CRAFTS STUDY CENTRE TRUSTEES
Chair: Edward Wates
After completing an English degree at the University of York, Edward trained as a book designer at the London College of Printing, followed by 40 years in academic publishing. In parallel to his work in publishing, Edward trained in calligraphy with Ann Hechle and Sue Hufton as part of the Advanced Training Scheme, run by the Society of Scribes & Illuminators. In recent years, Edward’s work has taken the form of manuscript books, which have been widely exhibited as well as being held in the Crafts Study Centre collection.
Vice-Chair: Alison Britton, MBE
Alison Britton is an acclaimed potter, writer and commentator on modern and contemporary crafts. She studied at Leeds College of Art, the Central School of Art and Design and then at the Royal College of Art. She is one of the leading international exponents of contemporary ceramics, with work held in prestigious museum as well as private collections. Alison is currently a Senior Lecturer at the RCA, and was awarded the OBE in 1990. More recently, she was awarded an honorary degree by the UCA to acknowledge her key position and influence as a potter, writer and curator.
Treasurer: Lynsey Luthra
Lynsey is a chartered accountant and has worked across multiple industries including the Big4, the Arts, transport, public sector and charities. With an entrepreneurial mindset, she brings financial expertise alongside governance and risk management. She is currently studying an Executive MBA. Lynsey is passionate about crafts, particularly textiles.
Andrew Renton
Andrew Renton joined the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff in July 1999, having previously worked at National Museums Liverpool as a curator of decorative art. His curatorial interests are wide-ranging, but since at Cardiff he has sought above all to develop the National Museum's potential in the field of 20th century and contemporary craft. As Head of Applied Art, Andrew is particularly enthusiastic about trying to create a craft collection of ambition and distinctive character; using contemporary work to enliven historic collections; and helping the Museum to engage as a dynamic member of the craft community within and beyond Wales
Ben Williams
Ben Williams is an international expert in modern and contemporary British, Japanese and American studio ceramics. He worked between 1994 and 2015 at Bonhams and Phillips Auctioneers, finally as Head of Sale, Design Department at Philips. He now runs an independent art advisory company, offering curatorial and valuations services.
Dr Cherry Knott FSA
Cherry Ann Knott trained in architecture and in sociology (Bartlett, University College London and Edinburgh University), and later in architectural history as a doctoral research student at the Courtauld Institute. She was head of both the conservation section and also regional services at the Crafts Council for more than four years until 1979. As curator and property manager of Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire, and its Museum of Childhood she developed her interest in museums and the widening of their accessibility; in that capacity she was responsible for the research and co-ordination of display design throughout the setting up stages of the Museum in the Park in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Other free-lance roles have included being an inspector in further education and an Arts Council Lottery assessor. She became a member of the Crafts Study Centre's Acquisitions Committee in 1985 and a trustee in 1988, and so was fortunate to have known several of the founding trustees.
Deirdre Figueiredo MBE
Deirdre Figueiredo is currently the Director of Craftspace, a crafts development organisation working to increase opportunities for makers, as well as access to and participation in contemporary crafts for all audiences. Deirdre has worked in the fields of Visual Arts, Cultural Diversity and Museums since 1988, initially at Cartwright Hall in Bradford and then Nottingham Castle Museum. She was Cultural Development Office for Leicestershire Museums Service curating the South Asian collections and developing innovative outreach programmes, community projects and exhibitions to promote diverse cultures. She is a member of the Creative and Cultural Skills Crafts Advisory Panel and is currently involved in steering and formation and running of a Crafts network as part of the national Cultural Leadership Programme.
Professor Lesley Millar
Lesley Millar is Professor Emerita of Textile Culture at the University for the Creative Arts and an exhibition curator specialising in textiles. These have included 11 major international touring exhibitions. She writes regularly about textile practice in Britain and Japan including co-editing, with Alice Kettle, the book Erotic Cloth for Bloomsbury Publishing (2018). In 2008 she received the Japan Society Award for significant contribution to Anglo-Japanese relationships and in 2011 was appointed MBE for her contribution to Higher Education.
Dr. Paul Harper
Paul lectures on critical and contextual studies at Middlesex University, School of Art and Design, and London Metropolitan University, The Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design. His research interest is primarily concerned with the nature of craft practice. He combines his academic work with writing on art and craft. He originally trained and worked as a furniture maker, and has an abiding interest in making and makers, but has subsequently worked in a variety of roles in arts management. He was a founding director of Alias Arts CIC, which provided advice and support to artist-led organizations. He left this role in 2013 and continue to advise arts organisations as a freelance consultant. Paul is a member of CraftNet, an independent network that promotes leadership and strategic development for contemporary craft, and was a long-standing Trustee of the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail.
Sarah Griffin
Sarah Griffin is an independent curator specialising in the applied arts, and a collector of contemporary ceramics.
Professor Tim Parry Williams
Tim Parry-Williams is a studio weaver and Professor of Art : Textiles at the University of Bergen in Norway. He works across designer-making and collaborative projects in the field of woven textiles, specialising in materials and development. His research is concerned with the tension ground between studio craft and industrial practice and he is an associate designer in the fashion fabrics industry in Japan, where he also has strong links in the craft, museums and education sectors. Tim's work has been exhibited internationally, and he continues to work on numerous projects, exhibitions and conferences worldwide.
University Trustee: Dr Amer Alwarea
Dr Amer Alwarea is the Head of Innovation at the University of the Creative Arts. Amer joined UCA in 2019 after previous research and academic administrative roles at UCL as an award-winning Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) Associate and a Research Fellow at Place Alliance. He has also undertaken his own research and international consultancy in the Middle East, China, and Africa, on the topic of sustainable development, urban planning, and design. He holds a PhD in Planning and Architecture from the University of Dundee (2016), MSc in the Sustainability of the Built Environment (2012), MA in City Planning (2007), and B.Arch in Architecture (2005).
University Trustee: Professor Hedley Roberts
Hedley Roberts is new Director of the School of Fine Art, Crafts and Photography and the Director of the Doctoral College at UCA. He has a wealth of experience in management and leadership in Higher Education, having previously been the Head of Art & Design at the University of East London and the Head of School of Art & Design at Bedfordshire University. A highly successful artist, researcher and educational consultant, Hedley has a Doctorate in Fine Art from the University of East London. He has been a Royal College of Art Fine Art Fellow and a Stanley Picker Fellow at Kingston University. With over 25 years in Higher Education, he is passionate about supporting developing artists and runs a number of artists residency projects, including ‘Directional Forces’, which has taken place in the UK, Germany, Serbia, Greece and at the Venice Biennale Italy, with over 100 artists since 2011.
Secretary to Trustees: Dr Stephen Knott
Director of the Crafts Study Centre.
