Trustees and management

Alan Boldon has held senior appointments in the arts, academia and charities. He is also an artist, curator and writer.

As an artist Alan has exhibited throughout Europe and given lectures and keynote addresses throughout the world. He spent many years working on interdisciplinary projects and for 12 years directed an international arts summer school in Luxembourg devoted to exploring interdisciplinary engagement with place. He has a BA in Art and Social Context and an MA in Psychological Aesthetics.

In 2009 he was made an honorary fellow of Winchester School of Art for his work in pushing the boundaries of arts practice. He was artist-fellow in the Faculty of Engineering at Bristol University; Academician of the Academy of Urbanism; and is an active fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

More recently he worked at the University of Brighton, starting in 2012 as head of research and deputy head of the School of Arts, Design and Media, before taking roles as head of school and then director of cultural engagement and innovation for the university.

Having studied at Dartington College of Arts in the 1980s, Alan returned to establish the arts and ecology programme at Dartington in 2000. The powerful pull of the place, along with a deep commitment to the values of Dartington Trust, drew Alan back in October 2018 as executive director of learning. He took on the role of CEO in 2021.

My career has been entirely in arts management. I was driven by the desire to be part of the world that helps connect artists and audiences, and create opportunities for people to engage with the arts. I studied Fine Art and have a BA Hons in Arts Practice and Cultural Policy, but have worked mainly in music organisations.

I worked in a cultural centre in France and then in London for 10 years. At Blackheath Halls I worked in administration, box office and then operations. As Operations Manager I was responsible for the commercial hires of the venue, and the delivery of the concert programme and events. When we merged with Trinity College of Music I took a role there in Project Management. I then worked at the Royal Opera House as a Major Donor Manager, looking after various campaigns and donors as well as the Endowment fund and legacy campaign.

In 2009 I moved back to Devon to be the Programme Manager of the Dartington Music Summer School & Festival and was appointed Creative Director in March 2021.

I grew up here at Dartington, my parents worked at the College of Art and the boarding school, and I went to Dartington Primary and KEVICC, so this is really home for me, and also for my young children, to whom I am a solo mum.

Lord Triesman’s outstanding career in politics, finance, education, publishing and fine art and his unwavering commitment to public service equip him singularly well to lead the Dartington Trust as we approach our centenary celebrations in 2025. 

He is a co-founder of the Clean Growth Network, and has chaired and served on boards of a number of charities and companies, including as trustee of the children’s charity Bounce Forward, Governor of the Capital Colleges Group and Chair of the Football Association. He is currently Senior Visiting Research Fellow at Cambridge University. He has considerable financial expertise, being Group Director of Salamanca Group and having served on the Boards of Havin Bank, Templewood Merchant Bank and the UBS Advisory Board. In political life, he was responsible for the Prime Minister’s political organisation under Tony Blair, and subsequently served as Under Secretary of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, and has held ministerial roles in Energy, Business, Higher Education and Europe. He was also General Secretary of the Association of University Teachers.

Lord Triesman said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to chair the Dartington Trust. Dartington is truly unique. It brings together excellent art and design and, increasingly, innovative holistic work in social and environmental sciences and ecology. Its contribution to a just and sustainable future is legendary.”

Emma brings a wealth of experience to Dartington. An independent arts advisor and programmer, she works in the cultural sector with a range of partners including the BBC and Big Pulse Dance Alliance (Creative Europe). She currently focuses on professional development for artists and cultural workers.

As artistic director and chief executive of the international dance festival, Dance Umbrella (2013-2021), Emma focused on broadening definitions of choreography and taking performing arts out to places where people live and work.

Previously Emma was artistic programmer at Sadler’s Wells (2005-13), where she established the Research Programme and strands such as Family Weekend and the artist-curated Wild Card, which continue to this day.  She has worked extensively with the British Council, Southbank Centre, The Place and the Rolex Mentor Protégé programme. Previously Emma danced for many years with Arlene Phillips, Lea Anderson’s The Cholmondeleys, and co-founded Adventures in Motion Pictures with Sir Matthew Bourne.

