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Meet our Trustees
We are only as strong as the people behind the scenes who guide, support and challenge us to be our best. Our Trustees play a vital role in shaping the direction of GCT, helping us deliver high-quality work and make a positive impact in our community. Find out more about the our Trustees.
Amy Golding
Amy Golding is an award winning theatre director and cultural leader. Having lived and worked in the north east for the last 24 years. She founded Newcastle based theatre company Curious Monkey, where she was Artistic Director and joint CEO for 12 years. Curious Monkey was the region's first Theatre of Sanctuary championing the arts and sanctuary movement in the north east and UK wide. Amy works closely with people seeking sanctuary as refugees and asylum seekers, young people in the care system and other individuals and communities who live within challenging systems over which they have little control, to create long-term, meaningful creative programmes and new theatre. At the heart of her practice is care and building trust. Curious Monkey productions toured nationally and internationally, taking work as far as South Africa, where she worked extensively. Amy completed a Clore Fellowship in Cultural Leadership where she worked at the Young Vic and RTYDS (Regional Theatres Young Directors Scheme). Amy is a long standing trustee at GCT and has also been a board member at Alphabetti Theatre. She now works as a freelance director, writer, facilitator and consultant.
Neil Forrest
Neil joined Gosforth Civic Theatre as a Trustee in 2019 having previous charity experience over 6 years as a trustee of a local hospice and as a director of their trading company.
Neil is the Group Commercial Director of a private equity backed financial services and risk management business having originally set up the Newcastle office of this organisation in 2013. He lives in the Gosforth area with his wife, 2 boys and a Labrador. Neil is passionate about supporting Newcastle United and when not at St James park you will usually find him stood in a field supporting his youngest son who plays football for 2 local teams.
Duncan Sellars
Hello! My name is Duncan Sellers. I became the Treasurer Trustee at Liberdade in October 2025. Before I retired in October 2023, I was a senior finance manager within the NHS for over 30 years. I grew up in East Cleveland, near the coast and the North Yorkshire moors. I have lived in Newcastle for over 40 years. I have a wife, 2 grown up children and a dog. I regularly cycle and run as well as walk my dog. I like watching bands at music gigs. I like watching local non-league football matches. I also volunteer for some other charities too.
Ed Denham
Ed is a founding member of Liberdade Community Development Trust since 2003. Ed leads on the Shadow Board to be the spokesperson of the company members. He also loves performing in our annual Freedom Moving and Engage productions.
Ed likes to help at GCT events particularly our New Year's Eve party and Annual Beer Festival. Ed is born and bred in Newcastle. He enjoys shopping, visiting South Shields in the summer and being out in the community.
Helen Walkinshaw
Helen Walkinshaw brings over 15 years of music industry experience, alongside senior
management, creative development, and community engagement expertise, to the Board of Trustees. With a strong background in the creative industries, Helen has worked with
multiple North East cultural institutions, including The Glasshouse Centre for Music and
Generator North East, holding pivotal roles including Head of Creative Development, Festival Director and Talent Development Manager. Her expertise spans financial management, fundraising, project leadership, and inclusivity, ensuring that creative initiatives are accessible and impactful; she’s excited to apply her strategic insight and creative vision to Gosforth Civic Theatre's Board of Trustees.
Helen's commitment to community and the third sector is evident through her extensive work across the North East and beyond, where she has gained advocacy experience working with marginalised and underrepresented communities; leading collaborative projects that connect multidisciplinary creatives, foster inclusivity, and support the growth of emerging talent. Her experience with large-scale event coordination and an authentic passion for platforming underrepresented voices, align perfectly with Gosforth Civic Theatre's mission.
In addition to these professional achievements, Helen is actively involved in vocational
endeavours including public speaking, mentoring, and workshop facilitation; in 2024 she has co-founded Index; further demonstrating her dedication to nurturing talent and advocating for positive change in the creative community. Helen is also an active recording, touring and performing artist and currently an artist in residence at The New Bridge Project.
Simeon Ripley
As the Chief Executive of The Linskill North Tyneside Development Trust, I have significantly raised the profile of the organisation to the point where the Trust is held up as an example developing enterprising income leading as a self-sustaining Charity. The success of the Trust has led to the charity completing multiple community asset transfers in North Tyneside and is leading best practice in charitable sustainability at national level, demonstrating what can be achieved through community asset transfer.
I have a BA (Hons) in Human Geography and MSc in Urban Regeneration, with extensive knowledge of and a proven track developing and running enterprising community organisations, businesses and venue management for the past 20 years. My key strengths lie in funding applications, financial management, strategic planning, staff and volunteer management and maximising income generation through enterprising activities.
I have recently been a member of the community business panel and grants committee for Power to Change and completed the Common Purpose Leadership programme. I also speak at regional and national conferences sharing my experience in successful and sustainable community asset transfers
Lorna Snowball
Lorna is a strategic communications specialist with significant experience in the arts and non-profit sector.
Working for The Glasshouse International Centre for Music she led on targeted engagement plans for business sponsorships, major donor and stakeholder relationships. She is now the External Affairs Lead for Northern Powergrid, one of the biggest employers in the North East.
During her time in politics, Lorna worked in the press office for The Labour Party in Westminster and Newcastle, working closely with the Leader’s Office and the Shadow Cabinet on national and regional media strategies. As a producer, she worked on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and This Morning, and was a columnist for Archant Media’s North London publications.
Kelly Rhys Jones
Kelly, has over 25 years of human resources experience and is currently the Chief People Officer at Quotient Sciences. Kelly has previously worked in pharmaceutical, oil and gas, banking and healthcare organisations, joining Quotient Sciences through the acquisition of Arcinova in 2021. Kelly has significant experience in all key areas of HR and organisational development including HR delivery transformation activities and complex business change and organisation development programs. Kelly lives in Gosforth with her family, is a Guide Leader and passionate about supporting GCT in her role as Trustee
Jo Blackett
TBC
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