Our Board
Plymouth Culture’s board is made up from representatives of arts, cultural, civic and educational establishments across Plymouth. We have a continual process of board membership renewal to ensure we are representative of all sectors, ages and diversity in our city.
LINDSEY HALL, Chair of Trustees
Lindsey Hall is Plymouth Culture’s Chair of Trustees and CEO and co-founder of RIO.
Lindsey’s track record in the public and private sectors as a social entrepreneur, thinker and leader has seen her set up and develop products and services across the creative, learning and education sectors.
From building award-winning programmes in the UK to driving groundbreaking initiatives internationally, Lindsey has the experience and skills at management, board and executive level to steer social business ideas towards success; making money and make a difference at the same time. Lindsey is a NESTA Cultural Leadership fellow, an INSEAD graduate, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a trustee of Fifteen Cornwall and a board member of RISE.
SAMANTHA SMITH
Samantha Smith is the managing director of Ocean City Media, a Plymouth-based content production, training and digital strategy company. Before co-founding OCM, Sam worked as a senior executive in the BBC for more than 10 years. She was responsible for leading teams of news and current affairs journalists, delivering digital strategy for the BBC in the South West and creating network TV programmes. Sam is a founder of the Collings Park Trust, a charity which works to preserve urban green spaces, and is part of the Inspiration for All programme which links business and school leaders in mentoring partnerships.
Professor Chris Bennewith
Professor Chris Bennewith is the Interim Executive Dean for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business at the University of Plymouth. Before undertaking his current role Chris was the Head of the School of Art, Design and Architecture at the University for a little over 4 years. Prior to joining the University of Plymouth, he was Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise at the Toi Rauwharangi College of Creative Arts, part of Massey University in New Zealand.
An interactive media artist and designer with a track record organising large public art events, Chris was a leading member of the team that founded LUX Light Festival in Wellington, NZ. He has been one of the driving forces behind the evolution of Plymouth’s Illuminate festival into one of the city’s largest annual events, moving it into the Royal William Yard and positioning it as a key element of the city’s Mayflower 400 commemorations. Chris is also one of the principle investigators on the ACE/DCMS multi-million pound iMayflower project which has been running in the city for the past 3 years, designed to build Plymouth’s creative industries and nurture creative people power across Plymouth.
Chris is a member of the Squidsoup collective, an international group of artists, researchers and designers working with digital and interactive media experiences. Squidsoup creates dazzling installations for events and performances. The group have exhibited and performed all over the world in venues such as the Tate Modern, Sydney Opera House and the V&A. The group recently worked with electronic music artist Four Tet for a series of sold out gigs at London’s Alexandra Palace.
Arielle Etheridge
Arielle Etheridge is an artist of African descent with a practice surrounding identity and highlighting the importance of collective cultural memory amongst the black community.
She often participates in local community-based projects focused on inclusion, opening cross-cultural dialogues, and network building. She currently works at The Box Museum and hopes to help Plymouth continue to become a cultural destination that celebrates inclusion and champions diversity.
Jenny Evans
Jenny Evans is an award winning young entrepreneur and artist. She has sold artwork all over the world, celebrating her passion for nature.
She studied textiles at Cardiff Metropolitan University and while there, won Santander’s University Entrepreneur’s national competition in 2017, winning a grand prize of £25k. She graduated with a first class hons and went on to set up a high growth, investor backed business in 2018 after raising a seed round of £350k. She managed a team of ten people across two offices, manufacturing luxury homeware and fashion accessory goods here in the UK.
Less than a year after graduating and while running her business, she was also the UK Policy Chair for Young Entrepreneurs for the FSB, lobbying central government for changes in the law to support other young entrepreneurs.
Now Jenny works at YTKO, as part of their fully funded (free!) Outset programme, helping other startups and entrepreneurs succeed and follow their passions!
Dan Baker
Dan Baker is currently Programme Manager at the Exeter Northcott, and is CEO and co-founder of Plymouth Fringe Festival. Born and raised in Plymouth, he has over 20 years of experience in working in theatre and the arts – working locally for the likes of Theatre Royal Plymouth and Barbican Theatre, as well as further afield for companies including the Old Vic, Bush Theatre and Greenwich + Docklands Festivals. Dan trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and has extensive experience in the fields of producing, talent development and outreach. He is also Clore Leadership and ISPA Fellowship alumni.
Victoria Pomery
Victoria Pomery has worked in several arts organisations including Warwick Arts Centre and Tate Liverpool. In 2002 she was appointed as the founding Director of Turner Contemporary to develop an arts organisation in Margate as part of a strategy of cultural-led regeneration.
In 2019 Turner Contemporary hosted the Turner Prize exhibition and Victoria was on the jury. Victoria was awarded an OBE for services to the arts in 2012 and an Honorary Doctorate from Canterbury Christ Church University in 2020. Victoria is a trustee of the Bethlem Gallery.
Victoria became CEO of The Box in Plymouth in October 2021. The Box, Plymouth’s newest cultural organisation opened in 2020 following significant capital investment. The Box is a museum, gallery and archive at the heart of the life of the city.