Trustees

New Brewery Arts is supported by our Honorary Patron, and is guided by our Board of Trustees.

HONORARY PATRON: DAME FIONA REYNOLDS DBE, MA, MPHIL

Dame Fiona Reynolds DBE became Chair of the Royal Agricultural University Governing Council in January 2022. Her previous role was as Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 2012 where she served from 2012-2021. She joined Emmanuel after a long career in the voluntary sector, latterly as Director-General of the National Trust from 2001-2012. During her time as DG she made the Trust warmer and more welcoming, bringing the houses to life and raising the profile of the Trust’s work in the countryside.

Before the Trust, she was Director of the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office (1998-2000), Director of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (now Campaign to Protect Rural England) from 1987-98 and Secretary to the Council for National Parks (now Campaign to Protect National Parks) from 1980-87. She read Geography and land Economy as an undergraduate at Cambridge University.

Fiona also holds a number of non-Executive roles. She is Chair of the National Audit Office, a Trustee of the Grosvenor Estate, a Non-Executive Director of Wessex Water, a Trustee of the Green Alliance, and Chair of the International National Trusts Organisation, the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, Cambridge University’s Botanic Garden and Cambridge University’s Bennett Institute for Public Policy. She was a Panel Member for the Glover Review of Protected Landscapes, Adviser to the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission and a member of the Advisory Panel for the Dasgupta Review of the Economics of Biodiversity.

New Brewery Arts’ Board of Trustees governs all aspects of the organisation.

Jeremy lodwick (chair)

Jeremy retired from full time institutional fund management in 2015 but remains a non-executive director of two investment firms. He has lived near Cirencester for over 20 years. He practices stone carving at the studio in New Brewery Arts and is a student at The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London).

MAtthew Smith

Matthew has been a resident of Cirencester for more than 25 years. In 2011, he retired from a 30-year career in International Banking, during which he worked in 14 countries around the world. He went on to run a Trade Association for the Middle East and then to found a Credit Union for retail workers in 2017. Matthew is an emeritus Board Member of a Chicago Theatre Group, and a Trustee and Vice-Chair at a Cheltenham-based Group of Schools.

tHERESA BERGNE

Theresa is a curator and producer specialising in commissioning artists to work in the public realm. Her passion is to work with artists to develop new work outside of a formal gallery setting; to broaden audiences for the visual arts including through participation and engagement; and to broker the often complex relationships with partners to make this possible. For the past 20 years she has worked under the auspices of her own organisation, Field Art Projects. This has included curating and producing exemplar programmes in hospitals, student settings and for regeneration programmes across the UK. She is currently developing an ambitious programme of commissions for Bristol’s premier music venue, the Bristol Beacon, which will be launched this autumn. She works part-time for High Speed Two (HS2) as arts, culture and design specialist delivering a legacy focussed programme for Europe’s largest infrastructure project.

CECILY DIXON-BROWN

Cecily is a relationship driven business leader with a specialism in Finance and is a qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW). She has a broad skillset across various areas, including business leadership, Finance Planning & Analysis, Finance Operations, Business Partnering, Stakeholder Management, and Relationship and Contract Management.

She enjoys living near and working in Cirencester, from where she is has long been a regular frequenter of New Brewery Arts, with several of her Christmas presents over the years purchased the gift shop. She has also taken part in courses and enjoys using the vibrant coffee shop. If she won the lottery Cecily would love to learn to be a “maker” of violins or wedding dresses.

VERITY ELSON

Verity was previously Director of the Gordon Russell Design Museum, which celebrates the life, work and legacy of one of Britain’s most influential furniture designers. Graduating with an MA (Hons) in Art History from the University of St Andrews, Verity began her museum and gallery career at Compton Verney. With roles in exhibitions and collections management as well as curating, Verity contributed to national and international partnerships in the development of the critically acclaimed programme. Her 10 years at the gallery also included secondments at The Ashmolean and British Museum.

Verity’s curatorial experience encompasses both historic and contemporary art and design, with a particular interest in developing contemporary responses to historic sites and collections. Having grown up in the Cotswolds, her current roles have also enabled her to pursue a long-held interest in the rich craft heritage of the area.

Jeremy Hobbins

Originally graduating with a Business background, Jeremy transferred his skills into the horology world and worked as a professional horologist for 20 years.

Jeremy created the BA (Hons) Horology course at Birmingham City University School of Jewellery to share his love of the subject and train a new generation of horologists. He is now Deputy Head of School & Course Leader .

Jeremy is a Fellow of the British Horological Institute and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.

Joanna Noles

Joanna has worked in the charitable and non-profit sectors for over thirty years with a particular focus on grant-making but also including governance, strategic direction, widening participation and community engagement. She is now semi-retired and works on a part-time basis managing the Woodroffe Benton Foundation, a medium-sized grant-making trust. Having relocated to a village near Cirencester in 2003, Joanna has strong links with the local community and has volunteered for a number of local charities over the years. She is currently Vice-Chair of Trustees at another arts-focused, Cirencester-based charity, the Daniel Bingham Foundation.

CLARE Hannah

Clare moved to Cirencester in 2023 and is a keen student at New Brewery Arts. Now retired from corporate life she brings over 25 years’ experience in senior management where she specialised in international organisational and individual learning and development. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and a qualified organisational coach.

OUR TEAM

New Brewery Arts’ small staff team have a wealth of experience and all share a passion for craft and making. This team is supported by our Trustees, and works together with our on-site makers and tutors.