Hackney Showroom is proud to work with a talented Board of Trustees that support our aims of producing outstanding live performance, fostering the careers of experimental theatre artists and creating a home where locals and artists can thrive.

Our Trustees have a wealth of experience in theatre, television and business and finance.

Ikky Elyas is an actor and writer who grew up on Queen’s Drive in the 1990s and is happy to see the estate being regenerated. Joining Hackney Showroom Young Actors in 2016 spurred on his love for theatre, leading to a surge of off-West End gigs. Ikky won the Norman Beaton Fellowship, resulting in a contract with BBC Radio Drama and extensive experience in radio and voice acting. More recently, he has been directing shorts with Theatre503, and is seeking to work with a writer to develop a feature length dystopian sci-fi film.

Peter Huntley is Founder of Smart Entertainment – a theatrical executive producer and general manager working in the UK and internationally. He has previously self-produced alongside working for major producers such as Sonia Friedman Productions and Shakespeare’s Globe.

Rowan Lindsay is a Partner at leading accountancy firm Nyman Lisbon Paul. He has over 25 years of experience working with small, medium and large organisations. This wide-ranging experience puts him in an excellent position to lever the best strategies and practices to benefit Hackney Showroom. Rowan offers a broad skill set including financial compliance, systems, planning, modelling and forecasting.

Cat March is the Head of Corporate Development at The Old Vic, driving income through corporate fundraising. After studying for an MA in Theatre & Performance at Sheffield University, Cat found a love of contemporary, live, and performance art before beginning a fundraising career in the Arcola Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East. She later spent 3 years at Tate, managing a portfolio of large scale corporate partnerships in support of some of the galleries’ best-known programmes, including BMW Tate Live, the UNIQLO Tate Lates and The EY Tate Arts Partnership.

Sarah Needham is a broadcast media consultant with 25 years in the television industry working across live sports, ballet, opera and documentary series – specialising in large-scale live productions.  Sarah has been working as a freelance Production Consultant with Brouhaha Media for the past 5 years, and has previously worked with organisations such as BSkyB, Hat Trick Productions and Endemol.

Jac O’Kody is a choreographer, writer & lyricist. Originally having trained as a musical theatre performer, Jac shifted her focus to arts education and wellbeing. Jac is the founder of O’Kody Arts and Black Books Matter UK, which between them run a range of accessible arts programmes in a wide range of disciplines for young people, staff  training and producing theatres –  that ensures all stories are heard.

James Pidgeon is currently Executive Director at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, one of the largest producing theatres in London. Previously, James was Director & Chief Executive at Shoreditch Town Hall in south Hackney, and held producing and administration roles at the National Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre and Shakespeare’s Globe. James sits on the Advisory Board of Theatre Re and is a Trustee of Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Dawn Walton (Chair of Board) is Artistic Director of Mamamissi Ltd, an independent theatre, film and radio production company, and an award-winning director of TV and theatre. Dawn is founder and former Artistic Director/CEO of Eclipse Theatre. In 2020 Dawn was awarded the OBE for Services to Theatre. Previous theatre productions includeThe Death of a Black Man (Hampstead Theatre); The Gift (Eclipse Theatre/Belgrade Theatre/Theatre Royal Stratford East);  salt (Schaubühne/Public Theater/Royal Court/ Summerhall)and Black Men Walking (Eclipse Theatre/Royal Court/Royal Exchange/UK Tour). Dawn also has extensive experience as a director for TV salt (BBC4/Milk&Honey – WINNER of the Grierson Award for Best Arts Documentary 2022). Short films includes:Samuel’s Trousers and 10by10 (BBC/The Space). 

Becky Wootton has 20 years experience working in London theatres. She is Director of Audiences at Shakespeare’s Globe overseeing a team of 120+ in marketing, digital, press, ticketing and sales, retail, visitor and audience operations including guided tours and over 700 Volunteers. Previously she was Deputy Director of Audiences at the National Theatre and has also worked at the Royal Court Theatre, Orange Tree Theatre and Time Out.