Chief Executive Officer
Rosi is responsible for providing organisational leadership and overseeing day to day business operations. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, Rosi leads on the strategic direction of IVE, with the help of the senior management team.
Rosi has clocked up thirty years’ of work experience. More than fifteen of those years were spent in further and higher education; designing HE curriculum and lecturing in the principles of design, the creative process and related critical studies to mainly undergraduates. Rosi has since held senior management positions in a number of arts and education organisations and within Cultural heritage and tourism. Although referring to herself as a ‘designer by nature and by trade’ Rosi’s MPhil thesis The Art of Survival took the idea of design-thinking into new realms and focused on how community participation in the creative process can affect behavioural change. A theme that stuck throughout Rosi’s career, applying it in different contexts. In 2008 whilst working in the strategic partnerships office at Hull University, Rosi convened a North of England conference at the Sage Gateshead entitled ‘Creativity – A Skill for Life?’ publishing a paper of the same name alongside in the Times Educational Supplement. Rosi arrived at IVE in June 2016 taking over the reins from the organisations retiring founder Pat Cochrane.
Rosi’s other qualifications include an HND in Interior Design a BA (Hons) in Museum & Exhibition Design, a Certificate in Post Compulsory Education, a Higher Education Teaching Certificate and NVQ Assessor Training Qualifications.
Outside of the day job Rosi is into property development and currently has three separate projects on the go. She enjoys ‘open water’ swimming (sometimes spotted in a wetsuit on the beach at Hunmanby Gap on the East coast of Yorkshire), veg gardening and (responsible) green-laning in a bright red Wrangler Jeep that she refers to as the ‘Fire Engine’. Rosi lives on a farm in North Yorkshire with partner Antony, a pack of Siberian Huskies and Tig the Jack Russell.
Email: Rosi@weareive.org
Chief Operating Officer
Jo has responsibility for looking after the ‘business’ of the organisation and leads the Finance & Operations team.
She has experience in both the private, public and third sector, having worked in the latter for over 20 years. She has substantial leadership experience often in cross-sector organisations. She has in-depth knowledge of finance both in and out of third sector and maximizing income through tax efficiencies. She also has extensive HR experience having led an organisation through a complete pay and reward review for over 300 staff, has led a number of successful reorganisations, mergers and is experienced in handling TUPE situations. Working in the third sector means she has a wide range of experience including systems analysis and implementation, capital refurbishments, the safeguarding of intellectual property amongst others.
To keep updated with sector developments Jo is a member of ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations), Charity Finance Group, the RSA and CIPD.
Her main interest/obsession is cooking, she specializes in British/French cuisine but also loves the science of molecular cooking. She is also a professional chocolatier.
Email: Jo@weareive.org
Finance Manager
Sharron is the guardian of the finances and the office, keeping us all on track with her master skills in using the Excel spreadsheet. She is the one that makes sure our bills and salaries get paid on time! Sharron has 15 years’ experience at CapeUK, now IVE starting as Finance Officer, studying for AAT qualification and working up to the position of Finance Manager.
She has 20 years’ experience as a Finance Assistant working in the Private Sector in both Mail Order and Freight Forwarding companies.
Sharron has always been in finance work with all her previous roles being as a finance assistant for various companies.
Her interests are mainly motorcycling and spending all her free time and holidays touring Europe with her partner who runs his own motorcycle tour company.
Email: Sharron@weareive.org
Programme Director, Bridge
Verity leads our Arts Council funded Bridge programme across Yorkshire and the Humber. She leads the Bridge team who work with the arts, culture, youth and education sectors to develop and increase the arts and cultural offer for children and young people.
Verity has a wide range of skills and expertise in brokering partnerships and projects with a variety of people and places. She’s an experienced trainer and facilitator and enjoys guiding individuals and organisations to dream, design and deliver new ideas and ambitions. She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in devising creative and innovative programmes and models in and across the arts, creative and education sectors.
Verity’s passion is to help people discover and develop their creative potential, and become successful, creative and happy citizens. She spent many years teaching dance, performing and delivering creative projects in schools and community settings across the UK. Over the last 20 years, she has managed a vast range of creative learning and development programmes with ex-mining communities, footballers, young people at risk, arts organisations, schools and local authorities.
Outside of work Verity creates silver and resin jewellery and is teaching herself to play the piano. She spends a lot of her spare time renovating and repairing her house and running a parent taxi service for her two teenage boys.
