Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. From just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Helene Su . Somatic Dance Leadership Mentor | Guiding Heart-Centred Leaders to Feel Fully Alive, Express Their Truth & Lead with Creative Power | Founder, Niio Dance In this interview, Mark invited Helene to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below. Helene Su is not your average dance coach. A British-born Chinese trailblazer, Helene grew up straddling two cultures and feeling rather at home in neither—which she now describes as “the best kind of discomfort”. That sense of being “in-between” became the launchpad for a career built on transformation, authenticity and the power of movement. Over the last 20+ years, Helene has crafted a unique path: founding Niio Dance , a visionary somatic-dance and embodied self-leadership practice designed for heart-centred creatives, leaders and those who know they’d rather move than sit still and analyse. Her approach blends ancient Eastern wisdom (yes, that heritage she once felt “in between” carries pills of gold), somatic science, and good-old creative play. The goal? To help people drop the performance mindset, stop worrying about “getting it right”, and instead step into the full, messy, radiant expressiveness of who they are . When she isn’t facilitating a workshop or retreat across the UK or Europe, Helene is likely exploring what’s next: perhaps dancing barefoot in nature, reading Taoist philosophy, or designing the next 90-day programme for her clients. Her philosophy: joy, curiosity and authenticity matter just as much as technique. (Yes, she has the credentials — MA in Dance & Somatic Well-Being, Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master, somatic training — but she’d rather your body feel free than your CV look long.) Helene Su is someone who has turned cultural awkwardness into creative superpower, who uses her body as a map and her dance as a declaration of freedom. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t quite fit the mould — she’s precisely the guide who says: “That’s your medicine.” Helene's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine. Sacred Places & Favourite Buildings When asked about meaningful architecture, Helene goes big: Pyramids, Indian temples, Japanese shrines, and the Golden Temple in Amritsar. They linger on the Golden Temple, imagining her at a café nearby, reading Rumi and sipping something soulful. A Global Creativity Project (Yes, With TV Cameras and a Book Deal) Mark floats a fantasy project: a year-long global study on how movement shapes creativity and leadership—fully funded, filmed, and followed by a book, TED Talk, and global lecture tour. Helene loves the idea. They choose Tokyo as her first stop. Music, Dance, Food, and… Sport They play with more “what-if” scenarios: Music for a year: Psychedelic ambient. Dance performance: A fusion of Isadora Duncan’s free-flowing movement and Akram Khan’s style. Cuisine: Asian fusion wins dinner. Sport: Something movement-based—body acrobatics and capoeira, rather than traditional sports. VR Art & Cultural London They explore London’s new VR art experiences and settle on viewing Alex Grey’s visionary, psychedelic work. Then they build a cultural week in London: Tuesday: A historic music performance Wednesday: A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe Thursday: Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House Friday: A film still to be decided. Plus one musical—Helene’s childhood favourite: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Looking Ahead: Movement as Leadership They finish by imagining Helene’s future: travelling the world researching movement and creativity, writing her book, giving her TED Talk, and becoming a recognised voice in creative leadership. There's even a whimsical fantasy lunch with Michelle Yeoh at a 3-star Asian Fusion restaurant—because why not? Explore more about Helene below: Helene on LinkedIn Niio Dance website Helene Su's Instagram Niio Dance's Instagram Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€13/$13 ish) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. From just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Colin David Reese . In this interview, Mark invited Colin to create his own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy his journey below. Colin David Reese is a theatrical polymath — actor, director, translator, and consummate “Shakespeare guy” — whose lifelong curiosity about the Bard’s verse has become a deeply immersive career. Born in London to radio actor Harold Reese, Colin first trod the boards as a child, and his early professional work included a musical fantasy about Shakespeare where he played the Bard’s fictional illegitimate son. He trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London, giving him a firm classical grounding, and later moved to France to study with Jacques Lecoq, delving into physical theatre and Commedia dell’Arte — techniques that would come to shape his approach to Shakespeare. Over the decades, Colin has acted in a wide variety of theatre productions — from classic Shakespeare to modern drama — and has appeared in more than a hundred film and television roles, according to his acting profiles. Notably, he performed in Sweet Bird of Youth under the direction of Harold Pinter, and he has collaborated with significant figures in theatre and film. Colin founded his own theatre company, La Compagnie du Cèdre, for which he has written, directed and staged several original shows, including A Gift to the Future , a piece deeply informed by his Shakespeare research. He is perhaps best known for his one-man show Shakespeare Unbound , in which he explores how the