©Spaghetti Weston
Creative Estuary is delighted to welcome Sara O’Donnell as the newly appointed Co-Chair of its Advisory Board. Sara brings a wealth of experience in the cultural sector and a passion for making cultural, heritage and creativity opportunities accessible for all.
Sara sits alongside Juliet Can to co-chair our Advisory Board and together, they will drive forward Creative Estuary’s mission to open up creative opportunities, broaden aspirations, and enrich local communities.
We are proud to bring such a rich diversity of skills and vision to our Advisory Board.
Meet our Co-Chairs:
Juliet is Director of Stour Trust, a social enterprise pioneering new models of community-led neighbourhood transformation. She worked at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany, and later joined Clear Thinking Consultancy, working with grassroots organisations to support their financial sustainability and governance.
She has spent over two decades in the creative and cultural sector, delivering affordable workspaces and supporting the Creative Enterprise Zone in Hackney Wick and Fish Island, while working to influence policy at local and national level.
“Over the last three years, it has been a pleasure to be Co-Chair of Creative Estuary. I have been fortunate to see the incredible wealth of ecosystems rooted in cultural and creative production across the Estuary. I am excited by what the future holds as we enter the next phase of our work, and I very much look forward to working with Sara, who brings such a wealth of experience, expertise and vision to this role.”
Sara has worked in local government since 2011 (having come from the museum sector), most recently leading Wandsworth Council’s year as London Borough of Culture.
Her passion is in ensuring that everyone (especially young people) has access to cultural, heritage and creativity opportunities to broaden horizons and aspirations, support health and nurture creative talents.
“I am delighted to become co-chair of Creative Estuary’s Advisory Board alongside Juliet Can. I have been part of the Advisory Board since 2023, and have loved playing my small part in the outstanding work that Creative Estuary have delivered, as outlined in the Evaluation of Creative Estuary Phase 2: 2023-2026 report.
“In the last three years we have already generated over £5.1m in social value, and I’m excited to be part of the team leading Creative Estuary in the next step of the organisation’s evolution as we continue to make a tremendous impact on the creative ecology of the Thames Estuary.”
