Board Members and Patrons
Dr Alison Frater
Chair and Trustee
As a senior leader in public health, Alison Frater demonstrated a strong commitment to social justice with a track record of achievement in addressing health inequalities and improving access to health and health care. She was Director of Public Health in Bristol, North Hampshire and in NHS England (London) managing large teams and budgets with responsibility for health strategy including health promotion and prevention, the development of screening programmes and health protection (management of infectious diseases). She has also worked as a chief officer in the voluntary sector.
Taking an evidence-based approach has been a central tenet of her work. She has a PhD in cancer epidemiology and has held academic positions in the University of Southampton and as a visiting professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. She is currently the public health lead on a randomised controlled trial based at University College, London evaluating mentalisation based therapy in probation settings.
As Chair of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) from 2014-2020 she became a passionate advocate for the transforming value of the arts promoting the work of all arts organisations in the criminal justice system. She worked to significantly raise the profile of the NCJAA gaining Arts Council England funded National Portfolio Organisation status and supporting the development of a landmark research study to evaluate the effectiveness of arts programmes funded by the ESRC and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. She has continued her advocacy for shifting social inequalities through inclusive and equitable opportunities for creativity chairing Clean Break, a theatre company working with women affected by the criminal justice system or at risk of entering it. She is now a trustee of Hijinx, a leading inclusive theatre company producing great theatre for learning disabled and autistic young people. She has published widely in the scientific and lay press including contributions on the transforming value of the arts.
Adam Dodd
Treasurer and Trustee
Adam is the CEO of Minstead Trust, a learning disability charity headquartered in the New Forest, and a CIMA-qualified chartered accountant. He also holds a Master's degree in Voluntary Sector Management from the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School.
Before joining Minstead Trust as Director of Finance and Central Services in 2016, Adam's background was in the commercial sector, with C-suite experience across many sectors including television, medical and educational communications, boutique hotels, property development, hospitality, and the arts.
As a former member of the National Youth Theatre, and having regretted (at times) not going to drama school instead of getting a law degree, he is excited to join Blue Apple Theatre for his first trustee role, combining his love of the theatre with his passions for learning disability inclusion and helping to build great organisations.
Adam splits his time between London and the New Forest.
Duncan Rutter
Trustee
Duncan has been a solicitor specialising in serious injury claims since 1988. For 20 years until 2017 he was a partner with international law firm, DAC Beachcroft, during which time he had various roles including Managing Partner of the Winchester office, Managing Director of DAC Beachcroft Claims Ltd and head of the claims litigation division of the firm.
Duncan is a past President of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers and in that role represented insurance litigators at a national level including liaising with the Ministry of Justice and Association of British Insurers.
Duncan is married to Jane and was Mayor's Escort when his wife served as Winchester's 817th Mayor. They have three grown up children. Duncan now works part-time as a consultant with DAC Beachcroft and is delighted to be able to spend some of his spare time working with Blue Apple Theatre.
Marilyn Weston
Trustee
Marilyn retired in April 2019 after working in sales for a large American pharmaceutical company. She has a great love of theatre and has been involved in amateur drama groups since the early 1980s.
She came across Blue Apple whilst serving as chairman of The Cheriton Players committee in Winchester and they chose Blue Apple as a charity to support.
Marilyn has lived in Alresford for 29 years but was born in Derby and came to Hampshire via Aberdeen, Brazil, Bedford and Exeter. She is married to John, and has three children and four grandchildren.
Megan Ball
Trustee
Megan works as the Public Affairs & Campaigns Officer at Sands. In her role, she works with Ministers and MPs to help secure baby loss and bereavement care firmly on political agendas, also operating the Secretariat for the APPG on Baby Loss. Before this, Megan was a two-term President and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Winchester Student Union, as well as the Student Governor on the University of Winchester Board of Governors. She still holds positions with Student Minds and NUS, as well as volunteering with the University. She studied Business Management with Enterprise and Innovation at Winchester between 2016 – 2019.
Megan has spent much of her life embedded in arts and theatre, enrolled in theatre school and dance lessons, performing at the Royal Albert Hall, Her Majesty’s Theatre and Sadler’s Wells. She is committed to improving social mobility and challenging prejudice, having done a great deal of volunteering and lobbying around equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as being involved in local politics.
Megan is from Oxfordshire but lives in Winchester with her partner, Joe. She is hugely excited to be joining the Blue Apple Board.
Lucy Tomlinson
Trustee
Lucy Tomlinson is an experienced cultural consultant based in Hampshire who believes in the special ability of the arts to nurture connections and unlock emotions, aspirations and confidence in all of us.
Lucy works with arts organisations of all sizes and creative disciplines on areas such as strategic visioning and planning, project and creative development, fundraising, and effective governance. Currently Lucy combines this varied and fulfilling consultancy with the role of Impact and Evaluation Manager at Mayflower Theatre and MAST Mayflower Studios.
Lucy’s background in the arts, prior to establishing her consultancy, is in large-scale partnership projects and arts festivals such as Southampton’s Cultural Quarter development, Salisbury International Arts Festival, Cheltenham Festivals and London Festival of Youth Arts.
Lucy will also bring to the role of trustee her previous experience serving on boards; with La Folia in Salisbury and SoCo Music Project in Southampton.
Lucy lives in New Alresford with her husband and two children. She is so happy and proud to be a part of Blue Apple Theatre and support the work of this wonderful charity.