Emma regularly works as a mentor and speaker, most recently in India, China and Chile and has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Trinity Laban and a Tonic Award recognising outstanding women in the arts. She was awarded an OBE for Services to Dance in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours. In addition to Dartington Hall, Emma is a trustee of the arts and health charity Aesop, and Chair of Siobhan Davies Dance.

Amanda is the chair and co-founder of Corporate Citizenship – a leading international sustainability management consultancy. Amanda’s career began in the voluntary sector, focusing on policy and advocacy, before she moved into the business sector in the NatWest Group as director of community affairs, and later director of CSR – the first such role in a FTSE 100 company.

Amanda has held many third sector roles such as chair of the National Literacy Trust and trustee of the Money Advice Service. She has held regulatory roles such as independent director of the Banking Code Standards Board and chair of IWF – a unique early self-regulator of ISPs – and also maintained her links to public policy as an advisor to the Social Exclusion Unit (1997-2001) and the New Deal Advisory Group.

Amanda has been involved in funding issues as a founder Board member of the National Lottery Community Fund and chair of the Baring Foundation, which then lead to her chairing the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) until 2018. Amanda currently chairs the #iwill Fund – a collaboration between The Lottery, Government and private funders to promote and support youth social action. She remains Vice President of the National Literacy Trust.

Chris was a senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers prior to retiring from that firm in December 2019. Whilst at PwC, he was office senior partner for the Norwich and then the West London offices and led for many years the firm’s private business practice across the south east, including advising organisations of all sizes on effective governance. He is a trustee of Transforming Education Norfolk, The Forum Trust in Norwich and the Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust. He is also chair of West London Business, the business representation body for that region, where he has acted as an advocate of business as a force for good and promoted the effective collaboration of business and the charity sector to provide a meaningful impact on the lives of people in the local community. He has a life-long interest in the power of education to allow young people to maximise their potential, whatever their background, and has a keen interest in the sustainability of agriculture at all scales of activity, given the challenges of global warming.

Rachel has over 30 years of experience in marketing and communications.  She has spent the last 15 years leading the brand and marketing at Riverford Organic Farmers, a highly successful and values-driven organisation a few fields away from the Dartington estate.

Brand and customer insight have always been the area of marketing closest to Rachel’s heart and she knows the importance of understanding an organisation’s brand, sharing a sense of it with all stakeholders, internal and external, and remaining true to it through thick and thin.

Before joining Riverford, Rachel spent 20 years at a London-based agency specialising in customer insight, brand and marketing.

Responding to her appointment, Rachel said: “Dartington has been a part of my life since I was a child. It has shaped the character of the community I live in.  It has provided a rich and beautiful backdrop – both natural and cultural – which I, along with many other locals, have enjoyed and probably taken too much for granted.  I look forward to playing a part in helping Dartington thrive for coming generations”

Glenn studied astrophysics, and then went on to study for a PhD in mathematics of biological systems (but didn’t quite finish this). From there Glenn has had a very varied career in software, quantitative trading, general banking, venture capital and as an entrepreneur.

In parallel Glenn has always had an interest in music, food and the natural world. “My desire is to understand how the natural world can form the core of a good life which is also economically viable. I have a number of charity and educational directorships, and I bring this perspective (I hope) to them all – how can we move to a more sustainable world. That doesn’t mean that financial experience isn’t important as well – it very much is.”

More significant recent roles Glenn has held include: Founder of Sparx maths education, Founder of Low Carbon Group, Founder of Exeter City Futures, Director of Oxygen House, Owner/Chairman of City Science, Trustee of the University of Exeter and Governor of Exeter College. Glenn is also a fellow of the Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy.

Victor became chair of the NHS Confederation in April 2020. Before this, he was chief executive of Turning Point, a social enterprise.

