huBlog
The people at the hub
the hub team is led by the hub’s two directors, Julia Payne and Wendy Smithers, and is known for its innovative thinking and commitment to excellence; its experience and entrepreneurialism, and for its integrity. We value our independence; we’re excited by working with people who share our values, and are intent on making a difference.
The size, shape and make-up of the team enables us to actively change – and react dynamically to changes in – our cultural landscape. Between us we have over forty years’ experience of professional arts development, gained through working in and with organisations in music and across the arts, as well as in other commercial settings outside of the cultural sector.
Each member of the team is a specialist in our own field, and we bring to the hub our own knowledge, skills and points of view. We all share a real desire to develop and share new thinking and practice; our own as well as that of their peers. It’s this combination of specialist skills and a desire to make a difference to our cultural landscape that characterises the hub team.
Our commitment to enabling people to achieve their potential starts at home. We run an internship programme that gives individuals the opportunity to become part of the team, by working on specific projects or by developing their own pieces of research.
To find out more about the hub team, you can do it by clicking on each of our names below. To find out more about our internship programme, please click here.
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Julia Payne
Director
Six years ago Julia co-founded the hub, in order to affect real change and improve the cultural landscape and infrastructure for musicians and other artists, promoters and audiences across the UK. A natural leader, the hub evolved out of a desire to work with like-minded visionaries who shared her talent for lateral thinking, a determination to make a difference and a passion for asking ‘what ...
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Wendy Smithers
Director
In the mid 1990s Wendy and Julia met whilst working at the Barbican, one of Europe’s largest arts centres. They realised they had common professional goals and values and, whilst fundraising for (Wendy) and marketing (Julia) a range of international multi-arts festivals they shared their ambitions to have a real impact on the cultural sector through their own company.
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They both held a belief ... -
Danielle Battigelli
Associate
Danielle brings to the hub specialist expertise in charity law and intellectual property, as well as substantial experience on the boards of arts organisations.
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Formerly a solicitor, she has advised arts organisations and other charities from start-up, through development and restructuring, merger and dissolution. She has also advised commercial and not-for-profit organisations on contracts, branding ... -
Jenny Harris
Associate
Jenny’s programming, commissioning, fundraising and marketing experience, plus her background as an artist, mean she’s right at home in the hub’s “think and do tank” environment.
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At the hub, Jenny gets to use her producer’s “toolkit” across our creative projects and apply her expert knowledge to a range of our music and creative industries projects. Most ... -
John Hart
Associate
John Hart has racked up over 20 years of experience within the music industry. He is a man who has seen it, been it, and got the t-shirts. With a wealth of first hand knowledge and specialist skills, John is a leading consultant in his field and equipped for most hub projects.
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As a member and self-manager of the group Edward II, John has toured the world, signed deals with Cooking Vinyl, Pure Bliss ... -
Adam Jeanes
Associate
Adam Jeanes is a UK-based arts consultant working in the area of intercultural dialogue, European cultural funding and international collaborations. Adam joined the hub as associate in 2006 focusing on the hub’s training and organisational development work, with a special interest in international development, music and culturally diverse companies. Adam enjoys the hub’s practical mix ...
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Matthew Linley
Associate
Matthew brings to the hub considerable venue, organisational development and capital experience, as well as expertise in theatre, film and media, live literature and cross art form programming and development. He is a key member of our creative production team, and also brings his considerable performing and digital arts experience to play in as part of our business planning and organisational development ...
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Jason Phipps
Associate
Jason is a key member of our digital team, working as a consultant, producer and trainer. In addition to his work with the hub, he works as a consultant at The Guardian, producing the Film Weekly podcast on Guardian Unlimited.
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He has many years’ experience as a BBC radio producer, with a specialism in music programmes. For several years he produced BBC London’s output from festivals such ... -
Nikki Shepperd
Associate
Nikki Shepperd spent over ten years in the private sector working for FTSE 100 companies (BT, O2) and several start ups (Genie Mobile Internet, Infinito and Blu). She picked up a wealth of marketing, market insight, strategy and business development know-how whilst working not only in the UK but also in Italy, Spain, Norway, India and Singapore. This highly commercial background has been of immense ...
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Stuart Silver
Associate
Stuart Silver is a BAFTA nominated, Perrier Award Winning, writer / performer / Director / Tutor working across theatre and gallery venues, television, radio, public spaces and experimental educational and mentoring contexts. He is the co-founder of multimedia performance group (nobleandsilver) and now performs solo and in new collaborations across the UK and internationally.
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His first solo theatre ... -
Andi Studer
Associate
Andi Studer is a London based producer of cultural events and digital projects. He is experienced in working nationally and internationally on music events of all sizes, including contemporary music concerts, greenfield festivals and urban club nights. In his practice as creative practitioner, Andi is using digital tools accross media to capture, evaluate and promote cultural work as podcasts, videoclip, ...
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