First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays came together, and what it was like to be an actor in the Elizabethan theatre world. In addition to performing, he leads highly regarded workshops to help actors unlock Shakespeare’s verse. His teaching emphasises breathing, articulation, rhythm, physicality, and working from facsimiles of original texts (such as the First Folio), offering a rare, practically grounded method rooted in historical practice. Colin brings warmth, scholarship and theatrical humour to all that he does — inspiring actors and audiences to rediscover Shakespeare not just as literature, but as living, breathing theatre. Colin's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand. A Warm Evening in Granada Mark paints a vivid fantasy: Colin at a pavement café in Granada, the Alhambra glowing in the early evening, an ice-cold Li Ina sherry in hand, and Doris Lessing’s Shikasta open on the table. He’s in a good mood—he’s just come from a fictitious meeting inside the palace. A Year Travelling the World for Shakespeare Mark then drops a remarkable offer: a wealthy Spanish family foundation wants to hire Colin for a year to create a global Shakespeare knowledge ranking. Think first-class flights, a TV crew, a book deal, even a TED talk. Colin chooses India as his starting point—Mumbai, naturally—and he’s already enjoying first-class treatment on the plane. Twelve Months, One Music Genre Colin must pick a single genre to listen to all year. Impossible, really, given his eclectic taste. But eventually he lands on European classical music for its sheer breadth. Mark approves. (Someone else chose “live music,” which Colin rightfully calls cheating.) Ballet Legends … in Mumbai With a magic wand and a time machine, Colin chooses to see the greats—Baryshnikov, Nureyev, and Margot Fonteyn. Mark proposes a double bill: Indian classical dance first, then the ballet legends. Afterwards, dinner with Colin’s new colleagues. Lebanese Food, Prague Memories, and Ice Skating Asked what he fancies for dinner, Colin chooses Lebanese cuisine —inventive, flavourful, and sadly scarce near his home in central France. A dream city to visit? Prague , where he once filmed. Sport? He loves tennis but deeply admires competitive ice skating for its technical brilliance. They wander briefly into memories of Buenos Aires—a place he never visited, despite the family connection through his late partner. A Week Inside the Arts (Literally, in VR) Mark and Colin imagine a VR world where you can step inside paintings in 3D; Colin opts for the Pre-Raphaelites . Then they plan a culture-packed fantasy week: A Mozart piece in D minor conducted by Herbert von Karajan Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure at the Globe (Colin’s favourite) A musical (Broadway or West End), an opera, and a film night for good measure Angelo, Cabaret, Verdi, and The Matrix Colin digs into Angelo from Measure for Measure , calling him a morally complex figure—corrupt, self-aware, both good and evil. Their cultural itinerary continues: Cabaret on Wednesday (Colin once met Liza Minnelli), Verdi’s Nabucco on Thursday, and The Matrix in IMAX on Friday. Colin first saw it in Bucharest around 2000 and loved its philosophical edge. A Dream Lunch with Leonard Cohen To end, Mark offers Colin a fantasy “hero lunch.” Colin chooses Leonard Cohen , imagining that Cohen would bring Marianne—the great muse of his life. Explore more about Colin below: Colin on LinkedIn Colin's IMDb The State of Shakespeare website Shakespeare Unbound website Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€13/$13 ish) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. From just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Liz Clark . In this interview, Mark invited Liz to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below. Liz Clark is one of Scotland’s most enduring champions of emerging musical talent. For more than four decades, she has played a pivotal role in nurturing, promoting and advocating for new artists across the folk and traditional music community. As Director, Producer and Presenter of the Danny Kyle Open Stage (DKOS) , Liz has dedicated her career to ensuring that up-and-coming performers have access to the kind of opportunities, visibility and mentorship that can transform artistic futures. DKOS was founded in 1999 by Colin Hynd, then Director of Celtic Connections, in memory of the late Danny Kyle – the renowned musician, presenter and tireless supporter of new talent. With Liz and the late Gibb Todd at the helm, DKOS quickly became a flagship platform at Celtic Connections and has since expanded its reach to additional festivals. Under Liz’s stewardship, DKOS has grown into a year-round initiative dedicated to presenting, promoting and informing audiences about exceptional emerging artists. Over the past 26 years, Liz has put more than 5,000 artists  on the DKOS stage, offering performers exposure through live public showcases, social media features, a dedicated website ( dkos.co.uk ) and extensive radio support. Her commitment extends far beyond the festival season: DKOS now works 24/7, 365 days a year to elevate new voices, encourage active citizenship within the music community, and connect artists with audiences, industry professionals and potential work opportunities they may never otherwise have accessed. Liz is also a Director, Company Secretary, Producer and Presenter at Celtic Music Radio , which she brought into DKOS in 2008 to broadcast the stage live. Since then, she has fronted two long-running weekly programmes, and in 2013 was voted onto the station’s board, where she continues to contribute to its strategic direction and artistic development. In early 2024, recognising the need to safeguard the future