Diane has over twenty years experience in the cultural sector as a producer and leader with a track record in developing people, places, organisations and ideas. She is currently leading the strategic and artistic development of a new performance and civic arts festival for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Prior to this, she was Head of Arts & Culture at Westway Trust, collaborating with organisations, communities and urban planners to reimagine the cultural infrastructure for Portobello and North Kensington. She has delivered significant strategic cultural initiatives, campaigns and events and influenced policy as a senior officer at Arts Council England (Decibel and Cultural Leadership Programme).
As a consultant, she has created leadership and talent development programmes for Index on Censorship, What Next? and Clore Leadership, and delivered organisational development and strategic planning for Unfinished Business, Dance United, EMCCAN and a range of culture, educational and community organisations. She has produced events, festivals, productions and creative learning initiatives within senior management roles in theatres and arts centres and independently for local authorities. As a trainer, adviser, mentor and speaker on audience engagement, diversity, artistic risk and artist development, she has worked for the Barbican, British Council, Community Links, Musical Theatre Network and Paul Hamlyn Foundation amongst others.
Diane was formerly Director of nitroBEAT based at Soho Theatre, Head of Creative Development at Bernie Grant Arts Centre and Head of Projects at Contact Theatre. She currently serves on the boards of the Gate Theatre and youth music agency, Small Green Shoots. With Counterculture, she creatively approaches helping arts and cultural organisations to be more adaptive, more resilient and to change more people’s lives.