We are delighted to announce the appointment of Kirin Saeed and Kully Thiarai to our Board of Directors.

Kirin Saeed has over 30 years’ experience of working in the disability sector as a disability consultant. She focuses on access to museums, galleries, heritage sites and theatres through the use of audio description and access audits. She is also a professional actor trained through Graeae Theatre Company and London Metropolitan University and is the founder of Visually Impaired Creators Scotland, a theatre company for visually impaired performers. Kirin is an avid user of audio description in theatres, cinemas and leisure facilities and hopes that one day access provision will be the norm for all blind and partially sighted people.

Kully Thiarai is Creative Director and CEO of LEEDS 2023 – the city’s international year of culture. Kully is renowned for her bold and ground-breaking work in the performing arts having worked with respected arts organisations across the UK. Her extensive experience includes commissioning, producing and directing work nationally and internationally, developing and nurturing talent and creating opportunities for those who may have little or no access to the arts. Prior to her position at LEEDS 2023, Kully was Artistic Director and Chief Executive of National Theatre Wales and her 30-year career includes being founding Director of Cast in Doncaster and Artistic Director and CEO of Contact Theatre Manchester.

Kully and Kirin will be joining the Board alongside the following Board members: Jean Cameron, Sheelagh Duffield, Claire Evans, Catherine Holden, Mukesh Moorjani, Shereen Nanjiani MBE, Keiran O'Neill, Stephen Sweeney, Michael Urquhart CBE, Eileen Blackburn (co-opted member of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee) and Chair, Jane Spiers.

Full information on the Board of Directors can be found here.