of the platform she has tirelessly built, Liz registered DKOS as a charity. She appointed colleagues Iain Copeland  and Isla Duncan  as trustees, securing the organisation’s ability to continue championing emerging talent, while also supporting the growing family of established DKOS alumni as they progress in their careers. Beyond DKOS and Celtic Music Radio, Liz has served the Scottish music community for more than 40 years through committee and board roles across multiple festivals and cultural organisations. Her contributions include significant service to the TMSA (Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland)  at both branch and national levels, Performing Rights Glasgow, the Strategic Music Forum, Celtic Music Radio, and the Friends of Possilpark Greenspace . Liz Clark’s dedication has helped shape Scotland’s musical landscape, ensuring that thousands of artists have had the encouragement, exposure and support they needed at a critical moment in their careers. Her work continues to embody the spirit of Danny Kyle himself: generous, passionate and unwaveringly committed to the next generation of musicians. Liz's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand. Mark and Liz imagined a year-long cultural adventure centred around Celtic music. The idea was that Liz would receive funding from a Scottish family foundation to travel the world, accompanied by a TV crew and eventually producing a book and lecture series. In the end, Liz chose to dedicate the year to traditional Scottish music—starting her journey in Beijing, where she’d explore local dance performances. Around the World in Culture and Sport They then went on a playful tour of global cultural and sporting experiences—from dramatic Chinese “water margin” performances, to pony polo in Nepal, to a VR art gallery in Maui. Along the way, they chatted about the “true” taste of local cuisines and what makes each cultural moment feel authentic. Dream Week in London They imagined a dream cultural week in London: A Segovia concert Shakespeare at The Globe A West End musical An opera with the Three Tenors And a classic film starring Gene Krupa This sparked personal memories—Mark meeting Buddy Rich at age 9, Liz seeing Segovia at 6. The session ended with Liz agreeing to research and rank the best Celtic music venues. Mark promised to send her off in style—with lunch at a 3-Michelin star Chinese fusion restaurant. Dinner Party Fantasy Finally, they played the “dinner guest” game. Liz chose Manny Shinwell, the Scottish politician, and decided he would invite Karl Marx for a lively political debate. Explore more about Liz below: Liz on LinkedIn Danny Kyle Open Stage Celtic Music Radio Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€13/$13 ish) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. From just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Carmela Ruggiero . In this interview, Mark invited Carmela to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below. Carmela Ruggiero transforms life’s curveballs into vivid canvases of self-discovery. As a spiritual artist and psychic medium, Carmela Ruggiero brings colour, connection and insight to the inner work of healing. Based at Ruggiero Studios, Carmela creates art, journals, oracle decks and workshops that are all about turning the “Oh dear” moments of life into “Aha!” ones. She invites people to sit with their feelings, doodle the awkward bits, and find a way through to self-love and spiritual connection. Her style? Intuitive, expressive, and delightfully human. Carmela Ruggiero leads workshops in mosaics and creative art as a pathway out of anxiety, overwhelm and low confidence. She is the author of Love Yourself – Heal Through Journaling, 1st Edition: Feelings and creator of “The Twelve” Oracle Cards, tools designed to help people connect with their inner world. Her blog tells of experiences such as leading a workshop at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York, guiding educators through art-and-spirit, and reminding everyone that even in a giant pumpkin-laden Halloween setting, the inner journey is front and centre. In a nutshell: Carmela Ruggiero invites you to pick up a pen, a piece of mosaic, a journal—or simply your own heartbeat—and say: “Yep, this is part of me too.” She does so with authenticity, a twinkle of mischievousness, and a genuine belief that art plus spirit equals transformation. Carmela's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine. Big Ben & Imagination Mark and Carmela kicked things off chatting about her favourite building — Big Ben. Mark reminded her that technically, it’s the bell not the tower (fun fact!), then pulled up a photo so they could picture it together. Soon they were imagining Carmela relaxing in Parliament Square, latte in hand, by the Winston Churchill statue. Books & Self-Discovery Their conversation took a more reflective turn as Carmela shared how a dense psychoanalytic book by an Italian-American author once baffled her—but later became a key to self-understanding. A classic case of the right book, wrong time … until it wasn’t. A Global Artistic Adventure Next came a dream opportunity: a year-long, Westminster-backed research trip exploring intuitive art. Carmela would travel the world, delving into violin and piano music, starting in Tokyo, where local art students would welcome her into their creative world. Fantasy Travel, Dream Edition If imagination had a frequent flyer card, they’d be platinum members. Together they plotted a globe-trotting fantasy: a Tokyo dance performance blending Samba and Tango, dinner at a Michelin-starred Italian-Japanese fusion spot, ice skating in Dubai, and finishing in Sydney at a virtual Monet gallery—complete with water lilies, of course. London Nights