Email: Verity@weareive.org
Programmes Director
Sarah leads on the development of Creative Learning Programmes that develop the creative potential of talented and diverse young people, preparing them for the future. Sarah’s current focus is on the delivery of Applied Creativity Labs that cultivate creative thinking skills to enable young people to find innovative solutions to real world challenges, with a focus on different aspects of climate breakdown. Sarah is also developing high level partnerships; fundraising & securing new income to support the ongoing delivery & growth of IVE’s Creative Learning Programmes. She develops & delivers commercial training products and services including Unconscious Bias workshops and Inclusion & Diversity Labs.
Sarah’s expertise includes education (including film, media, primary & advisory teaching) coaching and leadership. She is also an experienced project, budget, people and events manager.
Her previous roles include: Cultural Education Director at IVE; Programme Director for North & West Yorkshire at CapeUK; Head of Learning at the National Media Museum; Head of Education at Eureka! The Museum for Children; Advisory Teacher for Photography and Media Education and Education Officer at the National Museum of Photography, Film & TV and Primary Teacher.
Sarah shares a love of musical theatre with her daughter and outside of work spends much of her time her daughter’s singing, dancing and acting development.
Email: Sarah@weareive.org
Director of Skills and Employability
Director of Skills and Employability, Chris Strong leads on our skills and employability programmes including the development of an IVE Apprenticeship Training Provider. He ensures career opportunities are a real option across a range of industries.
Chris is experienced in Partnership Development, Vision & Strategy, Programme Management, Skills and Further Education. He develops industry study programmes, employability programmes and ensures more diverse groups of people have access to a better range of careers.
Chris’s background is in music – he is a trustee at the youth music development charity NYMAZ and sits on the Mayor of Sheffield’s Music Industry Board.
Email: Chris@weareive.org
Director of Marketing
Education and knowledge are important, but Sharon believes that the only unique contribution we will make in this world will be born out of creativity.
As Director of Marketing Sharon is responsible for IVE’s marketing and communications strategies, as well as overall branding and image.
She has experience in both the private and public sector, having worked in marketing and communications for over 18 years. With a track record of delivering successful marketing strategies that address critical business priorities, Sharon has led large scale brand evolution projects and implemented new marketing and sales strategies for a number of national housebuilders, housing and service providers.
Sharon often talks about how there are many things in life that come better as a pair. And how creativity and storytelling, like bacon and eggs – separate, are nice, but together are magic! Sharon believes that the art of storytelling is at the heart of a good brand and to articulate a new vision, you need a new story.
Outside of work she likes to learn new skills in order to recharge her creativity. She enjoys a bit of floristry and jewellery design as well as practicing yoga and spending time outdoors with her family.
Email: SharonR@weareive.org
Development Officer
Oliver supports the design, implementation and fundraising for new projects that develop young people’s creative skills. This includes writing copy for new bids and tenders, liaising with and providing reports for funders in conjunction with project leads.
Joining straight out of University, Oliver has experience in customer service, event planning and relationship building.
In 2016, Oliver was nominated for a Jack Petchey Award by his extra-curricular theatre group.
Outside of work, Oliver is an avid theatre, football and basketball fan and is a Senior County Referee with West Riding FA, previously with Essex FA, where he was involved in officiating a number of cup finals and high-profile matches.
IGNITE Project Manager
Marie is the Project Manager for Ignite Yorkshire, a four-year Heritage Lottery Funded consortium project to make strong, sustainable connections between young people and industrial heritage.
Before joining IVE in late 2017, Marie worked freelance for almost a decade as a project manager and consultant working with a range of public, private and third sector organisations on community projects, with arts, environmental, creative technology and place-making themes. Marie specialises in partnership working and projects connecting people with waterways. She worked in a variety of roles throughout her 10+ years working for British Waterways as an events manager, environmental specialist, and heritage advocate, regeneration project manager, securing funding and delivering grant-funded projects.
Marie has been involved in setting up a number of community groups and a charity supporting young people’s participation in outdoor activities. She is currently a Trustee of Compass Festival – a biannual live art festival in Leeds.
Her interests include ecology and gardening, watching live music and, alongside (but rapidly being left behind by) her children, learning to code.
Email: Marie@weareive.org
Senior Cultural Education Manager (West Yorkshire)
Sarah establishes and supports the development of Local cultural education programmes and identifies regional champions to advocate for our work.
