We are delighted to welcome our new board members to the OT creative space team who will work with the Creative Director – Lynda Sterling to support and develop the community interest company.

Scroll down to find out about each the team.

Chair of Directors – Gosia Polańska

Mum to a 6 year old. Researcher, community maker and everyday cyclist. Manley Bike Train lead & PhD in Humanitarianism and Conflict Response. My things: Community + Mobility + Art. I enjoy: Translating cultures + connecting people together + making fun projects reality. I am fascinated by: A change people generate while working collectively in spaces, which they care about.

Amina Bodhania

Amina is the Head of Partnerships and Business Improvement at Novus.  She has over 19 years’ experience in the Education sector, beginning her teaching career at Macclesfield College and then progressing to a career in prison education, holding a variety of operational and strategic positions. She is a strong advocate for the power of art and enrichment as a tool to engage people from all walks of life and is and is particularly excited to support OT Creative to continue to foster community cohesion by celebrating the diversity of the local community.

Lisa Gillen

Lisa has worked in the arts and culture sector for 20 years, predominantly in engagement roles within museums and galleries, as well as music and arts festivals in Manchester and Ireland.  Lisa is part of the engagement team at People’s History Museum, working with young people, schools, and communities. She believes in the right of all communities to have access to and to be actively involved in shaping inclusive arts and culture programming. Lisa is originally from Derry, Ireland, and  lives in Old Trafford.


Danny Cheung

Danny Cheung is a Strategic Planning and Performance professional, operating in Universities across the North for over 20 years. In partnership with Academic colleagues, he specialises in Strategy formulation and implementation, Governance and Risk Management. Currently Strategy Lead for the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology at the University of Salford, he sees the inherent good that a thriving Creative Industry provides for its communities and beyond.

As a resident of Old Trafford, he has witnessed all the fantastic and inclusive projects delivered by OT Creative Space since its inception, and in its next stage of development, looks forward to contributing to its governance and strategic direction, ensuring it achieves its mission and objectives.

Fiss Tesfagabir

Fiss has extensive experience working with asylum seeking and refugee communities working on different programs including resettlement programs and various asylum service programs. He is currently working as asylum service manager at Refugee Action. He has  worked with various artists and creative people in the past in providing space and skills for the refugee communities to express themselves through various forms of art and music and  understands how important art can be in bringing different communities together, with improving wellbeing as well as developing social and professional skills.  He believes art should be accessible to everyone, no matter their level of creative skills.

He is passionate about removing barriers for racialised and marginalised communities and currently leads the anti-racism support network within Refugee Action where we highlight to senior management any barriers or discrimination faced by racialised and minority staff members in the workplace as well as providing a safe space as well as peer support. 

Cookie Howard

Cookie is a multifunctional Artist based in Manchester, creative outlets include, Face and Body Painting, Art and Design work, Muralism, Spoken Word, Vocalist in a punk band, the list goes on! A bit of a jack of all trades and a master of some! 

With a varied background in arts production, event management, community engagement, and administration, they are eager to bring their diverse skill set and passion for the arts to further the impactful initiatives of OT creative space

 

Sarah Emmott, Advisory Board Member.

Sarah Emmott is a freelance creative practitioner and is the founder and Co-Creative Director of Salford based arts company Art with Heart. Sarah has been creating meaningful creative and cultural experiences since 2005 and brings her own lived experience to the work she makes whether it is writing, producing, access consultancy, performing, facilitating and creating, all with a focus on accessibility, equity, honesty and care.