Out Planning their real-world week, they lined up London’s cultural highlights—ABBA musicals, Phantom of the Opera , and maybe Nabucco for opera night. They even chatted about the movie Grease (and its surprisingly huge profit margin!). Classic Films & Future Dreams Wrapping up, they bonded over classic cinema and imagined Carmela’s bright future as an intuitive art expert—perhaps even media-famous. Mark promised her a celebratory “hero lunch” someday, and when asked who her dream guest would be, Carmela didn’t hesitate: Hugh Grant. Cue the playful banter. Explore more about Carmela below: Carmela on LinkedIn Ruggiero Studios website Carmela on Instagram Carmela on FaceBook Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€13/$13 ish) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. From just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Louise Duggan . In this interview, Mark invited Louise to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below. Louise Duggan is the creative powerhouse behind the UK-and-Dubai art consultancy firm Ophelia Art Consultancy Ltd, and a multidisciplinary mixed-media artist who refuses to sit still. Born in Portsmouth, Louise graduated from the University of Leicester with a BA (Hons) in Art & Design, then took a scenic detour into high-end interior design in London before packing her bags for 23 years in Dubai. In Dubai, she delivered bespoke artworks to luxury hotels (yes, including the iconic Burj Al Arab) and developed art-solutions for private and hospitality sectors across the Middle East. Then: a homecoming to West Sussex, UK. Louise now runs the UK office of Ophelia Art Consultancy Ltd, mentors fellow creatives, curates art collections for residential and commercial spaces, and still finds time to paint – often using neon LEDs, resin, textured surfaces and the occasional Chanel bottle (because why not?). What makes Louise Duggan’s work stand out? A childhood partly spent traveling across Africa and attending boarding school in the UK left its mark: colour becomes bold, abstraction becomes storytelling, and mixed media becomes a way of exploring identity, transformation and bold design. She brings to every project not only an eye for aesthetics but an interior-designer’s instinct for space, scale and logistics. The result: art that doesn’t just hang on the wall, it inhabits the space, tells a story, and sometimes winks. Whether you’re an artist needing coaching, a collector seeking impact, or a hotel lobby craving “wow”, Louise Duggan is the creative strategist who will make it happen. Louise's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine. Admiring Abu Dhabi Mark and Louise started a fantasy cultural year by marvelling at the Grand Mosque—its symmetry, its calm, its sheer beauty. They even pictured a cosy little pop-up café beside it, with Louise sipping coffee and water while reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog , a book she adores and has now firmly recommended to Mark. Louise’s Global Art Odyssey Mark then floated a rather extraordinary - but fantasy - idea: a fully funded, year-long creative journey for Louise to Japan, Iceland, and India, courtesy of a generous Middle Eastern foundation. Think: first-class flights, immersive cultural encounters, and a year dedicated to exploring dub music . Highlights they imagined: A dance performance in Tokyo Equestrian sports in Iceland Roaming across India’s diverse regions. Plus—just casually—a TED Talk, a TV crew documenting the adventure, and a book deal waiting at the end. Louise loved it. Planning a London Culture Week They also mapped out a packed week of culture in London: historical concerts, theatre, opera, films, and a musical—Broadway or West End, they’re not picky. They locked in Coriolanus at Chichester on Tuesday. Mark lamented never seeing Bob Marley live. Louise recalled seeing Coriolanus with Branagh and Dench. A “magic wand” and “Time Machine” even made an appearance in their playful planning. Theatre Adventures & Shared Passions Their cultural plotting continued: Louise lives near the Festival Theatre in Chchester and plans to catch Hamlet . They chatted about West End and Broadway greats— Wicked and Phantom got special mentions. Mark once played percussion in a Shaftesbury Avenue show and has his eye on an opera at the Royal Opera House. They agreed to go together. Louise, ever curious, also mentioned a David Lynch documentary shown in a travelling cinema. Explore more about Louise below: Louise on LinkedIn Ophelia art consultancy website Louise's Instagram Ophelia art consultancy's Instagram Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€13/$13 ish) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. From just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Beth Prevor . In this interview, Mark invited Beth to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below. Beth Prevor is a force of nature in the world of accessible arts. As co-founder and Executive Director of Hands On , Beth Prevor has devoted more than 30 years to ensuring that Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences can fully engage with theatre, musicals, dance and cultural events. Long before “accessibility” was a buzzword, Beth saw a gap—and leapt into it with gusto, combining her theatre roots with interpreter training and disability advocacy. Early in her career, Beth Prevor worked as a freelance stage manager, often in regional theatre and even off-Broadway, which gave her a backstage pass to the nuts and bolts of production. Along the way, she encountered deaf performers and signed productions, and she realised that theatre should not be denied by hearing ability. She trained in sign language and interpreting, and eventually co-founded Hands