Mercury Theatre Welcomes New Board Members

Mercury Theatre Colchester has announced five new members of the theatre's Board, including the return of Julia Stephen, alongside Mark Hoult-Allen as the Board's new Vice Chair. The new members of the Board are Rodney Appleyard, Matt Brindley, Helena Oxley, Julia Stephen and Peter Torres Fremlin.

The Mercury's Board provide vital strategic support, professional advice and guidance to the work of one of the most significant regional producing theatres in England.

Rodney Appleyard has been working in the charity sector for 18 years and in journalism for 27 years. This includes stints at the BBC, Channel 4, Christian Aid, The Big Issue, Changing Faces and Amnesty International. He has been working for the Colchester Catalyst Charity, which is based in Dedham and awards £100,000s in grants to local health projects and individuals, to improve their lives. As part of his role at the charity, he has developed very close relationships with other major funders, such as the National Lottery Community Fund. Additionally, he works as a Communications Manager for the UK Data Service, based at the University of Essex, which holds the biggest collection of social science research in the UK, including the Census. Rodney also presents the Movie Makers show on Colne Radio each week, which showcases the work of local filmmakers; writes as a film columnist for the Daily Gazette; manages the communication activities for Anglian Community Trust and edits his own film website – Screen Innovation.

Matt Brindley is Managing Editor at ITV News.  He's had a 20-year career in regional and national television news, working in a range of different newsrooms and as a travelling producer. He's also edited all ITV News' programmes and some special events. Matt lives locally and his daughter is a keen performer at the Mercury with both CO2 and Stagecoach.

Helena Oxley is an Employment Solicitor based within the HR and Employment Team at Birkett Long. She previously worked at law firms in Cambridgeshire, where she grew up, and Lincolnshire. As an Employment Solicitor, Helena advises employers and employees on both contentious and non-contentious day-to-day employment matters. This includes advising on settlement agreements, supporting her clients through grievance and disciplinary processes as well as defending and pursing claims. Helena has a keen interest in providing training to employers on implementing best practice, including for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; mental health awareness; carrying out investigations and dealing with disciplinaries and grievances. Helena works in conjunction with the Anglia Ruskin University Law Clinic and their law students to provide free legal advice.

Julia Stephen returns for a second tenure on the Mercury's Board. Formally, Julia worked for Marks & Spencer Head Office where she ran cultural events for the staff. These included Playwriting classes in the lunch hour and a Poet in Residence. She now works part time in Social Research, which gives her the time to be involved in the cultural life of Colchester. She is also connected with The Minories and Colchester Arts Centre.

Peter Torres Fremlin has worked for over a decade in international development, with a focus on inclusion and accessibility. Most of Peter's work has been as a freelancer, with a focus on the rights of disabled people. He now writes Disability Debrief, an online magazine featuring the experiences of disabled people around the world. Before that he worked extensively with the International Labour Organization and other international organizations. Growing up in Colchester, the Mercury was a landmark in Peter's childhood. Work and research took him to Brazil, Bangladesh, Egypt and Switzerland before returning to Colchester in 2020.

Mark Hoult-Allen, the Board's new Vice Chair, trained as a stage manager at LAMDA and then went on to work in production administration in the West End for a number of years before moving into theatre administration for Theatre Royal Stratford East and Oval House Arts Centre. Mark has held several roles within arts funding including Theatre Officer for the London Arts Board and Head of National Touring, as well as Director of Business Process for Arts Council England. Following the Arts Council, Mark spent nearly seven years at Comic Relief, first as Head of Grants Operations, then as Head of Business Planning & Process and for a short stint as Operations Director. Mark has been a school governor and has held directorships and trusteeships in a number of not-for-profit arts organisations. He is currently a trustee and the Chair of We Are family, a peer-to-peer adoption support charity. Mark is now a freelance consultant, specialising in governance, compliance, and risk, working for a range of charities and commercial organisations.

Rob West, Chair of the Mercury Theatre's Board, said, “I'm delighted to be joined by such a talented group of new trustees who are willing to offer to volunteer their time and skills to help support and guide The Mercury as we continue to grow”.

Steve Mannix, Mercury Theatre's Executive Director, said, “Welcoming a new group of board members who can share their extensive professional and personal knowledge is so essential in these challenging times for the arts and theatre. Our staff and artists look forward to benefitting from their guidance, wisdom and support”.

More information can be found at www.mercurytheatre.co.uk

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