Sarah has experience in several sectors including; funding, arts/heritage and education. Her expertise includes organisational development, grant making/fundraising, teaching & learning, relationship management and media relations.
Sarah has been Press Officer for Horniman Museum and National Theatre. She was Grants Manager at Paul Hamlyn Foundation; Governor at Childeric Primary; a Committee Member at Grant Funders’ Network; Primary Teacher at Kilmorie School and Programme Officer at King’s College, London. She is experienced in grant making/management, education and arts/heritage.
Sarah’s interests are life drawing, running and theatre.
Email: SarahB@weareive.org
Cultural Education Manager (South Yorkshire)
Jamie develops strategic relationships with arts, culture and educational organisations in South Yorkshire to help build, sustain and promote cultural experiences for children and young people.
Jamie also works as an External Quality Assurer, Education Inspector, Senior Examiner and Academic Consultant for various awarding bodies and educational organisations. He has also previously worked for a local College managing various programmes in Creative Arts & Media, and as a Creative Manager for an independent radio group where he won several international advertising awards.
In his spare time you will often find Jamie doing DIY, walking or watching MotoGP. He is also a keen gardener and likes to grow unusual fruit and exotic plants.
Cultural Education Manager (North and East Yorkshire and The Humber)
Mary supports the development of Local Cultural Education Partnerships across North and East Yorkshire and the Humber, strengthening relationships between the education, arts and culture sectors. Mary grew up in rural North Yorkshire and is particularly interested in making high quality diverse arts and culture accessible to young people.
Whilst completing her Masters in Social Anthropology of Development at SOAS, (School of Oriental and African Studies), Mary gained experience in managing bespoke creative projects for children and young people, working with both local and international community organisations.
Mary has been Higher Education Progression Officer at Go Higher West Yorkshire/UniConnect; Secondary English Teacher in Kirklees and Barnsley; Freelance Project Manager and Station Manager at SOAS Radio, London and Education Assistant for Schools and Families at Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh.
Mary enjoys volunteering and in the past has been a children’s camp leader in Mongolia, a construction assistant at Roskilde Festival in Denmark and a Troupe coordinator at the Leeds West Indian Carnival in Leeds. Mary is also a trained Youth Mental Health First Aider.
Email: mary@weareive.org
Schools Engagement Manager
Aoibheann supports a network of educational settings to develop and celebrate their commitment to arts and cultural education and embed creativity across their whole curriculum, through Artsmark.
Originally from Northern Ireland and now based in Leeds, Aoibheann has been working in the arts and cultural sector for almost twenty years, with experience as a teacher, performer, consultant, practitioner, and manager in a multitude of different settings including theatres, hospitals, schools and communities. She has much experience in using theatre and drama as a catalyst to raise awareness about important issues, drive change and fully believes in the arts’ capacity to transform, illuminate and galvanise.
Her experience as a teacher and school governor has enabled Aoibheann to develop a detailed understanding of the challenges schools face but also about the incredible possibilities forging new partnerships and applying creative approaches can bring for young people and educators alike.
As a side note, Aoibheann also plays the Harp.
Bridge Communications & Events Manager
Laura works within the Bridge team and manages the planning, delivery and evaluation of our Bridge communications plan to help raise awareness of the events, resources, opportunities and support available at Bridge; the Arts Council Bridge Organisation for Yorkshire and Humber.
Laura has several years of experience marketing within the arts & culture sector and has held various communications/marketing roles in theatres and venues across the Yorkshire region.
Her interests include going to the theatre (she also got married at one!), swimming, binge-watching tv shows, finding a bargain, and dining out and drinking margaritas with friends.
Email: laurab@weareive.org
Finance & Operations Officer
Lisa is the Finance & Operations Officer at IVE and supports the Finance Manager with day to day tasks, mainly working on Purchase Ledger. Lisa also helps improve office Operations by supporting the Chief Operating Officer with the CRM and IT systems.
Lisa started working for IVE in 2012 as a Business Administration Apprentice and has since taken on various roles from Project Administrator to Executive Assistant. Lisa has completed her Level 4 NVQ in Business Administration and is currently working towards AAT Level 3 Advanced Diploma.
Lisa spends her spare time pampering her dog!
Email: Lisa@weareive.org
Senior Project Officer (South Yorkshire)
April provides support to the development of Local Cultural Education Programmes in organising and attending meetings, events and developing resources.