Emma Taylor
Trustee
Emma Taylor is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at University of Surrey, School of Veterinary Medicine, having completed an MSc in Veterinary Microbiology, and a PhD in Veterinary Epidemiology and Global Health. Emma focuses on tackling health care inequalities experienced by vulnerable communities across the world, and providing cost-effective solutions to disease control. Emma is also a member of the committee for neurodiversity and learning support at the University of Surrey, assisting students to access guidance and resources.
Emma has a background in healthcare and project management, having worked in the SEND charity sector for over 15 years, using the arts to foster independence and confidence in young adults with learning disabilities. Emma herself, is an experienced performer having performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Royal Opera House, Yvonne Arnoud Theatre, and Indigo at the O2, whilst holding positions as visiting vocal coach at a number of theatre schools, and working as a session singer.
Emma is passionate about evidenced based communication, advocating for interdisciplinary collaboration, especially between the arts and sciences. As a result, Emma holds a fellowship at Royal Society of the Arts.
Emma lives in Winchester with her partner Danny, and their cheeky dog called Frank.
“I passionately believe the arts can help to transform lives. I believe that we should continue to challenge discrimination and prejudice towards disability and the trustee role at Blue Apple will allow me to continue to be a part of that important conversation.”
Liam Gifford
Trustee
Liam is a working/benefit-class theatre-maker of British and Irish heritage raised in North Devon and now living in Southampton. He has a broad range of experiences working within the education and theatre sectors.
His theatre work has seen him collaborating with creatives of all ages, stages and lived experiences on mass participation projects, new writing, devised work and dance theatre which have been presented across the UK and in Europe. Most recently he has worked with Critical Mass, an integrated dance collective of people identifying as D/deaf, Disabled and non-disabled working side by side to show how genuine inclusion can be achieved in mega-events.
Previously Liam has collaborated with Blue Apple during his time as Young People's Producer at Play to the Crowd, and has been an admirer of the company since his time leading the youth programme at Nuffield Southampton Theatres.
He currently works for the University of Southampton within their Widening Participation and Social Mobility directorate which works towards equality of opportunity in higher education for those from under-represented groups. Liam is also a qualified secondary school and sixth-form teacher, having worked in state schools across the South West and Wales from 2012-18.
Liam is passionate about working environments that are person-centred, embed co-collaboration and truly reflect the diversity of our society.
Libby Stockel
Trustee
Libby is a project delivery professional and senior business leader working within defence as a portfolio director. She has spent 22 years as a civil servant working in a wide range of scientific, policy and project delivery roles with several government departments. She brings with her a breadth of leadership experience in managing organisational change, programme governance, financial and risk management, strategy development, procurement and the delivery of major infrastructure projects.
Libby has had a love of theatre and the arts from a young age and is a committed supporter of amateur musical theatre and the benefits this brings for local communities and group members. Although she has been known to tread the boards herself on many occasions for a number of societies in Hampshire, she has latterly focused on producing, directing and the wider management of amateur theatre. She is excited to take this a step further now in a more formal trustee role for Blue Apple.
Libby is very much looking forward to the opportunity to work with and learn from Blue Apple members, volunteers, staff and fellow board members, and bringing together her passion for performing arts and inclusion with her wealth of professional skills to support Blue Apple.
Trustee vacancies
There is scope to recruit more trustees. If you would like to be considered for this role please send your CV and a letter explaining what you would bring to Blue Apple Theatre, and what you hope to get out of being a trustee. Please send applications to the Chair of Trustees at trustees@blueappletheatre.com.
Georgiana Robertson
Chair Emeritus
Georgiana Robertson worked for Adult Social Services at Hampshire County Council for 25 years in many capacities, including developing four new Extra Care Housing schemes as well as being an operational manager in services for people with a learning disability.
She grew up in the world of professional theatre as her parents were world-class puppeteers, performing alongside the big names of stage and screen. She has two daughters, both in education (at time of writing). Georgiana was chair of trustees for almost seven years, and a trustee prior to that. Georgiana continues supporting Blue Apple in her new capacity as Chair Emeritus. She considers it a privilege to be part of such an inspiring organisation, and is looking forward to playing a part in its continuing success.
Photo credit: Mike Hall
Jane Jessop
Founder
Blue Apple was founded in 2005 by Jane Jessop to provide opportunities for people with learning difficulties to participate in professionally supported theatre and dance and be equally valued. At that time many of those people felt isolated and lonely, with very poor social networks and little to occupy them.
Jane’s vision was to use the challenge of high quality creative opportunities to provide a sense of purpose and to develop confidence, social skills and behavioural skills, improved physical and mental health as well as performance skills - with no fixed ceiling to the expectations placed on them.
Jane led the company for over 10 years during which time Blue Apple established its touring programme, performed in Parliament, celebrated at the Globe Theatre, became the 1,000th winner of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and won the Peace Child International ‘Rediscover Your Heart’ award for changing the way people see and understand learning disability.
As Blue Apple’s Founder, Jane continues to support the charity as our ambassador and a champion of people with learning disabilities, aiming to challenge society's preconceptions and open doors to greater opportunities.
Jane’s background is in publishing and brand management. She has been a governor of various primary and special schools is currently a Governor of the University of Winchester.
Alan Lovell DL
Patron
Alan Lovell had a career in business, much of it as a restructuring specialist; he also held senior roles in renewable energy and insurance. He is now Chair of the Consumer Council for Water.
In Hampshire he is Chairman of the Blue Lamp Trust and the Hampshire Cultural Trust, both of which he founded, and of the Mary Rose Trust. He is Chairman of the Board of Governors of the University of Winchester and a Trustee and Member of Council of Winchester Cathedral. He was High Sheriff of Hampshire in 2010/11 and is a Deputy Lieutenant. He was appointed DL in 2012.