OPEN EYE GALLERY ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD
Including new members from finance, marketing and academia
The North West’s leading photography organisation, Open Eye Gallery, is delighted to announce the appointment of three new board members.
Nick Swarbrick has spent the past 6 years working as the CFO of Turning Point, a £100m social enterprise delivering health and social care across England and Wales.
Jacqueline Butler is a Scottish artist living and working in Manchester and is a Principal Lecturer in Photography and Director of Studies, in the Department of Media at Manchester School of Art, MMU.
Peter Mearns is an independent Marketing & Communications Advisor specialising in arts, tourism & business development, media and brand management, public affairs and major events.
Open Eye Gallery’s Executive Director Sarah Fisher says, “As a small charity, the Board has a pivotal role providing governance and agreeing the overall direction of the organisation. I look forward to working with the new Board members to champion our work with, and for people in Liverpool, our contribution to Liverpool’s creative community and the city’s vibrant visitor economy.”
Open Eye Gallery’s Chair of the Board Lindsey Fryer says “The new board members bring a wealth of experience and join a new leadership team at a great time for the organisation. Photography has never been more significant as a tool to tell stories, inquire and reflect on humanity’s past and present, and to celebrate its diversity and creativity.”
LIST OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS
PETER MEARNS
Peter Mearns was born in Dorking, Surrey, is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University and started his career with BBC Manchester. He has worked in a number of high profile marketing and communications roles for The University of Manchester, Manchester & Birmingham City Councils, Herefordshire & Worcestershire TEC, Chamber of Commerce & Business Link. Between 1999-2010 he was an Executive Director at the Northwest Development Agency with responsibility for Marketing & Communications.
He is an independent Marketing & Communications Advisor specialising in arts, tourism & business development, media and brand management, public affairs and major events. Peter is also an exhibiting artist/photographer. His non-executive positions are: Chair – Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art; Vice Chair – Chester Performs;Committee Member – Tate Liverpool; Trustee – Liverpool Biennial, Foundation for Art & Creative Technology (FACT), Open Eye Gallery and the Ariel Trust, Liverpool.
NICK SWARBRICK
Nick Swarbrick has spent the past 6 years working as the CFO of Turning Point, a £100m social enterprise delivering health and social care across England and Wales.
Prior to that he has worked at Touche Ross (now Deloittes), major blue-chips, such as AstraZeneca and ICI, and a private equity-backed SME (ColorMatrix), as well as completing an MBA at Manchester Business School.
This blend of commercial and social sector experience allows him to understand the importance of both financial returns and wider social outcomes, both critical elements at Open Eye Gallery. Outside work Nick spends his time on running (from 5Ks to marathons), cycling, coaching junior rugby………andof course photography!
JACQUELINE BUTLER
Jacqueline Butler is a Scottish artist living and working in Manchester, England. She works with photography, digital video, the artist book, and writing and has a particular fascination with archives and collections (both public and private). Her interests are in exploring visual narrative and con-templating on the material qualities of photography in both analogue and digital forms.
Currently undertaking a PhD at Glasgow School of Art, her research considers what constitutes photography in the 21st Century, combining pre-photography principles with traditional and new print technologies. Jacqueline’s arts practice evaluates the tangibility of the contemporary photograph and explores themes associated with analogue photography, of loss and melancholia. She exhibits her work internationally and regularly presents arts performances at international conferences and arts events.
Jacqueline is a coordinator of a national artists group FTN (Family Ties Network), and founding member of MCollective (artist book co-operative) Jacqueline has worked as an academic in the HE sector for over 25 years and served on the Executive Board of APHE as Vice-Chair and as Honorary Secretary. She is a Principal Lecturer in Photography and Director of Studies, in the Department of Media at Manchester School of Art, MMU.