Harrow Culture Forum Meet the Harrow Culture Forum

Members of the Harrow Culture Forum (HCF) are essential to its operations and activities, playing a vital role in its functioning. As a member, you represent the forum within the local community, engaging with local residents and organisations to build valuable partnerships and enhance the forum's impact.

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Harrow Culture Forum Chair 

Beth Baker - Harrow Arts Centre/Headstone Manor and Museum 

As Chair of the Harrow Culture Forum, Beth brings together members from across Harrow’s diverse cultural sector through monthly meetings, key milestone events and opportunities to connect, collaborate and celebrate the borough’s vibrant cultural landscape. 

Alongside her role with the Forum, Beth is Programme & Marketing Manager for Harrow Arts Centre and Headstone Manor & Museum (Harrow Council), working with production companies across both venues to develop and promote a diverse programme of commercial events and performative activity. She has a special interest in chronic illness advocacy and accessibility enhancement, which informs her work and commitment to creating more inclusive spaces and experiences.

Outside of her arts management roles, Beth is an actor and singer, continuing to work creatively across the wider arts sector.

Harrow Culture Forum Vice-Chair 

Kiki Turner-Brightman - Harrow Arts Centre

Red Square, White writing reading HAC, harrow arts centre written underneath.

Harrow Arts Centre

Based in Hatch End, Harrow Arts Centre (HAC) is the only professional multi-artform venue in the London Borough of Harrow. Throughout the year their thriving arts venue hosts fantastic events encompassing music, theatre, comedy, dance, film and much more. They work in close partnership with many local organisations and community groups to deliver an inclusive, educational and accessible programme of events and activities for the diverse community of Harrow. HCF members who represent Harrow Arts Centre include Bethany Baker and Kiki Turner- Brightman.

Khaki Square Background with a letter that's top half looks like the letter H and bottom part looks like the letter M. To the right of the letter is white font 'Headstone Manor and Museum'

Headstone Manor and Museum

Headstone Manor and Museum (HMM) is a historical site offering a glimpse into Harrow's rich heritage. The free museum showcases a host of exhibitions and collections that highlight the area's history and culture. In addition, the museum also holds numerous family activities and community events throughout the year. These events range from family craft workshops and seasonal trails, to guided tours and historical talks, making HMM a hub for local history and community engagement. HCF members who represent Headstone Manor and Museum include Sara Sarf and Carli-Lyn Vermani.

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Cheryl Gould MRSS

Cheryl is a professional artist, who studied at Harrow School of Art, graduating from Kingston with a BA Hons in Fine Art/Sculpture. She is an experienced tutor hosting weekly liffe classes on Zoom with worldwide groups of artists.Also themed figure drawing workshops mainly at HAC, education venues,on request, and her own studio. She was a Project Manager at the Beacon Centre for youth,and helped facilitate Art In The Park (Boxtree). Cheryl exhibits art work locally, nationally, and internationally. Recently at the International Glass Festival in Stourbridge and with the RSS at Oxford .Her commissions include a 5ft Holocaust Memorial public sculpture. She is currently the President of Harrow Arts Society and founder & active member of Harrow Open Studios. Cheryl is keen to outreach the local community to enable the development and continuation of Visual Arts in Harrow.
www.cheryl-gould.com
IG @artistcherylgould
@artizlifedrawing

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Savan Shah - EPIC

Savan Shah has over 10 years’ experience as a programme manager and creative producer within the arts & culture sector. He is the founder and co-director of a NGO called Every Person Is Capable (EPIC) which focuses on empowering people to achieve their true potential through arts, culture and education. His passion and areas of expertise include youth led civic engagement, community outreach and event management. Savan has programmed and curated various large-scale events which include being the creative director for an Urban Arts Festival in Wembley Park, creative producer for the Harrow Ars Centre Wealdstone Square Project and programme manager for designing a Youth Community Hub Approach within Harrow College. In his free time, his passions including breakdancing and deejaying. Find out more about EPIC at www.everypersoniscapable.com

Nicole Lyster – N L Ceramics

A Local Artist, member of Harrow Culture Forum and Decorum and Chiltern Potters Guild:Nicole Lyster makes HUGE things and tiny things in clay. Some are functional, some are sculptural, and some are just for fun. Nicole works from her garden studio in Harrow, and exhibits annually with her pottery guild, and in the exhibitions she curates in Harrow.

Nicole's main job is caring for her two adult children who have Cystic Fibrosis, which requires 24/7 365 days a year attention.  When she is not in a hospital or doing treatment at home, she can be found in her tiny studio creating with clay, at her computer organising The Celebration of Art and Young Artists open call exhibitions, or helping to manage the Dacorum and Chiltern Potters Guild.

