Engagement with industry is crucial to the PEC’s success. Our network of industry champions help guide us on industry’s most pressing challenges, provide expert insight to inform our research and give critical feedback on our policy recommendations. We were delighted with the response to our first round of recruitment in 2019 when 55 trusted practitioners signed up. They have already made valuable contributions to our research and policy recommendations, including panel discussions both on the value of creative education, and on best practice for local growth in the creative industries. 

 However, this was only the start of the network. We have a diverse cohort drawn from all across the sector and from all parts of the UK. We wanted to add to this talented group of individuals to further represent the breadth of subsectors and the depth of experience that can be found across the creative industries. For this reason, we are today pleased to announce a second wave of industry champions.

We listened to the responses following the announcement of our first wave of Champions, and consulted across the sector. Crucially, we asked our existing Champions who they felt was missing from the network. Many of the new additions are a direct result of their suggestions. As before, the network will continue to grow. If there is any sub-sector, region, perspective or role that you feel needs better representation, please email your suggestions to Chloe Jeffries, the PEC’s Partnerships Manager, at chloe.jeffries@manchester.ac.uk

• Alia Alzougbi - Artist, Educator and Cultural Producer 
• Amanda Maxwell - board member and Community Manager of shesaid.so 
• Annie Lydford - Managing Director of Nevill Holt Opera 
• Ben Carlin - Co-Founder of Megaverse and Immerse Sheffield
• Charlotte Beevor - Entrepreneurial Designer and Stylist 
• Chris van der Kuyl - Digital entrepreneur and Chairman & Co-Founder of 4J Studios
• Conor Mitchell - Founder and Artistic Director of The Belfast Ensemble
• Elayce Ismail - Freelance Theatre and Opera Director
• Helen Mort - Author
• Dr Helen Willmott - Programme Director of Made in Corby 
• Hope Dickson Leach - Writer and Director 
• James Rose - Change Maker and Conductor at Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
• Dr Jamie Coleman - Founder and Chair of CodeBase
• Jaswinder Singh - Director of Asian Arts Agency 
• Jeff Coghlan - Managing Director at Matmi 
• Jeremy Pritchard - Musician, Everything Everything 
• Kevin Beimers - Director of Italic Pig 
• Kobi Onyame - Recording artist, producer and songwriter
• Liz Mosley - Self-employed Graphic Designer
• Lucy Bayliss - Head of Creative Programmes at DanceEast
• Lucy Harvey - Visual Artist and co-director of Paradise Works
• Mandy Barker - Founder of Sail Creative
• Maria Tanjala - Co-founder of Big Couch and FilmChain
• Natalie Griffith - Brand & Marketing Director of Unit 2 Games
• Dr Oliver Cox - Heritage Engagement Fellow at the University of Oxford 
• Phil Critchlow - Founder and CEO of TBI Media
• Phil Stuart - Founder and Creative Director of PRELOADED
• Rachel O’Riordan - Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
• Reiko Kaneko - Ceramicist, Designer and Educator 
• Sade Banks - Founder and CEO of Sour Lemons
• Samuel McDowell - Co-Founder and Director of Charco Press
• Sarah Bird, Director of Wild Rumpus 
• Seán Elder - Curator and independent Researcher
• Stephanie Edwards – Co founder of Urban Symbiotics
• Stephen Bennett - Multimedia Artist and policymaker
• Sydney Levinson - Creative Industries Activist
• Tom Adeyoola - Entrepreneur
• Vaughn McKenzie - CEO of JAAK
• Vikas Kumar - Founder and Director of GemArts
• Will Saunders - Consultant and Executive Producer
• Wolfgang Buttress - Artist 
• Yehrin Tong - Illustrator

To find out more about each of our Industry Champions, please visit our People page.