Halifax-based Northern Broadsides announce new Chair, joint Vice-Chairs and Trustees

Having begun her career in marketing for touring theatre companies and specialising in producing site-specific theatre, Debbie has over twenty-five years of cumulative experience in the not-for-profit creative industries and is proud to be the Chair of Northern Broadsides.

In 2003 Debbie founded Baker Richards, providing consulting services and dedicated software for cultural organisations worldwide.

The Northern theatre company has also announced that current Trustees Patsy Gilbert and Lucinda Harvey will become Joint Vice-Chairs.

Joint Vice-Chair Patsy Gilbert is currently Vice Principal at Leeds Conservatoire. Since joining in 2018, Gilbert has developed new undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Musical Theatre, Acting and Actor Musician.

Joint Vice-Chair Lucinda Harvey has worked in theatre production and human resources since 1993 and her work focuses on welcoming disabled people across the West End and the UK into both subsidised and commercial theatre companies.

Alongside these appointments, Northern Broadsides has also announced Andy Pyke, Nelli Mooney and Kate Mroczkowski as their new Trustees.

Andy Pyke is a financial professional, having trained as a chartered accountant within local accountancy practice in East Yorkshire.

Trustee Nelli Mooney is a Finnish-born, non-binary creative currently residing in Scarborough.

Kate Mroczkowski has been working in the cultural sector for two decades.

Northern Broadsides’ new Chair Debbie Richards said: “Collaboration and co-creation are at the heart of the Northern Broadsides vision. I’m proud to be working together with a wonderful team as we embrace different ideas, build relationships and develop new models.

"This creative thinking has extended to our new governance and leadership structure.

“We know that if leaders are collaborative, and model this in how an organisation is run, then a sense of community is created.

"We have favoured a non-executive leadership spread across a Chair and two Vice-Chairs, with trustees taking active support roles, and joint executive leadership. We will share inspiration and ideas and learn from one another to create the conditions for Northern Broadsides to thrive.”

Joint CEOs, Laurie Sansom, Artistic Director, and Ruth Cooke, Executive Director, said: “We are delighted that Debbie is the new Chair of Northern Broadsides. With her wealth of experience across charitable and commercial sectors and deep passion for the arts, she is the perfect person to lead our dedicated and talented team of Trustees.

“The shared leadership model, with Lucinda and Patsy taking active roles as Vice-Chairs, opens up opportunities for collaboration and support and is in line with Northern Broadsides’ commitment to championing a breadth of voices across all aspects of our work.

"Our three new Trustees bring an exciting range of skills and experience and we look forward to working with them all to realise our creative and social ambitions and continue to build a resilient, sustainable future.”