Page 15 - Great Northern Conference 2020: GAUA

Morning Breakout Session 1
The importance of a culture strategy
Prof Katy Shaw, Northumbria University
Prof Katy Shaw leads research into twenty-first century writings at Northumbria University. Her research interests include contemporary literature, especially working class literature, cultural representations
of post-industrial regeneration and the languages of comedy. Katy is an expert in twenty-first century literature. She has produced two books on crime author David Peace, a monograph on representations of the Credit Crunch in contemporary culture, and a collection on the teaching of twenty-first century genre fiction. Her latest book Hauntology (2018) explores the persistent role of the past in the present of contemporary English Literature. She is a public intellectual, literary festival host, media presenter and Twitterer.
Mark Ball, Creative Director, Manchester International Festival
Mark Ball is Creative Director of Manchester International Festival (MIF), where he is responsible for leading the artistic programme for The Factory, MIF’s new large scale
venue for arts and culture. From April 2009 to June 2017 he was Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT),one of Europe’s leading arts festivals. From January 2008 – April 2009 he was Head of Events and Exhibitions at the Royal Shakespeare Company, establishing a new department focussed on developing new work and new audiences and from 1998 - 2007, he was the Artistic Director of “Fierce!”, an annual international festival of theatre, live art and contemporary dance taking place in Birmingham and across the West Midlands
Ruth Pitt, Chair, Leeds 2023
Ruth has a wealth of experience across the media and cultural landscape and helped to shape Leeds City Region’s successful bid to be the home of Channel 4’s new National HQ.
A journalist and documentary maker by background, Ruth runs mentoring networks that help develop next generation talent for the creative industries and is also the Director of the Creative Cities Convention and a trustee of Leeds Playhouse.
Vanessa Toulmin, Director of City & Culture, University of Sheffield
Professor Vanessa Toulmin is Chair in Early Film and Popular Entertainment and currently Director of City & Culture for the University, a post she held for six years. Her role is to deliver the public engagement and research strategy across the University, work with external stakeholders including Arts Council and other cultural funders and help create a strategy for city vibrancy. As both a historian and festival Director, She set up and is the Director of the University’s Festival of the Mind and also the Director of Off the Shelf Festival of Words - one of the UK’s largest literary festivals. Vanessa is former Chair of Sheffield’s Culture Consortium and currently leading a UKRI bid for the University of Sheffield in collaboration with the City to provide important data to help understand and to aid recovery of Covid-19 on Sheffield’s Creative Ecology.
Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, Rugby League World Cup 2021
Jon Dutton is the Chief Executive of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 and has been involved in the project since the inception in late 2015, having successfully led the bid for the tournament. A sports management graduate with over 25 years’ experience in the sports industry, Jon has a wealth of knowledge, having previously worked for the PGA European Golf Tour, The FA, UEFA & the Tour de France as well as running his own sports consultancy company.
His dedication towards using sport to implement change in the community is driving RLWC2021 towards their aim to be the biggest and best rugby league world cup in history, while creating inspirational moments that excite, engage and leave a long-lasting legacy.