Sonia Sabri is a multi-award-winning dance artist and choreographer and is Artistic Director of Sonia Sabri Company. She is one of the world’s leading Kathak dancers and is one of the brightest and most inspirational of British born dancer-choreographers working today.

Creating work that spans from the presentation of classical roots of Kathak to explorations of contemporary approaches, her productions reflect an appreciation of Western and Eastern cultures. Sonia has created a fresh, unique style of Kathak by reinventing it from within, by pushing boundaries and generating work that is original in concept and exciting and relevant to today’s audiences.

She has secured an international reputation for collaboration across dance styles and art forms including work with pioneers Sarvar Sabri, Arlene Phillips CBE, Sir Trevor Nunn, Sir Richard Alston amongst others, and tours lead projects internationally.

Sonia’s innovation has invited several commissions, including The BBC, Channel 4, Tanzhaus, ARTE, Birmingham Hippodrome, South Bank Centre, London Olympics 2012.

Recent Awards and Nominations include The Bench Fellowship 2016, The National Indian Arts Award for Distinguished Teacher of Dance in 2017, The National Diversity Awards 2018. ACTA awards for Dance 2016 and 2019. Birmingham Inspiration Awards & The Best Female Dancer. Sonia Sabri Company is an Associate Company at Birmingham Hippodrome.

https://www.ssco.org.uk/

Jerrel is a neurodivergent leader working in the social, cultural, education and voluntary sector specialising in theory of change, inclusion, inequality, injustice and leadership.

From a place of lived experiences, at the age of 25, he co-founded and is CEO Creative Academies Network (CAN) a multi-layered organisation that supports the development of children & young people in the Black Country to accelerate their full potential through Cultural Education, Creative Practice & Civic Leadership.

Jerrel received his Masters and Bachelor’s degree in Creative Performance, Creative Technology and Media from Chichester University. In 2014 he was awarded Young Educator of the Year (Royal Bank of Scotland and Trinity Mirror) and Princess Diana Memorial Award for recognition of his contribution towards the local community through the arts & education and overcoming adversity/bereavement of his brother and mother at the age of 16.

In 2016 Jerrel was awarded the Arts Council England Fellowship through the Clore Leadership Programme under the direction of Sue Hoyle OBE and mentorship from Andrea Stark FRSA.

Over the past few years, Jerrel has toured across Hong Kong, India, France, Malta, Spain, Dubai, Greece, Croatia, Sweden and Bulgaria to strengthen his international relationships and leadership enquiry of the experience of children and young people across the sub-sectors of Cultural Education, Creative Industries, Cultural Diversity, Community Regeneration and Creative Economy.  Jerrel is a PhD Academic Researcher working towards his publication D.I.C.E (Diversification In Cultural Education) addressing inequalities and injustices experienced by marginalised people.

Jerrel currently holds several strategic board roles; West Midlands Combined Authority Cultural Leadership Board, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust Arts Committee, Windsor Academy Trust, Sandwell Cultural Education Partnership. Black Country Dance Hub, SIPs Education Music Hub & Arts Council England Cultural Education Leadership Programme. He is also a core member of the Strategy and Innovatory group at UK Youth and Co-Creating Change Network at Battersea Arts Centre.

https://creativeacademies.co.uk/

Born and brought up in London, Peter studied law at the University of Birmingham before going on to qualify as a solicitor specialising in corporate and commercial law.  Having been a partner in international law firms Eversheds and Pinsent Masons, Peter retired in 2015 and undertook a diploma in coaching at Warwick University.  He now practises as an executive coach when not travelling extensively with his wife.

Mike is head of employment law at Shakespeare Martineau having specialised only in employment law since 1994. Mike’s clients range from very large Plc’s to small charities and from Universities to Schools, as well as senior executives. Work for his clients’ ranges from drafting of documentation, through advice on transfers (TUPE) and restructures to training of managers and staff and advocacy in the Employment Tribunals. Mike has lectured on the MSc course in occupational medicine for the Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health. He is also a regular lecturer. seminar presenter and the author of the unfair dismissal and redundancy chapters of Jordans’; Employment Law.

