Chisenhale Dance Space is a registered charity, led by a Board of Trustees.
CDS’ board is composed of individuals, who are legally and ethically responsible for the charity. The role of the Board of Trustees is to support the strategic vision and leadership of the company and ensure CDS remains true to its values, relevant to our artistic and local communities, well managed and financially sustainable.
CDS’ Trustees work with the Artist Committee and Staff to lead the organisation and oversee its management.
The Trustees can be contacted by emailing theboard@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk.
Bakani Pick-Up (he/they) – Co-chair
Bakani is a Zimbabwean born UK based Choreographer & Artistic Lead for Bakani Pick-Up Company. His artistic interests observe ways of being across a broad range of communities. With practice as research at the core of his work, he explores decolonisation through dance practice, haptic visuality and choreographic composition.
Bakani has also worked with several organisations nationally including co-curating the ‘How to Tune into Sensation’ programme alongside The Place & CDS as part of the The Place’s Spring festival 2021. More recently Bakani worked at Leeds Playhouse as Dance Programmer, Co-Curator at Yorkshire Dance for Encounters, a LGBTQIA+ festival and Festival Programmer Producer for the Northern School of Contemporary Dance’s Colour Festival.
They also serve as a critical friend in Advisory Groups for National Dance Company Wales, Yorkshire Dance & Four Hands Company.”
Nicky Napier (she/her) – Co-chair
Nicky has 30+ years’ experience in the dance and performance sector as an artistic director / curator, executive producer and dramaturg. Her artistic interests over the years have focused on supporting and working with experimental dance and interdisciplinary artists and practices.
Nicky is currently working in a freelance interim capacity as Director at Independent Dance, steering the artistic and strategic vision during a period of change.
She was previously Head of Dance and Performance at the Southbank Centre programming dance and performance across the entire site, including a close collaboration with the Hayward Gallery resulting in the exhibition MOVE: Choreographing You, and partnerships with the London Jazz Festival, LIFT, Fierce and Dance Umbrella.
Nicky was also previously Artistic Director at Dance4 and the nottdance Festival, presenting and touring many international artists for the first time in the UK as part of nottdance, whilst also developing local, national and international research projects. Nicky trained at Trinity Laban, has an MA Dramaturgy from Birkbeck and in 2009 she was awarded a Chevalier de L’Ordre des Artes et des Lettres (Republique Française) for her services to dance.
Nicky’s practice is shaped by a commitment to anti-ableist practices and in particular, supporting neuroqueer ways of working in the creative sector.
Sally Rose (she/her) – Co-chair
Sally is an experienced senior contemporary freelance arts producer. Over 14 years she has specialised as a creative partner to artists and organisations with expertise in development and fundraising, strategic planning, and project delivery. She champions work that sits outside the mainstream and aims to have a positive impact in wider society and the arts and culture sector. Her experience encompasses participatory projects, theatre, experimental choreography, curating, developing artist films, installations and work that takes place outside of traditional art spaces.
In 2015 she founded Producer Gathering with Xavier de Sousa and they recently established this as an ongoing support structure to support, nurture and sustain freelance producers, with Marlborough Productions. She has recently worked with artists & organisations including: Abigail Conway, Kayza Rose/BLM Fest, Duckie, Marlborough Productions, Sheila Ghelani, Rosana Cade, and CONTINUOUS Network amongst many others.
She believes strongly in values of collaboration, experimentation and equity and strives for them in each project through her role as a producer, always open to change and challenging structural issues.
Mil Vukovic-Smart (she/her)
Mil brings years of policy and fundraising experience, and a track record of bringing people together to successfully raise funds and create positive change across arts, culture, health, and heritage sectors.
Her roles include working for CW+ (the UK’s leading arts in health charity), the UK Design Council, Studio Wayne McGregor, Pushkin House, DanceWest, Open City, Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery.
Mil also brings knowledge and experience of charity governance through her work as a trustee for small arts organisations, including Tri-Borough Music Trust and Clowns Without Borders, and is passionate about developing innovative ways of working within the arts and charity sectors. In parallel, Mil maintains a dedicated creative practice across dance, performance, and live art, and is a proud member of the Chisenhale Dance Space Artist Community.
Her commitment to the field extends to education, through her teaching practice as an associate lecturer at the University of the Arts London.
Naomi Taylor (she/her)
Naomi is currently an official at the media & entertainment trade union, Bectu. She’s worked with members in cinemas and theatres, but now mainly works with non-performance workers in live events and the arts.
Day to day, she negotiate better terms on behalf of Bectu members, helps union members to organise their workplaces or freelance sectors, and advises/supports individuals with employment issues.
Prior to that, Naomi was a subtitler for a BBC contractor, an English teaching assistant in Japan, and a student of American Studies & English Lit at sunny Swansea University!
Tessa Gillett (she/her)
Tessa is a highly experienced and award-winning communications professional with a background spanning the arts and higher education. She is currently Head of Brand and Communications at Trinity Laban, a world-leading conservatoire which was the first UK provider to pioneer degree programmes in contemporary dance, dance science, jazz and more.
Tessa recently led a major rebrand for Trinity Laban, resetting its vision and values and developing a new website and visual identity, and more broadly her role involves media relations, public affairs, business strategy, communications, digital media and much more.
Previously, Tessa held roles at Mountview, Theatre Royal Stratford East and Leeds Playhouse as well as freelance work with Look Left Look Right and the University of Leeds. She has also served as a school governor and Trustee at Lion Education Trust.
Tessa seeks out positions where she can contribute a mix of strategic instinct, pragmatic problem-solving and transformation while working collaboratively with passionate colleagues.
She has dedicated significant time to creating opportunities within the arts for people from minotirised backgrounds and is a passionate advocate for the intrinsic social and economic value of UK arts and culture.
Tomoyo Miyakawa (she/her)
Tomoyo is a strategic and inclusive leader with over 20 years’ experience across the cultural sector and higher education.
She is currently Careers & Partnerships Lead for the School for the Creative & Cultural Industries at University College London’s UCL East campus, where she develops cross-sector collaborations locally in East London, as well as nationally and internationally.
Previously, she spent ten years in the Marketing Department at the London Symphony Orchestra, leading initiatives to broaden and diversify audiences.
Throughout her career, Tomoyo has championed diversity, creativity and innovation.
Urja Desai Thakore (she/her)
Urja, an award-winning choreographer, is the founder and Artistic Director/CEO of Pagrav Dance Company, a women-led creative organization. Established in India in 1997 and expanded to the UK in 2015, PDC is dedicated to promoting Kathak in its purest form, transforming it from a traditional solo dance into an ensemble art form that explores movement, language, and staging.
Urja’s commitment to nurturing emerging dancers is evident in her role as an active member of the ISTD Committee and her participation in prestigious mentoring programs like One Dance UK’s Mentoring Programme. As a respected leader and advocate for the dance sector, she inspires and empowers the next generation of dancers.
Urja’s exceptional choreography has earned her numerous awards and accolades, and her unwavering dedication continues to have a profound impact on the dance community. Her leadership skills have also been recognized, as she was selected as one of the 12 next generation leaders of the arts and invited to participate in the Rural retreat for the next generation of leaders.
With her visionary approach and commitment to fostering talent, Urja is shaping the future of dance and paving the way for aspiring artists to thrive. Her contributions to the field and her dedication to mentorship make her an influential figure in the dance community.