HOME is delighted to announce the appointment of four new Trustees.
Jo Bloxham, Natalie Ibu, Victoria Pinnington and Raj Ruia have all joined the Board of Trustees of the Manchester based multi-arts venue to support its work to empower and develop art, artists & audiences.
Jo Bloxham is a keen supporter of the arts, with a particular interest in the visual arts. She has been a Board Member of the Crafts Council for four years, the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair since its conception, and was previously a Board Member of Manchester Art Gallery. She is a collector of contemporary art jewellery and regularly curates jewellery exhibitions for Manchester Art Gallery and specialist international galleries. Jo is patron of Tate, Manchester Art Gallery and The Whitworth, Manchester International Festival, Liverpool Biennial, the Heyward Gallery and the Southbank Centre.
Natalie Ibu is the artistic director and CEO of theatre company tiata fahodzi. Previously she was the Creative Producer for In Good Company, launching the regional artist development programme in the East Midlands for Derby Theatre, Embrace Arts Leicester and Create Mansfield. Other roles include Programme Manager at the Roundhouse, Creative Producer for Only Connect and Associate Director (Warehouse) for HighTide Festival Productions. As a director, credits include readings and productions of new plays in venues in Scotland and England. Natalie is a trustee of the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme and she is a South East Area Council Member for Arts Council England.
Victoria Pinnington is originally from Manchester and is now the Director, Communications and Income Generation at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, responsible for the strategic leadership of the communications, marketing, digital, fundraising, membership, visitor experience and commercial teams. An experienced communications and business development strategist, Victoria has over 20 years’ management experience in both private and public sectors. Prior to the Horniman and working in the cultural sector, Victoria enjoyed roles in education, international sales and business development. She is a Trustee at Kids in Museums and a governor at Forest Hill School.
Raj Ruia is Managing Director of Richard Haworth and a Director of the Ruia Group, a family owned textiles company with brands including Sock Shop. Raj founded Rhode Island Coffee; an award-winning chain of coffee shops based in the North West of England and the Manchester Chapter of TiE. He served on the Board of the Royal Exchange Theatre and Textile Services Association and was Chair of the Bolton Strategic Partnership. He has also served as Chapter Chair in the Young Presidents Organisation. Raj is passionate about social enterprise, is a member of the Ashoka Support Network and has mentored social entrepreneurs over the years. He is keenly interested in making the arts more accessible and diverse and is a collector of South Asian modern art.
HOME would also like to thank outgoing Board Members Maria Bota OBE and Josephine Oniyama for their valuable contributions. Both joined the Board in 2015 and played a vital role in the launch and the ongoing success of the organisation.
The Board is Chaired by Jonty Claypole, Director of BBC Arts and now has 11 Trustees.
Jonty said: “After a rigorous selection process with an astounding number of applicants, I am delighted to welcome Jo Bloxham, Natalie Ibu, Victoria Pinnington and Raj Ruia to the board of HOME. The breadth and quality of experience they bring will contribute immeasurable to HOME’s mission to inspire, to entertain and to provoke.”
Director and Chief Executive Dave Moutrey said: “Bringing new voices and vantage points to our Board is a key priority and we’re thrilled to make these new appointments each of whom will bring their unique strengths and expertise to HOME as we enter the next exciting phase for our artistic programme and work to further develop our reach.”