He is a non-executive director of the Co-Operative Group, Collaborate CIC, Nuffield Health, Visionable and Leadership in Mind. He is also the chair of Social Enterprise UK. Victor served for six years as a non-executive director on the board of NHS England. He has chaired a number of commission reports into: policing; employment; mental health; housing and fairness for The London Fairness Commission; the Metropolitan Police; and for central and local government. He was awarded a CBE for services to the unemployed and homeless people and became a crossbench peer in 2001.

Victor is a visiting Professor and Chancellor at the University of Lincoln; an honorary member of the Institute of Psychiatry; President of The International Association of Philosophy and Psychiatry and a Governor at The London School of Economics.

Victor has an MA in Advanced Organisational Consulting from Tavistock Institute and City University.

Julia Unwin was chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust from 2007 until December 2016.

She was a member of the Housing Corporation Board for 10 years and a charity commissioner from 1998-2003. Julia was also deputy chair of the Food Standards Agency and worked as an independent consultant, for 15 years, operating within government and the voluntary and corporate sectors. She has researched and written extensively on issues relating to philanthropy, the voluntary sector, and its relationship with government and has written several books, the most recent of which is entitled “Why Fight Poverty?” which was published in November 2013.

She previously held a position as chair of the Refugee Council from 1995 until 1998, and is currently a member of the University of York’s Council, where she is a pro-chancellor and a governor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. In 2010 Julia was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Award in the Charity Awards and was awarded a Fellowship of the City and Guilds of London Institute in June 2012.

Julia chairs the Institute for Social Renewal advisory board at the University of Newcastle as well as being a member of the Advisory Board for Policy Scotland, at the University of Glasgow. Julia is also on the advisory board of the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge.

In January 2016 Julia was appointed as an independent non-executive director of Mears Group Plc. She has Honorary Doctorates from the University of South Wales and from York St John University, and in 2016 was made a provincial canonry by the Archbishop of York.

Follow Julia on Twitter @juliaunwin

Victor became chair of the NHS Confederation in April 2020. Before this, he was chief executive of Turning Point, a social enterprise.

He is a non-executive director of the Co-Operative Group, Collaborate CIC, Nuffield Health, Visionable and Leadership in Mind. He is also the chair of Social Enterprise UK. Victor served for six years as a non-executive director on the board of NHS England. He has chaired a number of commission reports into: policing; employment; mental health; housing and fairness for The London Fairness Commission; the Metropolitan Police; and for central and local government. He was awarded a CBE for services to the unemployed and homeless people and became a crossbench peer in 2001.

Victor is a visiting Professor and Chancellor at the University of Lincoln; an honorary member of the Institute of Psychiatry; President of The International Association of Philosophy and Psychiatry and a Governor at The London School of Economics.

Victor has an MA in Advanced Organisational Consulting from Tavistock Institute and City University.

Julia Unwin was chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust from 2007 until December 2016.

She was a member of the Housing Corporation Board for 10 years and a charity commissioner from 1998-2003. Julia was also deputy chair of the Food Standards Agency and worked as an independent consultant, for 15 years, operating within government and the voluntary and corporate sectors. She has researched and written extensively on issues relating to philanthropy, the voluntary sector, and its relationship with government and has written several books, the most recent of which is entitled “Why Fight Poverty?” which was published in November 2013.

She previously held a position as chair of the Refugee Council from 1995 until 1998, and is currently a member of the University of York’s Council, where she is a pro-chancellor and a governor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. In 2010 Julia was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Award in the Charity Awards and was awarded a Fellowship of the City and Guilds of London Institute in June 2012.

Julia chairs the Institute for Social Renewal advisory board at the University of Newcastle as well as being a member of the Advisory Board for Policy Scotland, at the University of Glasgow. Julia is also on the advisory board of the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge.

In January 2016 Julia was appointed as an independent non-executive director of Mears Group Plc. She has Honorary Doctorates from the University of South Wales and from York St John University, and in 2016 was made a provincial canonry by the Archbishop of York.

Follow Julia on Twitter @juliaunwin