Ri Chakraborty joins The Space as Chair of the Board
The Space, announced today that Ri Chakraborty has been appointed as its new Chair. The announcement follows the news that the organisation is spearheading Digital Spaces, a pioneering new programme that, together with partners at Arts Council England and BFI, is transforming the way libraries across England interact with digital creativity.
Ri will work closely with Fiona Morris, Chief Executive and Creative Director of The Space, to build on the existing work of the organisation, developing new opportunities, driving digital innovation in the arts, cultural and heritage sectors.
Ri Chakraborty
An award-winning Senior Executive Producer and Commissioner, Ri Chakraborty, FRSA, has over 30 years’ experience in the audio-visual and creative sectors, overseeing a variety of global film productions and collaborating extensively with international Arts Councils through arts strategy work.
A trained broadcast journalist, Ri is also Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has immense experience in governance, where she supports teams with transformational leadership. Ri holds Board and Chair roles at Arts Universities and Performing Arts organisations and is Chair of the People Committee at Norwich University of the Arts and has recently Chaired Aakash Odedra Dance Company in Leicester.
Ri Chakraborty said, “I am passionate about the arts, culture, and heritage, with a keen interest in digital technology and its potential to democratise access to creative content. I am committed to and impressed by the portfolio of work achieved by a strong team at The Space, led by CEO, Fiona Morris. Our values align in wanting to create and support and opportunities for the cultural sector to be digitally innovative. I am looking forward to leading a Board with strategic and inclusive outcomes, providing oversight and guidance as we enter the next chapter. The Space are at the forefront of their field, and I have followed their trajectory closely since the organisation began in 2012. I am looking forward to acting as advocate and convener in the rapidly evolving world of digital and broadcast content creation, ensuring we remain resilient and forward-thinking. This is a very exciting time for us all with our collective strategic vision and future-planning.”
Fiona Morris, Chief Executive and Creative Director of The Space said, “We’re delighted to welcome Ri as our incoming Chair. Her passion, knowledge, and experience in championing creative digital innovation across arts, broadcast and innovation is second to none and will be invaluable to us in identifying opportunities for cultural and heritage organisations to develop work using digital technology. I also wish to thank outgoing Chair Sarah Ellis on behalf of the whole team at The Space for her time as Chair. It’s thanks to her support and determination that the organisation has been able to achieve all it has over the last seven years.”
Sarah Ellis said, “It’s been an absolute privilege to serve as The Space Chair over the past seven years.
I want to thank the board, the executive and the entire space team and its associates, artists, partners and audiences for their incredible work over the past few years. It has brought huge value to the industry and given a tremendous amount of support to our sector through some of its most challenging times.
The Space has supported many arts and cultural organisations to innovate, embrace digital technologies and platforms to connect with new audiences, breaking down barriers and opening up access. I will continue to support and champion the organisation and the sector. As I hand the baton over to Ri, I send a deep felt congratulations as I know she will be an amazing chair and steer the organisation into the future with her brilliance and invaluable expertise.”
Ri joins as Chair of The Space at an exciting time for the organisation, which has commissioned over 450 digital projects over the past 10 years, generating 50+ million audience sessions. The organisation’s recent Impact Report found that during the last year it has:
- Helped create more than 30 digital and broadcast projects
- Won 3 prestigious broadcast awards, including Prix Italia and Golden Prague prizes
- Provided training and support for over 500 cultural organisations and 150 freelance individuals
The Space Board of Directors are:
- Ri Chakraborty, FRSA (Chair), Executive Producer and Commissioner
- Parminder Dosanjh, Creative Director, Creative Black Country
- Nicola Osborne (Deputy Chair), Manager of the Institute for Design Informatics, The University of Edinburgh
- Zoe Partington, Contemporary Visual Artist, Creative Consultant and International Advisor
- Anna Slodka-Turner, Global Leader of Risk and Quant Solutions, Evalueserve
More about Ri Chakraborty
Ri Chakraborty, FRSA, is an award-winning Senior Executive Producer and Commissioner, with over 30 years’ experience in the audio-visual and creative sectors. She oversees a variety of global film productions and creative content and has collaborated with international Arts Councils through her recent arts strategy work.
A trained broadcast journalist, Ri is also Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has immense experience in governance, where she supports teams with transformational leadership. Ri holds Board and Chair roles at Arts Universities and Performing Arts organisations and is Chair of the People Committee at Norwich University of the Arts and has recently Chaired Aakash Odedra Dance Company in Leicester.
Ri strongly advocates for wider, inclusive, representation across new technologies; for marginalised voices to be heard across all creative sectors, including AI / CreaTech, where she acts as an advisor and expert for a number of innovation departments, and lobbies for more support with digital poverty.
