I’m the editor of The Lawyer, the news and insight website for the commercial legal sector. It’s a world I’ve been writing about for three decades and in that time, the legal sector has modernised, diversified and become interested in innovation and creativity. I began as a trustee of Jerwood Arts in 2017 and love the sheer variety of our funded projects, many of which have challenged my own assumptions and introduced me to new forms of performance or expression. I’m particularly proud of the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme, which has been so influential in supporting individuals from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, and through Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open I’ve become fascinated by craft and material practices. I take a particularly strong interest in Jerwood’s theatre and classical music projects as they are the two art forms that dominate my own cultural consumption. That’s reflected in my other arts activities, as I’m also a trustee of Orchestras Live and Cheek By Jowl.
I recently completed a PhD in seventeenth-century English fiction which explored the ways in which narration is inflected by social and political change. It sounds niche, but at the same time it feels relevant to an arts sector which is constantly reflecting on and challenging ways in which humans tell stories. In my spare time I’m a regular mentor to sixth-formers, run a local choir and am a member of three other choral ensembles.
