DIRECTOR’S UPDATE

It’s been another busy and exciting year for iCCi. 2022 saw us building for the future, with the development of our five-year plan with its six areas of focus (around which this report is structured) and the formation of our new Industry Advisory Board, who will help to drive this agenda forward.

We were successful in our first bid as iCCi to become an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), securing funding for the next three years of our programme of work with children and young people

From our hub at Gulbenkian Arts Centre, we have delivered our county’s most ambitious and varied cultural programme, hosting hundreds of live events, film screenings, workshops and creative sessions for University staff, students and for our local community.

Within the packed programme, bOing! International Family Festival returned to full scale after the Covid pandemic, and we hosted an unforgettable residency by international punk-rock protesters Pussy Riot.

Our Creative Engagement team continued to deliver creative experiences for children and young people, through our industryleading ART31 programme and our work with local schools and, along with our extra-curricular Music Department, to thousands of students across the University. Reaching beyond our

The iCCi Industry Advisory Board

In March 2022, we announced the formation of our inaugural Advisory Board, bringing together a diverse range of experts from across the creative industries and including representatives from our ART31 programme and the student body here at Kent.

Co-Chair: Lizzie Hodgson Lizzie is a consultant and strategist, founder of ThinkNation and Nile and Chair of RE: Generation 2031.

Co-Chair: Mel Alcock Mel is Currently Chairman of the British Board of Film Classification, Mentor at Ascension Ventures, Vice Chairman of Cement Fields and Owner of the Complete Circle Consultancy Ltd.

Caroline Van Eldik Caroline is the Vice-President of Student Engagement at Kent Union, the student body for University of Kent.

Ray Mia A graduate of University of Kent, Ray is an immersive audio producer for Music, TV, Film & Audio Drama.

campuses, we were proud partners in Flux, a Kent-wide project looking at mental health issues in 14-25 year olds and we stepped up our leadership role in Medway, becoming chair of the Medway Cultural Education Partnership.

Creative Estuary has had an incredible year, delivering exciting artist commissions, providing new employment opportunities through Re: Generation 2031 and pushing forward the conversation around cultural placemaking at regional, national and international events.

We welcomed Dr Jim Ang as our Deputy Director. Jim has extensive experience in VR and AR, and is already shaping our research development, working with our Fellows and coordinating new research projects for the University around our themes of Creative and Cultural Education, Health and Wellbeing, Human-machine Creativity, Diversity and Sustainability and Creative Heritage.

The Docking Station, our new space for immersive digital technology, teaching, performance, innovation and research in Medway, secured over £5M in funding and we are well on the way to delivering this hugely ambitious project in 2025

All of this is only possible through collaboration with partners across the University and our region, and we look forward to a busy and exciting 2023 with you all.

Professor Catherine Richardson, Director of iCCi

Conrad Murray Conrad is Director at the BAC Beatbox Academy. He is a multi award-winning theatre-maker, writer, director, rapper, beatboxer, live looper and singer.

Sonia Nayyar Sonia is the Project Manager for Cohesion Plus, a local diverse led arts organisation based in North Kent.

Jo Nolan Jo is Managing Director at Screen South, a Kent based Cultural Development Agency.

Imogen Robertson Imogen is a creative producer and consultant based in Medway and the south east.

Sacha Wares Sacha is a critically acclaimed theatre director, who has worked for more than twenty years at the forefront of British new writing.

Nick Willis Nick is an artist and student who is passionate about arts opportunities for young people across Kent.