TEAM
CEO and Artistic Director
Saad Eddine Said
Saad@nae.org.uk
Executive Director
Adam Roe
Adam@nae.org.uk
Head Curator
David Sinclair
david@nae.org.uk
Head of Governance and Partnerships
Emma Gower
Emma@nae.org.uk
Associate Artistic Director
Rastarella Falade
rastarella@nae.org.uk
Marketing and Events Manager
Olga Andrade
olga@nae.org.uk
Neighbourhood Producer
Ismail Khokon
Ismail@nae.org.uk
Operations Manager
Peter Sharratt
peter@nae.org.uk
Senior Producer
Kyle Futers
Kyle@nae.org.uk
Finance Officer
Prathyusha Kantheti
Finance@nae.org.uk
Exhibition Coordinator
Woosun Choi
woosun@nae.org.uk
Venues and Facilities Coordinator
Priya Chopra
Priya@nae.org.uk
Cafe Manager/Chef
Craig Mawer
Craig@nae.org.uk
Front of House Manager
Joshan Gangotra
Joshan@nae.org.uk
Cafe and Events Coordinator
Kiesha Gibson
cafe@nae.org.uk
Duty Manager
Elaine Carthy
Elaine@nae.org.uk
Corner Cafe Bar Team:
Ella van der Straaten
Facilities Team:
Emma Cox
Lisa Bonsu
BOARD MEMBERS
Chair: Samori Gambrah
Samori has wealth of knowledge from the corporate world and beverage industry. He is currently Global Brand Director for Captain Morgan at Diageo and worked previously with ABInBev and SABMiller in various senior marketing and commercial roles across Africa and Europe. Samori has a passion for building world class brands in culture and unlocking bold award winning creativity.
Vice Chair: Professor Christopher O’Brien, OBE
Chris O’Brien is Emeritus Professor in Production Engineering of the Nottingham University Business School. He has extensive experience of working and teaching in Latin America, China and South-East Asia. He established the University’s campus in Malaysia and was Director of the University’s Business School in China. He holds honorary doctorates from universities in Finland, Thailand and Romania, and was awarded the OBE for his services to the education of the disabled. He is married with two children and three grandchildren, and has a keen interest in music, and the visual and performing arts.
Jiten Anand
Jiten is a co-founder and the executive director of Inspirate – a National Portfolio Organisation that celebrates the intertwined culture of the Indian subcontinent and the UK. He is a Pro Chancellor of De Montfort University, has served as a Vice-Chair of Leicester Arts Festivals and a Trustee of Pedestrian. Jiten has been instrumental in bringing to life an array of nationally leading arts festivals – from ‘An Indian Summer’ to ‘Bring The Paint’. He has collaborated with a breadth of prestigious organisations, including the Royal Collection Trust and the British Science Association. As a creative entrepreneur, he is adept at building bridges between international corporations and the arts – working with companies such as Sony Entertainment Television and State Bank of India. Jiten is passionate about harnessing the arts to inspire positive social, cultural and economic change.
Nisha PopatCurrently a Business Owner and a freelance cultural consultant, Nisha arrived as a refugee to the UK at the age of 9 and her experiences shaped her in valuing the importance of community and heritage. A banker by profession, Nisha’s commitment to community led her to change course. Her first role in local government was in community engagement from this she moved to become a grants manager and then on to becoming a senior manager in Arts & Museums. Nisha has several years’ experience in museums and heritage in the Midlands and has led on a number of local regional and national projects including East Midlands Renaissance and the development of the King Richard III Centre. Nisha believes culture is important in connecting people, places and communities.
Meeta Dave
Meeta has been teaching or in school leadership for the last 25 years. This has always been in inner city schools, all very diverse and serving a community with many challenges and high deprivation. Meeta sits on the Leadership Team of Nottingham Citizens. She is the president of the Braham Samaj – a small Hindu faith group in Nottingham. Meeta’s passion is to work with various groups, so they are supported and empowered to bring about positive changes for themselves and their communities in an environment where there is mutual respect and tolerance.
Professor (Dr.) Rhiannon Jones
Professor (Dr.) Rhiannon Jones FRSA is Head of Civic and Communities at the University of Derby and founder of CivicLAB™, leading institution‑wide civic strategy and engagement. A civic practice specialist, she chairs international networks including the UNESCO UK Learning Cities Network and Cumulus’ Contemporary Working Art Group. She is Founder and CEO of Designing Dialogue CIC, creators of the award‑winning S.H.E.D project, and a published academic with recent works for Routledge, Taylor & Francis, and Intellect. A UKRI/ESRC grant holder and national keynote speaker, her leadership has generated significant regional impact through major cultural and civic programmes.
Letha Charles
Letha is Founder and Director of L Charles Accounting, a leading accountancy firm with a strong regional presence. She has held senior executive roles in several FTSE 100 companies such as Severn Trent Water and Npower. She sits on the Board of Trustees at the Midlands Art Centre, and as a long-term patron of the arts, she is passionate about helping ‘grass-roots’ creative organisations to succeed.
Mikey Lappin
Mikey has an abundance of experience in the higher education charity sector. He is currently part of the Senior Leadership Team at Coventry University Students’ Union, where his role as the Director of Enterprise is to curate and develop student-focused enterprises to enhance and support their education and employability. Mikey has always had a passion for the visual arts, having worked as a Creative Practitioner at Samanya Theatre Company educating local schools and community groups, as well as having completed his BA Hons in Performing Arts at Nottingham Trent University.