New Year News: Who’s on Board?
Audiences at Mother of the Revolution holding a placard with “We are a wave a turning tide!”. Photography by Emily Goldie
We’ve always believed that our work is always strongest when it’s made together. With this in mind, we’re excited to kick off the New Year by sharing some news about our three new wonderful directors.
Looking towards 2026, we are emboldened and empowered by upcoming opportunities to reflect on our work; expand opportunities for artists; and continue to work with communities and audiences as active parts of our work. We know that bringing new voices into our governance structure is going to be transformative for our work, and enhance archipelago arts collective as a sustainable, supportive space for creative expression. Without further ado, here are the first three wonderful people who are going to be guiding our work, art and processes moving forwards:
Shreya M Patel
Shreya is an actor and musician based in Hertfordshire. She started working with archipelago arts in 2021, working on projects such as A Call to Care and Mother of the Revolution. She was drawn to archipelago due to the nature of their work: championing underrepresented stories with empowering, bold theatre in unconventional, community-focused spaces. She is delighted to join archipelago as a board member and excited to be on board (pun intended) for their future endeavours.
Georgie Sykes
Georgie is an arts and culture marketer, currently at Castle Howard, the world-famous stately home and visitor attraction in North Yorkshire. Georgie’s background in theatre has informed creative marketing campaigns and strategies promoting cultural experiences that start at the very first interaction, and she has delivered award-winning marketing and brand campaigns across the arts and attractions industries. Georgie has worked in marketing and media at Leeds Playhouse in West Yorkshire, Tapestry Opera in Toronto, and now Castle Howard, whose much-loved Christmas events have grown exponentially in recent years, delighting over 100,000 visitors in 2024.
Esther Abramson
Esther Abramson is a linguist, a creative practitioner and a climate activist with a deep interest in creative expression, culture and community which I have been able to explore through my work with Culture Declares Emergency, an international place-based network of people and organizations working to create a better future, for people and planet. I am a proud introvert, and although I love working with people and collaborating on things I am passionate about, I often need to retreat to solitude and nature to recharge.