She comes from a digital marketing background and has 6 years’ experience working across two busy creative agencies, primarily in project management and client facing roles across a broad range of sectors.
April is an arts and culture advocate with a particular passion for film and her interests involve spending a lot of time in art galleries, playing bass guitar, running a poetry newsletter & far too many Instagram accounts!
Email: April@weareive.org
Project Officer (West Yorkshire)
Originally from Australia, Jess started at IVE as the Project Officer for West Yorkshire in June 2021.
Since becoming a practicing artist after gaining her degrees in Indigenous Knowledge & History and Fine Art, Jess has won the ARTSOURCE Industry Award, held several exhibitions and residencies in Australia and has run arts workshops with indigenous teens (a collective project which culminated in an end of year exhibition at Wanneroo Art Gallery.) Her knowledge of colonial and indigenous histories forms the basis of her work as an artist.
After settling in Yorkshire in 2018, she worked as the Cultural Engagement Assistant for Kirklees Museums, building on her experience in community-based arts and culture events. Now at IVE, Jess aims to continue to strengthen her experience in linking communities through meaningful cultural projects.
Outside of IVE, Jess is building her own permaculture garden, turning her place into a house plant jungle and is cat mum to a very fluffy rescue, called Colin.
She also loves restoring old houses, sewing, travelling, historical fashion and is learning to play the violin.
Email: jess@weareive.org
Project Officer (North and East Yorkshire and the Humber)
Isabelle works within our Bridge team supporting Arts Award, Artsmark and Local Cultural Education Partnerships in Humberside, and North & East Yorkshire.
She comes from a HR and PA support background and has worked in a variety of industries including HE and the government agency. She is an avid supporter of creativity having recently rediscovered her own after misplacing it at university.
Outside of work, Isabelle is an explorer, nature lover, sewer, reader, tea drinker, collector of antique books, and up-cycler of furniture
Ignite Project Support Officer
Becky supports the IGNITE Project Manager with the development and delivery of the Kick the Dust IGNITE programme by providing project management support.
Chair of Trustees
Rashik is the Leader of IBM’s European technical community and an IBM Distinguished Engineer.
He is currently advising clients on their cloud innovation roadmap from a technology and business perspective drawing on thirty-three years of practical experience in IBM. Rashik was appointed to the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board and chairs the business communications group. He is helping develop the innovation strategies to accelerate growth of this £55bn marketplace.
Rashik was previously President of IBM’s Academy of Technology. He has worked for financial, retail and manufacturing clients on IT transformation projects of all sizes. Overall, he specialises in ensuring the technical success of complex IT projects that transform business models.
Rashik was awarded an MBE as part of the HRH Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday honours for his contribution to business and innovation.
Trustee
David is a leadership development, business improvement and organisational change consultant who has advised organisations of all types in strategy, organisational development and individual growth. His early career was in international consumer-goods marketing and general management, leading businesses through periods of rapid growth and significant change, delivering ambitious targets and simultaneously developing the people around him. He has gained recent extensive experience in designing, developing and delivering learning programmes for participants of varying ages, organisational positions and sectors. He is a certified executive coach. He is involved in supporting two other charities, passionately follows football and other sport and enjoys literature and music.
Trustee
Aimee is a marketing specialist with a decade of experience working across a variety of sectors including not-for-profit, higher education, utilities, professional services and hospitality. She is the Client Partnerships Director at Narrative, an integrated marketing agency in Newcastle and co-founder at tech platform Marketing Engine.
Aimee attained her Silver Arts Award when she was at Bingley Grammar School and because of this experience knows how arts and culture can be life-changing for young people. She has worked with IVE for three years and joined as a trustee in 2019.
Trustee
Lindsey is principal of a general further education college in North Yorkshire. A native of Leeds, Lindsey has worked across a wide spectrum of education provision, with people of all ages and needs in a variety settings. Fundamentally, Lindsey is driven by the transformative nature of learning, and the massive benefits that it yields for the individual, businesses and the community.
Lindsey’s passions outside of work include chasing an egg-shaped ball around a rugby pitch, and singing tenor in the Manchester gay choir. One of these interests has seen Lindsey support some famous names, including Lulu and Alexandra Burke, but that’s a conversation for another time…
Deputy Chair of Trustees
Isobel previously worked as a Civil Servant in the now no more Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber, responsible for getting money into the region to tackle disadvantage and deprivation. This included delivering programmes into the most left behind parts of the region and running European Funds.
