Irene Butera
Irene is a theatre fundraising professional, currently holding the position of Head of Development at Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. She is Italian and British, originally from Palermo in Sicily.
Before joining New Adventures in 2025, she worked at Fuel as their Head of Fundraising, Theatre Peckham as their Development Officer, and completed a fundraising work placement at the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT). Irene also has a background in PR, holding various positions in organisations such as The Cornershop PR, the Sony World Photography awards, and the European University Institute (Florence, Italy).
Antonia Byatt
Safeguarding Trustee
Antonia works as a consultant, trustee and a volunteer at Citizens Advice Service. She was previously CEO of First Story. She has over 30 years’ experience in the cultural sector, from leading policy for the literature sector at Arts Council England, to heading arts organisations such as English PEN and the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Creating new ways people enjoy reading and writing is at the heart of all her work, with a focus on young people. She’s also an experienced trustee, currently of the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education and the Management Committee of Haringey Learning Partnership.
Ifunanya Ifeacho
Ifunanya is a business transformation consultant, working in technology for public service clients. She is also a champion of inclusion and social mobility initiatives to increase representation and accessibility for others like herself. Outside of work she loves travelling, is an amateur chandler and an enthusiastic gin connoisseur.
Edouard Mansilla
Treasurer
Edouard is the Head of Credit Risk and a Senior Partner at Alpha Group International Plc, a London-based risk management service provider constituent of the FTS250. Alongside this main occupation, he is an active investor and a member of another charity called Inspiring The Future dedicated to helping pupils from state schools navigate their entrance into the professional world.
Jessica Mai Sims
Co-chair
Jessica has over fifteen years’ experience of working in research in the public, academic and voluntary sectors. Currently she is Head of Strategic Planning Partnering in the Office of Vice-President (Strategy) at UCL. She is also involved in advisory groups for community outreach programming for the Museum of the Home.
Eda Nacar
Eda Nacar is an experienced arts marketer and communicator who is currently the Head of Marketing and Communications at Shoreditch Town Hall, a leading independent cultural, live events and community space in the heart of east London’s vibrant creative district. She has over 14 years’ experience working in the arts, having started as a front of house usher at her then local theatre, the historic Hackney Empire.
Since then, she has gone on to marketing roles at several renowned London performing arts venues, such as Stratford Circus Arts Centre, a community-focused venue presenting an eclectic mix of circus, dance, music and theatre. She also spent time as part of the energetic communications team at the iconic Soho Theatre, which serves as a launchpad for emerging talent in comedy, cabaret and new theatre writing.
Eda used to write about theatre on her personal blog, reviewing and reflecting on the theatre and live performance scene in London and beyond. The blog was shortlisted for the British Council’s International Bursaries for Bloggers.
Alice Wordsworth
Co-chair
Alice is a freelance theatre director. She is currently the Associate Director on Rob Icke’s Oedipus in the West End and Thomas Ostermeier’s The Seagull that will be coming to the Barbican.
Most recently she has been Assistant Director to Ivo Van Hove on Opening Night and A Little Life and Simon Godwin’s Associate on Macbeth, that toured internationally to warehouses.
She is Resident Director for Amsterdam on Stage, working in translation on immersive productions and Associate Director of Bric a Brac, international Lecoq trained devising company.