CEDIA Steering Group

Karen Patel

Director

Karen Patel is a Research Fellow in the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research at Birmingham City University. Her research interests include inequalities in craft and the creative industries, cultural workers’ use of social media and the politics of expertise in cultural work. Her current project is an AHRC funded Innovation Fellowship, Craft Expertise, in collaboration with Crafts Council UK. She is author of The Politics of Expertise in Cultural Labour: Arts, Work and Inequalities and co-editor of Craft Entrepreneurship (both published by Rowman & Littlefield). Karen is also an advisory board member for SHOUT festival in Birmingham, the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust Ethical Making project, The Goldsmiths Centre and NCACE (National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange).

Indy Hunjan

Co-chair

Indy Hunjan is founder of Kala Phool, a collaborative studio which develops and delivers a range of projects which take place domestically and internationally. Working in partnership for a mutual outcome is rooted Indy’s work to bring equality of access to all. She has worked extensively with marginalised creative communities (Mela, Hip Hop) in the UK seeing them thrive from her provocations and advocacy. Her most recent work has been with the National Trust working across the contemporary art programme, exploring new ways of working and challenging the cultural structures in place. Indy has presented work across the globe whilst remaining as free of systems and structures as possible. Indy is also on Twitter.

Rajinder Dudrah

Rajinder is Professor of Cultural Studies and Creative Industries in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media at BCU. He is an elected Trustee of the Executive Council for Learning on Screen: The British Universities and Colleges Film and Video Council which serves over 200 higher, further and school education member institutions in the UK.

Rajinder has also been appointed to serve on the Research Excellence Framework/REF2021 as a Sub-Panel Member for Unit of Assessments 25 – Area Studies; and 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies.

From September 2012 until July 2020 he has also served as Elected Secretary (until Sept 2015) and Executive Committee Member of the British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies (BAFTSS).

Rajinder has also appeared widely across global media sharing aspects of his research, and has taught and published across film, media and cultural studies.

Darryl Georgiou and Rebekah Tolley-Georgiou

Darryl Georgiou and Rebekah Tolley-Georgiou collaborate as Georgiou & Tolley. Concerned with Art, Ideas, People and Places, they founded ArtsLab International as an interdisciplinary studio for collaborative projects, and to expand their arts and business consultancy. Working with organisations and individuals beyond traditional gallery and education; from socially engaged placemaking with communities (Granby CLT), to artist in residencies with award-winning science and research biology enterprises (bit.bio, Cambridge). They have exhibited at: MoMA New York, ARS Electronica, Linz, Austria, V&A Museum, London, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool and via AHRC funded projects with Oxford University and BCU. 

Lara Ratnaraja

Lara is a cultural consultant specialising in diversity, innovation, leadership, collaboration and cultural policy implementation within the HE, cultural and digital sector. She develops projects and policy on how cultural and digital technology intersect for a number of national partners as well as programmes around diversity, leadership, resilience and business development for the arts and creative industries. Lara sits across myriad equality and arts council boards including Equality Monitoring Group for Arts Council Wales, Vivid Projects and the Derby Theatres board. Lara is a co-producer of RE:Present, ASTONish & AD:Vantage ; supporting the development of cultural leaders from diverse backgrounds. More information can be found on Lara's website or via her Twitter.

Ellie Tomsett

Ellie is a lecturer in media practice and theory, Course Director for the School of Media's Foundation Programme and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2017 she co-founded Mixed Bill a comedy and gender research network which seeks to engage comedy industry professionals, researchers and members of the public in discussions and activities that address the under-representation of minority groups within the comedy industry. Before teaching in Higher Education she worked in widening participation in film, delivering training to teachers, youth workers and professional filmmakers across the country and organising filmmaking activities for young people.

Sajida Carr

Sajida is Director of Operations and Development at Creative Black Country based in the Black Country part of the Creative People and Places Programme. Her role is about making the most of the Black Country through Arts and Culture with a specific focus on operations/development, financial management, evaluation & governance. As well as championing unique cross-sector partnerships which encourages new relationships and collaborations. Her previous roles focussed on widening audiences at Wolverhampton Arts & Museums Services and at the National Trust within the West Midlands portfolio. Outside of her role, she holds an advisory role for Centrala, serves as a board member for AIM and as a NED for Paycare.

Annette Naudin

Annette is Associate Professor Academic with responsibility for Learning and Teaching at Birmingham Institute for Media and English. In her research, Annette is interested in the relationship between creative work, Higher Education and issues relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity.

Annette has led in a number of impactful research projects exploring cultural and creative industries work, cultural policy and inequalities in the sector, working with organisations such as Arts Connect UK, Creative Alliance and Birmingham City Council. Annette has published her research on cultural work and is the author of Cultural Entrepreneurship: the cultural worker’s experience of entrepreneurship (2018) and co-editor of Craft Entrepreneurship (2020).

Prior to working in academia, Annette set up a creative enterprise, running a successful textile design business, supplying outlets such as Liberty, Harrods and exporting to Japan, USA and Europe. This first-hand experience of creative entrepreneurship led to creative industry consultancy with clients including local authorities, Craftspace and Arts Council England. Annette’s current role as Associate Professor Academic gives her the opportunity to draw on her research experience and knowledge to inform Learning and Teaching strategies for the Arts, Design and Media (ADM) faculty at BCU.

In 2021 Annette became an Erasmus funded visiting Professor at the Latvian Cultural Academy, teaching postgraduate students and undertaking research with Latvian colleagues.