She has written five novels since her retirement but says she doesn’t take rejection well, so these have only been read by her husband and son.
Isobel has a pet ginger cat called Douglas.
Contemporary Artist - IVE Board
Pippa Hale is a contemporary artist whose practice centres around social history and geography and her work includes large-scale installations both in heritage venues and the public realm.
Pippa studied at the University of Leeds. Her previous projects include ‘Consumption’ for Ripon Museums Trust; ‘Seat’ for Pannett Art Gallery (Whitby) with Arts & Hertiage, ‘Beyond The Dustheaps’ at the Dickens Museum (London); ‘Pool’ a temporary installation at Leeds International Pool commissioned by Leeds City Council and ‘North and South’ for Southampton Art Gallery.
Pippa recently returned to full-time practice after co-founding The Tetley Centre For Contemporary Art on South Bank, Leeds which was developed from a small-scale artist-led space into an award-winning gallery with trading arm.
Trustee
Jonathan Straight is a Yorkshire-based entrepreneur, writer, photographer and television presenter. In addition to sitting on IVE’s board of trustees He is currently a director of water saving NGO Waterwise and contemporary art gallery and learning space The Tetley. Jonathan is engaged as Brand Ambassador to Approved Food, a Sheffield-based food redistribution business. He is also involved with several charities including the international food waste campaigning charity, The Real Junk Food Project. Jonathan has invested in several start-ups, including solid-state photonic cooling business Inclusive Designs Limited where he chairs the board.
Through his business career, he is best known as the founder of Straight plc, the UK’s leading supplier of waste and recycling containers. 10 years after founding the business he floated it on the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market. He exited the business in 2014 having led it for 21 years and having delivered more than 50 million recycling bins. At least half of the households in the country will have had at least one Straight product at some point in time.
Johnathan is a former winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year competition with a long-standing passion for entrepreneurship and is currently an Enterprise Ambassador for the Leeds University Business School.
Jonathan is a regular presenter on local television. He is currently working on a memoir of his career to date.
Trustee
Anthea is a lawyer by profession and is a partner at the international law firm Eversheds Sutherland. Anthea has had a long career advising a huge variety of private and public sector organisations and trustee boards in relation to pension trusts. Outside of her professional career, Anthea’s interests are generally outdoor activities and she will often be found working in her garden (or polytunnel), walking with her dogs or competing with her horse, Blue.
Trustee
Patrick is a finance broker for Bluestone Leasing, assisting commercial clients and partners with finance solutions.
He works with partners across many different industries, helping them to increase sales and improve customer satisfaction & retention through offering finance as a payment option.
Patrick also works directly with clients, getting to know them and their long term plans and then putting together the right finance option that is going to help them achieve their goals.
Outside of work, he enjoys multiple sports and coaches his local football team.
Hello! We are IVE. We’ve been around a long time now and we’ve got a real passion for creativity and the transformative power this has on people so they can reach their true potential. Creativity is not just about the arts but a life-long skill through which we can inspire and engage our young people.
We’re lucky to have an amazing staff team that are drawn from schools, colleges, universities, arts organisations as well as the private sector. They have a wealth of experience and expertise from the arts, creative, education and business sectors.
The one thing that unites all our staff is their passion and belief in the power of creativity to change lives. You can take a look at us here.
Join us – All our current vacancies are listed below and we are always looking out for talented people.
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Finance Manager
Programme Director, Bridge
Programmes Director
Director of Skills and Employability
Director of Marketing
Development Officer
IGNITE Project Manager
Senior Cultural Education Manager (West Yorkshire)
Cultural Education Manager (South Yorkshire)
Cultural Education Manager (North and East Yorkshire and The Humber)
Schools Engagement Manager
Bridge Communications & Events Manager
Finance & Operations Officer
Senior Project Officer (South Yorkshire)
Project Officer (West Yorkshire)
Project Officer (North and East Yorkshire and the Humber)
Ignite Project Support Officer
Chair of Trustees
Trustee
Trustee
Trustee
Deputy Chair of Trustees
Contemporary Artist - IVE Board
Trustee
Trustee
Trustee
All our current vacancies are listed below and we are always looking out for talented people. If you are interested in working with us but do not see the right vacancy, on an employed, freelance or volunteer basis, please get in touch with a copy of your CV.
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