On to turn inclusive performance into the new normal. Under her guidance, Hands On has produced more than 500 interpreted productions at prestigious venues such as Roundabout Theatre, the Public Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, and in Central Park. Beth Prevor’s work is not limited to performance: she also oversees consulting with theatres to design accessible programming, leads outreach to Deaf communities, and manages a cultural calendar that lists accessible events across New York City. She also serves as Director of Interpreting Services at the New York City Department of Education, supervising interpreters and paraprofessionals who support deaf students and families. Beth Prevor’s advisory roles are numerous—she sits on committees for Lincoln Center, the New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s Cultural Access Network, and has contributed to institutional access projects like the Ford’s Theatre evaluation. She was also honoured with the Sheldon Williams Leadership Award by CHC (for her work in deaf arts access). Beth holds a B.A. in Theatre from Brooklyn College and an M.A. in Deafness Rehabilitation from NYU. She is a passionate advocate who sees theatre not as entertainment, but as rights in motion—and she’s not stopping until every stage, every audience, every seat is welcoming to all. Beth's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand. In their interview, Mark created Beth's fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions. When asked about her favourite building , Beth initially goes for Carnegie Hall, but quickly changes her mind — “No, no, Lincoln Center!”  she says with a smile. Mark lights up — he’s performed there too (on the triangle, no less). They imagine sitting outside at a pop-up café at Lincoln Center on a sunny June evening. Beth’s got a glass of red wine  in hand and a copy of Tom Lake  by Ann Patchett — a book she’s just finished and adored. Mark paints an even bigger picture with his magic wand: Beth has just left a meeting with a wealthy arts foundation that wants to hire her for a year-long, first-class world tour researching accessibility in the arts for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. There’s a book deal, a TV series, a TED Talk, and even a global lecture tour waiting for her at the end. Beth laughs, “I’m ready to pack my bags!” She maps out her dream route — starting in New York, heading west to Chicago  and LA , then hopping over to the UK . On the plane, she’s told she can only listen to one genre of music for a year  — without hesitation, she chooses Broadway showtunes , especially anything by Stephen Sondheim . In Chicago, she’s whisked off to a dance performance of her choosing — she picks Twyla Tharp , the bold, funky choreographer she loved in college. Dinner afterwards? French cuisine, please. Next stop: San Francisco.  When Mark asks what sport she’d happily watch for two hours, Beth laughs, “Baseball — it’s the only one I understand!” Then, it’s across the pond to London , where they plan a full week of culture: Monday:  Candlelight Mozart concert. Tuesday:   A Midsummer Night’s Dream  at Shakespeare’s Globe. Wednesday:   Hello, Dolly!  in the West End. Thursday:   Tosca  at the Royal Opera House. Friday:  A film night at an IMAX — or better yet, The Wizard of Oz  at the Las Vegas Sphere (“They’ve got wind machines!” Beth laughs). Finally, over a long, elegant French lunch in London , Mark asks who she’d invite to join her. Without missing a beat: Stephen Sondheim.  She’d love to talk to him about his creative process and his songs — she’s seen nearly all his shows. And who would he  invite? Beth thinks for a moment — “Oscar Hammerstein. He was Sondheim’s mentor. That would be a brilliant conversation.” Explore more about Beth below Beth on LinkedIn Hands On website Beth's Instagram Hands On Instagram Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€13/$13 ish) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. From just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Elise Bernhardt . In this interview, Mark invited Elise to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below. E lise Bernhardt has never been one to stay in just one lane. A cultural entrepreneur, non-profit leader, and floral designer, she has built a career that moves as gracefully as the flowers she arranges. For more than three decades, Elise was a driving force in the arts world. She founded Dancing in the Streets , served as CEO of The Kitchen , and later helmed the Foundation for Jewish Culture . In each role, she proved that she could not only keep the lights on but also inspire artists, audiences, and funders alike with bold vision and no-nonsense leadership. In 2018, Elise traded boardrooms for blooms and founded Fleur Elise Bkln . Her floral creations, often inspired by Japanese Ikebana, are equal parts sculpture and storytelling — arrangements that twist, leap, and balance like dancers mid-performance. She has been known to say that flowers have their own choreography, and her designs bring that philosophy to life with wit, elegance, and just a dash of rebellion against “standard” bouquets. Never content with flowers simply looking pretty in a vase, Elise has expanded Fleur Elise Bkln  into the world of corporate team-building. Her workshops are as much about collaboration as they are about petals and stems. Companies such as Magic Spoon and Jacadi N.A. have praised her sessions for transforming teams from “colleagues who exchange emails” into “colleagues who actually enjoy each other’s company.” What makes Elise Bernhardt unique is the way she connects her past and present: the discipline of nonprofit leadership, the playfulness of performance art, and the beauty of natural design. Whether she’s arranging a table centrepiece or reshaping an organisation, Elise brings the same qualities — vision, creativity, and a wry sense of humour that keeps everyone on their toes. Elise's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand. 