents of live art and performance so these can remain accessible to everyone who may like to encounter them, now and in the future.
Image Hydar Dewachi
We will soon announce a call-out for a second Co-Chair to join Cat Sheridan in the co-leadership of our Board, after Robin steps down in July. Sign up to our newsletter to hear future announcements!
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