Kelly Loughlin
Director and Curator
Kelly Loughlin is a cultural producer based in West Yorkshire. She grew up just over the border in Burnley, Lancashire. She was a founder member of the original 9a Projects Ltd at Robinwood Mill. Her practice revolves around writing and curating. She has a background in socially engaged practice, working alongside communities in the North of England.
Kelly is an associate member at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester and a member of the British Art Network. She holds an MA and a PhD and worked for over ten years teaching in adult education, supporting students at the Open University, including learners within the prison and custodial system.
Kelly has lived with sight-loss since childhood and was withdrawn from mainstream schooling at the age of eleven and placed in what was then known as a ‘Special School’. She has particular interests in access and inclusion in the cultural sector.
Julia Turpin
Director
Julia is a specialist in public engagement in the cultural sector working at a regional, national and international level. She has worked primarily in the North of England with a focus on Greater Manchester.
Currently Interim Head of Learning at Tate, Julia previously developed and led Manchester International Festival and Factory international’s Public Engagement Programmes.
Her previous roles have included Executive Director of LeftCoast, Blackpool’s Creative People and Places programme, Executive Producer at Quarantine and Director of Contacting the World at Contact Theatre. Julia’s interests and passion are rooted in creating access and agency for people from under-represented backgrounds to engage in a world class arts and cultural offer. She lives in West Yorkshire.
Feimatta Conteh
Director
Feimatta Conteh is Senior Manager, Environmental Responsibility for Arts Council England – working with colleagues to support creative and cultural organisations and practitioners to embed environmental responsibility. From 2020-2023, she was Environmental Sustainability Manager for Factory International, advising and working with all teams to integrate environmental sustainability into their practice.
Feimatta has worked across sustainability, technology development, digital culture and the arts for over 15 years. She was a trustee of Phoenix Dance Theatre, Artsadmin and Invisible Dust, and a facilitator of the GMAST network supporting the cultural and creative community across Greater Manchester to address the climate and ecological crisis.
Outside of work, Feimatta is involved with an educational children’s camping charity – she enjoys building communities and helping young people interact with nature.
Anna Coatman
Director
Anna Coatman is a writer and editor interested in art, culture, feminism and class. Anna has worked for over fifteen years in book and magazine publishing, including roles at the Royal Academy of Arts, the British Film Institute and Bloomsbury Publishing.
Anna has also written for a range of publications including Frieze, LRB, The White Review, Another Gaze, TLS, ArtReview and Tribune, as well as giving talks and hosting discussions.
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