Chief Executive at Cockpit Arts
Annie Warburton is CEO of Cockpit Arts, London’s leading studios for contemporary craft and design and a NatWest SE100 award-winning social enterprise. She curates exhibitions and writes, presents and broadcasts on craft, art and design in the UK and internationally. She also chairs the Government’s industry panel developing the new T-Level in Craft and Design.
Prior to joining Cockpit, Annie was Creative Director at the Crafts Council, where she led on exhibitions, international programmes, education and research, and directed an innovation programme on the intersections between craft, science and technology. Previously she served as CEO at ArtsMatrix and Head of Partnerships at Creative Skillset, where she pioneered industry apprenticeships in fashion, textiles and media. She is an Associate of Newnham College Cambridge.
Industry Champions
Sarah Ellis
Director of Digital Development at Royal Shakespeare Company
Tom Chalmers
Founder and Managing Director at Legend Times Group
Tom Adeyoola
Entrepreneur
Sade Banks
Founder and CEO of Sour Lemons
Mandy Barker
Founder of Sail Creative
Lucy Bayliss
Head of Creative Programmes at DanceEast
Charlotte Beevor
Entrepreneurial Designer and Stylist
Stephen Bennett
Joint Head of Policy Lab and Visual artist
Jennifer Johnston
Head of Learning at Into Film
Vikas Kumar
Founder and Director of GemArts
Amanda Maxwell
Community Manager and board member of shesaid.so
Jo Morrison
Director of Digital Innovation at Calvium
Dave Moutrey
Director and CEO at HOME
Laura Pye
Director at National Museums Liverpool
Lara Ratnaraja
Cultural Consultant
Will Saunders
Consultant and Executive Producer
Jaswinder Singh
Director of Asian Arts Agency
Amy Smith
Head of Talent at Framestore
Tolu Stedford
Development Producer at the Independent Film Trust and CEO of Creative Lions Productions
Maria Tanjala
Co-founder of Big Couch and FilmChain
Annie Warburton
Chief Executive at Cockpit Arts
Sharon Watson
CEO and Principal of Northern School of Contemporary Dance
Claire Whitaker
Bid Director, Southampton City of Culture 2025
Nia Williams
Director of Learning and Engagement at National Museum Wales