Flow Phase - Thanks & Welcome
Feb 28
YVAN is in a FLOW phase! We continue to seek new ways to refresh the organisation, find alignment with the sector and create opportunities for collaborative leadership, whilst having a strong core organisation to ensure continuity and momentum.
To this end, we wanted to thank the brilliant, committed and resourceful Sue Ball, who is stepping down as YVAN’s Executive Chair/Director after three years in post. And we are delighted to welcome our new joint Chairs, Helen Nakhwal leading on governance and Michael Barnes-Wynters for artistic direction. As well as welcoming Sharon Gill will become Interim Chief Executive officer to provide enthusiastic leadership prior to the open recruitment of the post.
A few words then to thank Sue in her role as Exec Chair/Director and previously five years as a Board Director. Over this time, Sue worked closely with the Directors to dismantle the organisation, moving from the traditional vertical decision-making structure to a co-production model that allows greater porosity and alignment with the artist-led sector. This has opened YVAN to new partnerships and collaborations with the artist-led sector and university partners in the region, and has brought new ideas and energies from artists and practitioners with diverse lived experiences.
With a freelance project team and five themed working groups creating YVAN’s policy and programme, this model of governance facilitates dialogue and experimentation. For instance, over the last 18 months, the Equity, Diversity and Wellbeing Working Group has operationalised the Western States Centre’s Dismantling Racism Framework to conduct an inclusive systemic review of YVAN, with actions to move us towards being an anti-racist organisation, whilst supporting the Dwell Time collective to R&D a podcast series on artists’ mental health before and after the pandemic. Sue has, as YVAN Chair, worked closely with the CVAN Chair Sarah Munro, Baltic, and National Director Paula Orrell with the CVAN Regional Chairs to support a range of campaigns including the Artist Livelihood.
We are delighted that Sue will remain with YVAN as an Associate Producer to continue to deliver the excellent national work around the Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions Tax Relief (MGETR) research with the sector for HMRC and CVAN. She is also working as Curator/Producer with LEEDS 2023 to manage one of their major public art programmes, and continues in her Producer role with Canal & River Trust to develop arts & heritage programmes of work across their national portfolio.
As former Board Directors, Helen and Michael bring a strong set of leadership skills to YVAN and are delighted to steer the organisation through its next phase of development, building on the excellent work of the previous teams. Helen has a history of working in the cultural sector, most recently at LEEDS 2023 and The Tetley and before that at Leeds Playhouse, where she was Finance Director for some 10 years. She currently works part-time as FD for York-based Pilot Theatre. Michael’s recent project, in a rich catalogue of work as graphic designer and live arts/music/theatre producer, is establishing the “magical arts hub” in Shirethorn House, Hull.
Stepping into the role of Interim Chief Operating Officer is Sharon Gill, recently of ROAR (Rotherham Open Arts Renaissance), who will be implementing new structures, preparing for next year’s programme and recruiting for all levels of the organisation, from the Board, Comms, CEO and the working groups aimed at providing the authentic voice of the artist-led to National policy makers through the CVAN network.
Look out for news on YVAN Jobs and opportunities coming SOON.