“Art is truly the thing that sets humanity apart. It is more than practicality, more than function, more than beauty, it is an expression of thoughts and feelings, a celebration of things we love and a means by which we tackle things we hate.  It is the arts that raise us above basic levels of survival, that enhance mind, body and soul.  If we do not take time to celebrate art, and appreciate it in all its glorious forms, we are likely to forget what it is to be human”. 

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Raj Kumar - One Enterprise Ltd

One Enterprise Ltd, run by Raj Kumar, is a housing regeneration consultancy based in Harrow. Raj is keen to promote local artists and creatives by supporting consultation and engagement activities during regeneration programmes within the borough.

Dancers on stage performing traditional Indian dance

Srishti – Nina Rajarani Dance Creations

Srishti – Nina Rajarani Dance Creations is resident dance company at Harrow Arts Centre, thriving on the multicultural and diverse fabric of Harrow. Led by award-winning choreographer Nina Rajarani MBE, the company strives to maintain the authenticity of Indian classical dance and music whilst presenting these forms in innovative ways and within contemporary contexts. In this way we create productions that are timely and timeless, appealing to diverse audiences to whom we perform locally, UK-wide and internationally. A unique trait of our work is how Srishti musicians and dancers are choreographed together so that they are all characters in the story.

Srishti – Nina Rajarani Dance School

Srishti – Nina Rajarani Dance School led by Nina Rajarani MBE has had its home at Harrow Arts Centre since it was established in 1991, 33 years ago. Led by a world-class faculty, the school specialises in teaching classical Indian dance forms Bharatanatyam and Kathak in accordance with the highly regarded ISTD dance syllabus, as well as Karnatik vocal music. The school values being part of the rich, diverse yet close-knit Harrow community from where many of the students come, along with those from further afield, across UK and internationally.

A group of children in sports uniforms stand in a hall, following a dance instructor positioned in front of them. Their arms are raised and angled outward in matching poses. The background shows gym equipment, a brick wall, posters, and blue folding screens.

Srishti Yuva Culture

Srishti Yuva Culture is a Harrow based registered charity that is committed to education through creative and artistic activities. Srishti Yuva Culture has almost 18 years of experience delivering professional arts-based projects, reaching people who wouldn’t otherwise have access. Funding has been received to deliver workshops to children/young people in Harrow community centres, PRUs, primary and secondary schools, as well as those in care homes and day care centres, targeting particularly those from low income, disadvantaged, hard-to-reach and vulnerable backgrounds.

Split image showing a woman smiling at the camera on the left and an event space on the right. The woman has short curly hair and is wearing a bright pink top and a necklace. The event space features round tables set with pink napkins, gold-toned tableware, and tall floral centerpieces in a bright room with large windows.

Ophelia Chambers-Henry - Victoria Hall Centre Manager

Victoria Hall in Harrow town centre is a three-year-old modern community hall, with three spaces within. Their ethos is to support local community engagement & activities. They do their utmost to support local charities, social groups, businesses and residents with their varying activities. Activities include warm hubs, community meetings/classes, wellness groups, weddings & ceremonies, workshops and a whole lot more. Each space is a blank canvas for all types of events located on the ground floor. Located on Sheepcote Road, two mins walk from the old Debenhams building. Pop in and have a look around – you’ll be warmly welcomed.

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WeTheSeeds Arts Engagement Agency

Championed by HCF member Rikesh Patel, WeTheSeeds is a Public Arts Engagement Agency, producing and delivering arts installations, campaigns and place making experiences that grow organisations alongside communities.

  • Alex McIntyre - Voluntary Action Harrow
  • Amir Mehdi - Alridha Foundation
  • Andrew Morrison - Visions: Uplift, Inspire & Engage
  • Art Park Wellbeing Studio
  • Ashima Kumar
  • Carli-Lyn Vermani - Headstone Manor & Museum
  • Colette Moscrop
  • Davinia Khan - Fresh Arts Theatre Company
  • Harrow Apollo Male Choir
  • Harrow Open Studios
  • Ishika Biswas - Kalakrishti Cultural Space
  • The Josh Hanson Trust
  • June Cadogan (in memory of)
  • Niranajana Patel
  • Paula Bullent - Harrow Arts Society
  • Rangoli and Ribbons Studio
  • Reviving Links CIC
  • Sara Sarf - Headstone Manor & Museum
  • Shane Wheeler-Osman - Synergy Theatre Project
  • Shireen Morrison - Crowning Greatness
  • Smita Sonthalia - Samarpan Art School
  • Soham London CIC
  • Unique Community
  • Varsha Vijay - SRISHTI - Nina Rajarani Dance Creations
  • Zest of Mind
More Info