Consultant Director at The Audience Agency
Anra works with museums, arts and heritage organisations in the UK and internationally to help them develop their strategic practice, build resilience and successfully navigate the impact of digital transformation. She designs and delivers action research, training, and capacity-building programmes for cultural leaders and practitioners, all in the context of social impact and values-led practice.
Her work involves looking beyond arts and heritage to understand the ways societal and digital changes impact cultural organisations’ ability to realise missions. She supports clients to integrate these insights into their strategy and practice, helping them understand and tackle challenges and embed new ways of working. Anra often plays a bridging role, connecting individuals, organisations and networks informally, as communities of practice, and formally, in multi-stakeholder collaborations.
Governance and its role in socially purposeful arts, heritage and education is one Anra’s key areas of expertise, often with a focus on change. She is currently Chair of Creswell Heritage Trust, an internationally significant archaeological site (home to the UK’s oldest known cave art!), where she is leading the organisation through a process of deep-rooted re-development and business recovery. She was a founding trustee of the high-impact, national campaigning charity Kids in Museums, now one of ACE’s NPOs. This was a passion project, supporting their formation and development over 15+ years. Anra also led an organisational restructuring as Vice-Chair of Group for Education in Museums’ board, recruiting a new Director and Chair. She’s a regular speaker and chair at cultural sector conferences and events and loves the writing and content design aspects of her work.
Industry Champions
Sarah Ellis
Director of Digital Development at Royal Shakespeare Company
Tom Chalmers
Founder and Managing Director at Legend Times Group
Stephen Bennett
Joint Head of Policy Lab and Visual artist
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
Jennifer Johnston
Head of Learning at Into Film
Anra Kennedy
Consultant Director at The Audience Agency
Vikas Kumar
Founder and Director of GemArts
Jo Morrison
Director of Digital Innovation at Calvium
Dave Moutrey
Director of Culture and Creative Industries at Manchester City Council
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
Global Director, Recruitment & Outreach 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
CEO at the Goldsmiths' Company
Sharon Watson
CEO and Principal of Northern School of Contemporary Dance
Claire Whitaker
CEO of Southampton Forward
Nia Williams
Director of Learning and Engagement at National Museum Wales
Tom Philipson
Founder of YourStudio and Special Lecturer at Central Saint Martins, UAL
Malath Abbas
Game Designer and Creative Producer
Steven Berryman
President of the Chartered College of Teaching and Senior Deputy Head, Sir William Perkins's School
Laura Giles
Managing Director at Screen Cornwall
Leslie Ramos
Philanthropy Advisor and Director at The Twentieth
Anna Kiernan
Associate Professor in Creativity and Literary Culture, University of Exeter
Fiona Mozley
Novelist
Lilli Geissendorfer
Independent Consultant and Director, Theatre Green Book
Savraj Matharu
Principal Lecturer in Digital Innovation, University of Westminster
Anna Disley
Executive Director, Programmes and Impact, New Writing North
Hannah Pater
Development Director, Big Change
Linda Spurdle
Cultural Consultant and Producer
Josie Warden
Design Researcher
Tobias Revell
Design Futures Lead at Arup
Phil Holton
Senior Qualification Manager, Pearson
Sara Salsinha
Independent Designer and Researcher
Rebecca Swarray
Senior Policy Officer, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and freelance Curator, DJ and Producer
Robert Kilpatrick
CEO and Creative Director, Scottish Music Industry Association
Grace Shin
Account Manager, Clarity
Holly Lewis
Co-Founding Partner, We Made That
Jack Gamble
Director, Campaign for the Arts
Anna Kime
Freelance artist and Policy Officer, Centre for Cultural Value
Chris Hildrey
Director, Hildrey Studio
Fred Deakin
Director, Fred Deakin and Company Limited
Natasha Trotman
Equalities Designer and Researcher
Ve Dewey
Founder and CEO of Concurrency
Rachel Coldicutt
Founder and Executive Director, Careful Trouble