Meet Homotopia’s New Board
Homotopia has unveiled new additions to its Board of Trustees to help guide the festival through 2020 and beyond. Featuring expertise and voices from Merseyside’s LGBTQIA community, the new Board will provide oversight, guidance and support to the core festival team.
The Board will support the work of the Festival Director, Char Binns, and Producer Alex Ferguson. Homotopia is the UK’s longest running LGBTQIA arts festival, providing a platform and voice for art, artists and culture from Liverpool, the UK and beyond. With an annual festival held in Liverpool each November, Homotopia also has a year-round programme of advocacy, working to support LGBTQIA artists within the Liverpool city region and championing new talent.
Char Binns, Festival Directors, Says “As with any arts organisations, a Board of Trustees is a crucial component. Their oversight is vital to ensure that we, as a publicly funded arts festival, provide our audience with value for money and stay true to our mission and values. We’re delighted to welcome them to the Homotopia family”.
Homotopia’s Board of Trustee includes;
Andrew Bullock is Senior Exhibitions Officer at National Museums Liverpool. Gay, socialist, feminist and Christian, Andrew is also a core team member of Liverpool Queer Collective.
New appointment – Joan Burnett, Merseyside born and bred with over 30 years’ experience on the frontline of arts venues. She is currently Visitor Services Manager at FACT, is a former volunteer on Liverpool’s Outsiders Queer Film Festival and was a Director and Trustee of Liverpool Pride for 9 years. Joan volunteers for Liverpool City Region Pride as a programmer for Film with Pride, focussing on new and classic films from diverse voices around the world.
New appointment – James Huyton is a communications professional with experience in the charity sector. He supports marginalised communities and works in supporting LGBTQIA people experiencing cancer and victims of hate crime.
New appointment – Danny Kilbride is a filmmaker and Creative Director at Thinking Film, a social enterprise existing to provide people and communities across Merseyside with a voice.
New appointment – James Lawler is a curator and events organisation. He works as one half of DuoVision, with Martin Green, highlighting undervalued artists, older artists and LGBTQIA artists. For the past four years they have run The Gallery Liverpool, where exhibitions have included Jarvis Cocker, Marc Almond and Pam Hogg. They have recently curated exhibitions in London, Paris, Belfast and Stoke-on-Trent.
Cheryl Martin is Washington DC born poet, playwright and director, and Co-Artistic Director of Manchester’s Black Gold Arts Festival. Her past roles include as Guest Curator for Homotopia 2018, a former Associate Director for New Writing/New Work at Contact, Manchester and Director-in-Residence at Edinburgh’s Traverse.
Marjorie Morgan is an award-winning playwright, director and producer based in Liverpool. Her works explore the theme of ‘Home’ on particular historic and contemporary migration stories, giving voice to those marginalised in pockets of British society, Marjorie also writes articles and essays, and teaches creative writing.
New appointment – Tammy Reynolds is an artist, performer, writer and producer. She previously worked with DaDaFest as Young Persons Project Coordinator. She is also part of the team behind Liverpool’s queer cabaret extravaganza EAT ME + Preach!
Rachel Rogers is chair of the Board of Trustees at Homotopia. Outside this role she is festival producer for DaDaFest and in the past has worked for MDI, Merseyside Dance Initiative, as Project Development Manager, working across their programmes and growing provision for older adults. Rachel has an MA in Cultural leadership from Liverpool John Moores University and is a freelance producer.