Mike has a wide and eclectic range of interests. His professional interests lie in the development of Employment Law, its impact on the economic development of employers and of the UK, as well as the resolution of disputes. Mike has a wide interest in the Arts, both performing and visual. He was Chair of Big Brum Theatre in Education for 10 years and a Board member and Chair of the Risk committee at Ikon Gallery for a similar period. Mike is currently chair of Birmingham Law Society Employment Law Committee. He has an involvement with literature and was a judge for the appointment of the first, third, fifth and sixth Young Poet Laureates for Birmingham (2005, 2007, 2009, and 2010). Mike is well known for his support for Warwickshire County Cricket Club, but enjoys most sports as a spectator or supporter.

Vice Chair of DanceXchange

Malcolm’s freelance work is focused on creative writing and performance projects, as well as English skills, for Birmingham schools and community venues. He has worked extensively in the English department of Bournville School and was involved for several years in literacy development at Harborne Academy.

In 2009, he set up Rowheath Drama Workshop in Birmingham, an adult group which meets on a weekly basis and with whom he has directed four Showcases, as well as Murder Mysteries!

Educated at Bristol Cathedral School, Malcolm studied drama and dance at Dartington College of Arts before qualifying as a teacher at Rolle College of Education, under the auspices of the University of Exeter.

Initially, he worked as a teacher in Berkshire, before joining the team of actors and drama teachers at the Dovecot Arts Centre in Stockton-on-Tees. He introduced contemporary dance into the centre’s programme of classes and professional performances. Malcolm was a member of Northern Arts’ music panel, with responsibility for the development of a new dance policy. He was also Radio Tees’ theatre correspondent.

In 1979 Malcolm joined West Midlands Arts as Press and Public Relations Officer, where he was responsible for media relations and publications, editing seventy issues of Arts Report, a newspaper covering the arts throughout the West Midlands. He was a regular contributor to BBC Radio Birmingham.

In 1989 Malcolm took up the post of Editorial Manager at SP Publishing Ltd, a Birmingham company producing ‘designer’ social stationery and gifts for chain and independent stores, as well as major charities. As a development, in 1995 he set up and was MD of Summer Lane Pictures Ltd, a licensing agency seeking commercial outlets for work by artists and designers. In 2001, he felt the time was right to return to teaching.

John Houlden is a chartered accountant and since 2007 has been a partner at Ernst & Young in Birmingham specialising in corporate finance and working with a wide range of private and public sector organisations in the Midlands. Prior to his current role, John worked in corporate development and finance at Homeserve plc in Walsall and also in the Birmingham offices of Arthur Andersen and Deloitte. Originally from Yorkshire John went to university in Nottingham and has lived and worked in Birmingham for the last 20 years and has an MBA from the University of Warwick.

Over the last 10 years John has worked with a variety of not for profit organisations, arts and dance companies (including Anurekha Ghosh in Birmingham) through Arts & Business providing strategy, business planning, accounting and financial advice and support.

Carnette Richardson-Jacquet specialises in the field of Languages and Linguistics. Carnette was born and grew up in Birmingham. Carnette studied languages at Lancaster University and spent a year in Lyon, France, as part of her first degree.  After completing a Masters in Linguistics also at Lancaster, Carnette moved to France where she spent several years working in Paris as a Language consultant before spending 12 months in Brazzaville, Congo teaching English to children.

Carnette speaks fluent French and Spanish and is currently working as a Lecturer in Modern Languages at University College Birmingham. Alongside this, Carnette is a qualified Translator from French to English and English to French and a Member of the Charted Institute of Linguists. She is also an external examiner for the Delf/Dalf French language qualifications.

Carnette has experience in tailor-made language courses as well as an expertise in creating vocational language materials. As well as collaborating on European funded projects, Carnette has also contributed to the CiLT Vocational Language Resource bank. Carnette has one daughter.