🍸 Fantasy Cultural Year Begins Elise set the stage for her fantasy cultural year unlike any other: no single discipline, no neat categories. Instead, she pictured herself moving fluidly between worlds — one night in the hush of a chamber music hall, the next in a warehouse buzzing with avant-garde performance. Art wasn’t something to consume; it was a rhythm running through daily life, punctuated by meals that were as much culture as concerts. 🎨 The Mix of Moments Her calendar danced with contrasts: A chamber quartet in an intimate, candlelit venue. A bold piece of visual art that challenged perspective. Dance performances in outdoor spaces, moving with the seasons. A taste of avant-garde theatre that left more questions than answers. Even food folded in as ritual and artistry, linking body and mind. 🌍 Not Either/Or, But Both When asked to choose between “high culture” and “everyday culture,” Elise refused the premise. Her fantasy wasn’t about division. It was about building bridges: Michelin-starred meals alongside street food festivals, experimental soundscapes following a night at the opera. Everything belonged, if placed in the right sequence. 💫 Culture Without Categories The through-line wasn’t hierarchy but connection. Each choice spoke to another — chamber music resonating with the discipline of ikebana, bold visual art echoing through contemporary dance. Culture wasn’t a checklist, but a choreography of experiences. ✨ The Bigger Choice What Elise was really choosing was freedom — the freedom to reinvent, to cross-pollinate, to say yes to both the classical and the contemporary. Her fantasy year was less about consumption and more about transformation: how a person changes when they refuse to stay in just one lane. Explore more about Elise below Elise on LinkedIn Elise's website Executive Search and rescue website Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€13/$13 ish) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. It's just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Tani Telas (AKA Stephanie Navarro) Mediterranean Storytelling Visual Artist. In an update to our interview, I invited artist Tani  to share updates since our last conversation. Tani spoke about her move to a new home in South Corsica, complete with a studio space for visitors, and highlighted her Mediterranean-inspired work  rooted in her Spanish-Algerian heritage. She reflected on recent solo shows in France and her practice of donating proceeds to local environmental causes . The discussion also covered her upcoming solo exhibition at La Longue Gilmore, 4–16 November 2025 . Watch it here: Watch our full interview here: Stephanie Navarro , a.k.a. Tani Telas, is not just a visual artist – she’s an alchemist of emotions, an explorer of Mediterranean dreams, and a self-taught visionary. Her canvases whisper secrets of the sea, sing the songs of women’s struggles, and pulse with the colours of life. Let’s embark on the mosaic journey of Tani Navarro, born in the spirited coastal city of Oran, Algeria, into a Spanish family deeply rooted in Mediterranean traditions. Mark shared Tani's gallery her work, marvelling at her unique style. In the interview, Tani shared her journey into becoming a full-time artist, which led nicely into playing the fantasy cultural year game. Watch the video or listen to the audio version to find out more. The Early Tides: From Boats to Brushes Tani’s childhood unfolded amidst the gentle chaos of boats and the eternal rhythm of the Mediterranean waves. By 1985, her family had anchored in Toulon, where ten-year-old Tani discovered her love for writing, drawing, and music. It was during these formative years that her creative spirit began to sail beyond the ordinary. As a student, she spent countless hours transforming paper into magical realms. A fateful assignment on Gustav Klimt led young Tani to raid her family’s makeup drawer, using blushes and eyeshadows to craft warm, earthy tones. This unorthodox approach foreshadowed her later experiments, blending materials to birth unique textures. The Professional Pause: Business Meets Art Tani graduated in International Trade in 1996 and embarked on a two-decade career with The Coca-Cola Company, climbing the ladder from Business Systems Analyst to Global IT Production Lead. Between 1997 and 2019, she honed her analytical mind, mastering project management and operational coaching. But even amidst corporate rigour, Tani’s heart stayed tethered to creative pursuits. The Artistic Renaissance: Brushes Picked Anew In 2003, following a humanitarian journey to India, Tani rediscovered her passion for art. The faces and stories she encountered ignited a desire to pay tribute through ink and pigment. This marked the genesis of her evocative series “Guerreras” (“Warriors”), honouring women’s resilience. Using cosmetics as her medium, she layered eyeshadows and foundations to create canvases imbued with humanity’s raw essence. From Bubbles to Battles: Themes of Exploration Tani’s creations are deeply inspired by the victories and struggles of everyday lives. Her series "Burbujas" (“Bubbles”) and "Trozos" (“Pieces of Something”) celebrate the colourful patchwork of human experience. In perpetual exploration, she embraced oil painting, creating her own pigments from natural ochres and delving into the alchemy of art. A Corsican Canvas: New Beginnings Relocating to South Corsica in 2021, Tani established a studio overlooking the hypnotic blues of the Mediterranean. Her works, like the "Coral" series, reflect the delicate dance between humanity’s impact and nature’s resilience. From group exhibitions in Propriano to festivals like ARTE VALINCO, her art has resonated across communities. Tani joined ARTXTERRA in 2022, immersing herself in a network of Francophone artists to exchange ideas and expand her horizons. Her art’s tactile elements often include materials salvaged from the coastline, highlighting her commitment to sustainability. The Environmental Alchemist Tani’s passion extends to environmental stewardship. She recycles packaging and solvent residues, incorporating them into her art. Her creations speak to the duality of beauty and destruction in the Mediterranean, weaving a poignant narrative of hope and responsibility. Key Dates and Achievements • 1996: Graduated in International Trade. • 1997-2019: A dynamic career at The Coca-Cola Company. • 2010: Resumed painting, debuting the “Guerreras” series. • 2018: Exhibited “Tribute to Women” at Sainte Musse Hospital. • 2021: Opened a studio in South Corsica, embracing natural pigments. • 2022: Joined ARTPOVAL and ARTXTERRA, showcasing works at group exhibitions. • 2023: Featured at the 28th Coti-Chiavari Art Festival and ARTE VALINCO festival. Link to Tani's blog post on We Luv Art Theatre, Teaching, and Beyond Beyond painting, Tani has contributed to theatre and education, founding the association La Météorite in 1998. She’s led visual arts workshops for hospitalised children and authored colouring books to bring joy to young patients. Her theatrical projects have included adaptations, directing, and costume design. The Artist’s Vision Tani Navarro is a woman of contrasts – a dreamer and a doer, a lover of family and nature, and a fierce advocate for art that stirs the soul. Through vivid colours and rich textures, Tani invites us to navigate the tides of life, each painting at a time. Link to Tani's profile Have a browse at some of Tani's work here. Tani's fantasy cultural year In our interviews, we create our full members' fantasy cultural years from the answers to 10 easy questions. We have a time machine and magic wand to help. Home Base Tani Navarro, an accomplished painter and creative visionary, resides with her husband in Corsica, where the Mediterranean's azure waves inspire her vibrant, joyful art. On sunny afternoons, you might find Tani sketching or painting in her seaside studio, capturing the beauty and resilience of life through her distinctive blue palettes and evocative scenes. An intro Tani’s journey into full-time painting began with a pivotal health event in 2017. Though art had always been her passion, it wasn’t until exhibition requests in 2019 that she decided to dedicate herself to it professionally. Mark, a fellow member of the Arts and Culture Network, interviewed Tani about her transition to life as a full-time artist. Their conversation revealed her deep connection to Mediterranean culture and her commitment to creating works that uplift and inspire. Iconic Inspirations: Alcazar Palace and Literature Tani shared her admiration for the Alcazar Palace in Seville, her favourite building, during her conversation with Mark. Imagining her at a café near the palace, Mark asked which book she’d have with her. Tani left the choice open but later discussed The Island  by Victoria Hislop, a moving tale set in a fictional Greek-inspired setting that aligns with her love for Mediterranean narratives. A Cultural Year in Barcelona Tani is set to embark on an exciting year-long research trip in Spain, supported by a wealthy foundation. Her mission: to document the journeys of emerging artists in Barcelona for a TV series, book tour, and Ted Talk. With her travel expenses covered and a luxurious apartment, car, and even a helicopter provided, Tani will delve into the vibrant Spanish art scene while inspiring global audiences with her findings. Immersive Experiences in Barcelona Mark and Tani envisioned a perfect cultural itinerary for Barcelona. Tani’s choices included attending a Martha Graham contemporary dance performance, dining on Japanese cuisine, and exploring a virtual reality gallery featuring Salvador Dalí’s work. She also expressed interest in synchronized swimming and classic musical performances like Cats , adding a layer of diverse inspiration to her artistic repertoire. Opera, Cinema, and Creative Synergies Tani and Mark explored their mutual love of opera and film. Mark recommended Puccini’s Tosca , while Tani shared her admiration for Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver , a film that resonates with her passion for painting Mediterranean women and their stories. They planned to experience Volver  on a big screen, merging their shared appreciation for storytelling across mediums. A Diverse Cultural Itinerary The duo mapped out an eclectic week-long cultural adventure in Barcelona. Their plans included a David Bowie-inspired concert on Monday, a Peter Brook theatre production on Tuesday, a Broadway musical like Cats  on Wednesday, an opera on Thursday, and a film screening on Friday. This immersive schedule highlights Tani’s dedication to drawing inspiration from a wide array of art forms. Artistic Legacy and Future Ventures As Tani prepares for her cultural year in Spain, she continues to leave an indelible mark on the art world. From exhibitions that celebrate Mediterranean life to a book deal, Ted Talk, and TV series showcasing her research, her work bridges artistic vision with cultural storytelling. Mark suggested creating travel packages for fans to explore Tani’s world, blending art, culture, and experience into an unforgettable journey. Quick-Fire Creativity In a playful exchange, Tani revealed her love for contemporary dance, Mediterranean cuisine, and virtual art. When asked to choose a song that defines her journey, she envisioned something as vibrant and uplifting as her paintings—a perfect reflection of her bright, creative spirit. You can find Tani via her website here , LinkedIn here, Instagram here and on Artsper here. Would you like to be interviewed and promoted in this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership at just £10 per month (€12/$12) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. It's just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . Did you miss our speed webinar with public speaking expert Kate Gilbert? At 6pm BST on Thursday 18th September, public speaking expert, actor, and ACN full member Kate Gilbert gave us her 10-minute speed webinar and top tips for speaking confidently about your work as a creative. Watch it here: Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com

