DaDa is committed to keeping our board fresh with creative ideas and balanced with diverse representation of our disabled community along with a robust mix of skills to steer the organisation forward.
This year we celebrated our 40th anniversary with DaDaFest International 40, and we are continuing the celebration by welcome some new trustees to help steer the organisation through the next phase of development.
Who are the new board members?
Gill Hayes
Gill is a returning board member for DaDa, having served on the board in the early days of the organisation. Gill worked in criminal justice all of her career. She has been actively involved in promoting disability equality, using lived experience as a visually impaired person.
Maisy Gordon
Maisy is the Co-CEO and executive producer of Tip Tray Theatre, a disabled-led arts organisation who work alongside emerging and underrepresented artists to broaden opportunities. Maisy has a background in performing and writing within theatre. She also works at 20 Stories High as their Communications & Campaigns Coordinator and has recently started to provide freelance access consultancy.
Richard Jones
Richard has a rich background in advocacy and leadership. He is currently a Trustee for Wakefield and District Society for Deaf People and serves as the Centre Manager of Warrington and District Society for Deaf People since May 2024. His previous roles include being a Trustee for Disability Sports Wales and Cardiff Citizens Advice Bureau, and he has a history with DaDa as a part-time project coordinator from 2009 to 2010. He is Deaf and a British Sign Language user.
New Chair Announced
As part of our board refresh, we are also delighted to announce that trustee Mandy Redvers-Rowe has agreed to step into the role of Chair of the board.
Mandy Redvers-Rowe is one of DaDa’s earliest serving board members, Edinburgh TV Festival nominated writer and Access Consultant who writes for TV, radio and stage. Mandy previously worked as a Youth Theatre Director with The Liverpool Playhouse, was course tutor for Solid Foundations at LIPA, Applied Theatre Lecturer at Hope University, and Head of Participation at Collective Encounters. As a blind writer, Mandy is keen to place characters with a different lived experience at the heart of her dramas.
And a Huge 'Thank You!'
We would also like to thank our retiring board members for their dedicated service and support - Alison Breadon, Erin Pritchard, Hormoz Ahmadzadeh and Chair Robert Martin.