Meet our speakers
Leader of Kirklees Council, Deputy Chair of the LGA Committee for Culture and Sport
Councillor Pandor is the Regional Representative for the LGA and is the Deputy Chair of the Culture, Tourism and Sports Board. He is a member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board, Yorkshire Leaders Board, Co-op Council Innovation Network Executive Committee, Key Cities Group. Cllr Pandor is also a member of the Council of Europe and is involved with the work of the Monitoring Committee and Congress of Regions.
Keynote speech: Cllr Pandor opens LGA Board meeting for Culture, Tourism & Sport
Portfolio Holder for Culture and Greener Kirklees
Councillor Will Simpson is the Kirklees Council Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees, and the Labour Party ward councillor for Denby Dale. He is a member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Culture, Heritage and Sport Committee and a trustee of the Lawrence Batley Theatre. As the Cabinet member for Culture, he is leading Kirklees Council's ambitions to put culture at the heart of the borough and their plans for regeneration, through the Kirklees Year of Music 2023, WOVEN in Kirklees, the Cultural Heart in Huddersfield and cultural investments across the district.
Keynote speech: Culture is Ordinary - Councillor Will Simpson
West Yorkshire Mayor
Tracy Brabin is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who was elected as the first Mayor of West Yorkshire, and the first ever woman Metro Mayor in England, in May 2021. During her campaign, Tracy pledged to create 1,000 skilled jobs for young people, lead a 'Creative New Deal' for the region, bring buses back under public control, tackle the climate emergency and build 5,000 affordable and sustainable homes. As Mayor, Tracy also inherits the roles and responsibilities of the former Police and Crime Commissioner. Prior to her election as Mayor, Tracy was the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen from 2016 until 2021. As MP, she held appointments as Shadow Early Years Minister, Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and Shadow Minister for Cultural Industries. Born in Batley, Tracy was an actor and screenwriter prior to entering politics, appearing in several British soap operas and writing for several television series.
Keynote speech: Culture is Ordinary Event Speech
Chief Executive, Arts Council England
Dr Darren Henley CBE is Chief Executive of Arts Council England. His boardroom experience spans arts, media, education, charity and government, with previous roles including Managing Director of Classic FM and author of two independent government reviews into music education and cultural education in England. His latest book 'The Arts Dividend Revisited: Why Investment in Culture Pays' highlights the impact of public investment in artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries on creating happier lives in villages, towns, and cities across the country.
While completing a doctorate at Middlesex University exploring the role of the outsider as an agent for change, Darren became interested in how positive psychology, coaching and mindfulness can help people and organisations flourish. He went on to study applied positive psychology at Buckinghamshire New University, coaching and behavioural change at Henley Business School and mindfulness-based approaches at Bangor University. He brings his experience of these three distinct but related disciplines to his work at the Arts Council. He also holds degrees in politics, management and history of art from the Universities of Hull, South Wales and Buckingham.
Keynote speech: Culture is Ordinary - Darren Henley
Holden - Ecology of Culture (lkca.nl)
John Holden is a former Visiting Professor at the University of Leeds and at City University, London, an Honorary Professor of Hong Kong University and an Associate at the think-tank Demos, where he was Head of Culture for eight years. He is the author of many works, including The Ecology Of Culture , Publicly Funded Culture and the Creative Industries, Influence and Attraction and Democratic Culture, and is co-author of Cultural Diplomacy and The Cultural Leadership Handbook. He is also a member of Three Johns and Shelagh, a group that puts together edited publications. John is a regular keynote speaker in the UK, the rest of Europe, North America, Asia, and Australasia. He has worked directly with cultural organisations from small community venues to national museums. He is a former Trustee of the Clore Leadership Programme and the Hepworth Wakefield, and has served on various Committees including at the Royal Opera House, the Design Museum, Oxford University, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Keynote speech: Culture is Ordinary - Professor John Holden
Organisational change and development
Lee Corner is an established facilitator and respected consultant in the arts and third sector. She specialises in organisational change and development, as well as creating programmes of capacity building and professional development for small companies and individuals. As well as her work over more than three decades with hundreds of organisations across the UK, Lee has held a number of senior voluntary positions including Chair of Absolutely Cultured, the successor company to Hull 2017 which led Hull's successful year as City of Culture; a founder Director of the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills; Chair of The Media Centre, Kirklees; and a member of the Creative Industries Advisory Panel of the British Council. She has recently completed her term of office as Vice Chair of the Arts Council's North Area Council.