Develop your own profile, network, career, and/or business by joining us at The Arts and Culture Network as a full member. From just £10 per month. Cancel any time. Benefits are here . This profile is just one of them. Meet Clare White, founder of Connected CX, focusing on enhancing customer experiences to create lifelong fans in the arts and cultural sector and beyond. In this interview, Mark invited Clare to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below. Clare White is an Amazon bestselling author, customer experience strategist, and the founder of Connected CX. She wrote You’ve Got the Power: Six Principles for Business Success , a lively yet practical book that distils 25 years of real-world experience into principles that help businesses stop firefighting and start thriving. Her authorial style is witty, unpretentious, and designed for people who don’t have time for waffle but still want inspiration that sticks. Before putting pen to paper, Clare White CXAD (dip) built her career in grocery retail, shopper activation, marketing communications and customer loyalty. She spent decades seeing how customer experience can either make or break a business—and how many companies fall into the same traps: siloed teams, vague strategies, and CX “programmes” that look shiny in a deck but never reach the customer. Through Connected CX, she now helps scaling SMEs retain more customers, reduce churn, and grow sustainably. Clare White acts as a fractional Chief Customer Officer, runs people-performance audits, facilitates leadership workshops, maps customer journeys, and helps businesses use frameworks such as Everything DiSC® and The Five Behaviours® to improve collaboration and culture. As an author, Clare White documents the patterns she sees every day: why strategies fail, why growth feels stuck, and why the human element—both customer and employee—is the lever that changes everything. Her book is practical, yes, but it’s also funny, blunt, and refreshingly real. Clare’s writing and speaking carry the same voice: candid, accessible, and focused on action. Her mission is simple: to help businesses stop talking about putting people first, and actually do it and she loves helping arts and culture organisations achieve this. She is also a DJ in demand all over the world. Clare's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine at hand. 🍸 Fantasy Cultural year beginning The chat took a whimsical turn: the two imagined themselves in New York by the Chrysler Building, sipping a cleverly made gin and tonic, with Clare’s book of choice— Jane Eyre —by her side. Mark painted a scene of her just leaving a high-powered meeting with a wealthy - if fictitious - family foundation. 🌍 Global DJ Adventure Mark pitched Clare a dream project: DJing at clubs worldwide, filmed for TV, spun into a book deal, TED Talk, and lecture tour. Clare was all in—and if she had to choose just one musical genre for the journey, disco was it. ✈️ Around the World in Conversations They “travelled” to Rio for salsa and Michelin-starred Japanese dining, then hopped to New York for a rhythmic gymnastics event. Future plans? Paris for a digital Monet experience, and a packed London cultural week: rock concert, Midsummer Night’s Dream  at the Globe, Chicago  in the West End, Madam Butterfly  at the opera, and a big-screen IMAX showing of Three Billboards . 💃 Dance Music’s Bigger Picture Mark and Clare explored how dance music shapes culture, with Mark tossing in a “what if” lunch with David Bowie—Clare cheekily swapped him for Iman. Explore more about Clare below Clare on LinkedIn Connected CX website Clare's profile on Connected CX Would you like to be profiled and promoted this way? This is just one of several benefits of full membership from just £10 per month (€12/$12) and you may cancel any time. Join us here . Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network Join us as a full member for "done for you" profile, network, career, and/or business development support for just £10 per month. Cancel any time. https://www.artsandculturenetwork.com/join Here are some of our full member testimonials: "Had to write and say a huge thank you for the networking sessions you are running. Met some great people today, thank you so much." "Great speed networking session today - I really enjoyed it and got some really relevant and valuable connections!" "I've just joined!! £10 a month for a 1:1 business growth session, free networking, and access to all the events (on top of everything else!)?! This is INSANE value for money Mark and I'm so grateful for everything you've done to build such a supportive network of likeminded creative professionals." Forthcoming free networking events Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM Chief Culture Vulture Arts & Culture Network www.ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com mark.walmsley@ArtsAndCultureNetwork.com