Anna Williams
Anna Williams is presently interim CEO at Aesop Arts and Society Ltd. Prior to this, she was at Birmingham Royal Ballet for almost 30 years, working in successive roles as Finance Director, Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Executive.
She is a qualified chartered accountant and has served a number of arts boards including The Drum Arts Centre, Bath Festivals, and Culture Central. She is currently Trustee for the Young Vic and the Theatre Development Trust.
Mete Akkemik
Mete is Vice President in Strategic Business Operations for Capital Group and is current sponsor of its Arts Community for the Europe and Asia chapter.
Mete was first introduced to Cardboard Citizens over a decade ago at one of its interactive, all-day workshops for Capital Group as a corporate supporter of the charity. Since then, he has volunteered his professional skills to support the development of Cardboard Citizens’ finance systems, as well as attending performances and participating in its fundraising efforts.
Chris Bull - Treasurer
When I learned about Cardboard Citizens’ work supporting people facing homelessness and inequality I wanted to find out more and the more I learnt the more keen I became to contribute my financial skills and knowledge to further their aims. The charity has a unique combination of artistic endeavour and more traditional support activities which allows them to build confidence, inspire trust and promote a wider understanding of the underlying issues. My background of working in a variety of finance roles across several London Boroughs allows me to bring an additional perspective to the board of trustees, and a prudent financial steer in my role as treasurer. This is a time of change and growth for the organisation and I am excited to work with them and see impact of all their hard work.
Ayesha Casely-Hayford
Ayesha Casely-Hayford is a London born, award-winning voice artist and Off West End Award nominated actress, as well as a practising solicitor at Capsticks LLP specialising in employment, healthcare, and discrimination law. Ayesha is a former chair of The Act For Change Project, a former trustee of Inc Arts, and a founding member of HIV Voices; and is currently working on “Afro Archives UK”, a comparative programme exploring the experience of women with afro-textured hair.
Charlie Josephine
Charlie Josephine is an actor and writer, passionate about making work that centres working class women and queer people. They are an associate artist at the NSDF and the current writer in residence at Headlong Theatre. Their award-winning theatre includes I, Joan, Bitch Boxer, and BLUSH, and they are currently developing a new feature biopic with Salon Pictures. Charlie was last seen on the Globe Theatre’s Sam Wanamaker in Metamorphoses 2021.
Ajeet Jugnauth
In a career spanning over 20 years, Ajeet has worked on community engagement and enterprise support programmes for organisations including the Equality and Human Rights Commission, British Council and the online marketplace, Etsy. He is passionate about social impact in the arts and creative industries and has spent the last decade working with entrepreneurs in the UK and overseas, across the creative sector. Ajeet is currently Director of Curator Community for Sofar Sounds, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a business mentor for UnLtd.
Claire Matthews
Claire Matthews (She/Her) is the Head of Community Services for The Passage in Westminster and has 15 years’ experience working in the homelessness sector.
Prior to her career working with homelessness charities, Claire trained at RCSSD and worked in the arts, delivering forum theatre workshops and educational theatre performances for marginalized groups, and producing a London fringe festival for several years.
She is thrilled to join the board for Cardboard Citizens where her two passions, working with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and the power of theatre, combine so beautifully.
Jenique McNaught - Vice Chair
I joined as a Trustee of the Board because I was keen to support the Cardboard Citizens’ purpose of empowering people with lived experience of homelessness or are vulnerable to become homeless. As a keen supporter of the arts, I also believe in the power of theatre to spark change. I am a management consultant in the financial services sector and I hold a Masters Degree in Business Administration. In my career I have held in various positions in consulting, strategy and business development in South Africa and the UK.
Matthew Xia - Vice Chair
I first worked with Cardboard Citizens 17 years ago on a project in South London. They are a theatre company I hold incredibly dear to my heart – its ethos completely allies with my principles regarding theatre for social change. I am a theatre director (credits include Shebeen, Nottingham Playhouse & Theatre Royal Statford East; Frankenstein, Wish List, Into The Woods, Royal Exchange; Blue/Orange, The Sound Of Yellow, Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, Young Vic & Eclipse; Suckerpunch Boom Suite, Barbican & NitroBeat; Migration Music and Scrappers, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse). I’m a former Associate Director at Stratford East, Resident Director at the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and most recently Associate Artistic Director at the Manchester Royal Exchange.
Member Representatives:
Our Board is also supported by our elected Members Representatives – two individuals elected by our Membership to represent their views at all our Board and strategy meetings.
Our Member Reps are Shahab Awad and Gordon Booker and our Youth Member Rep is Beyonce.
