Trustees

The Acorn Arts Centre has an active and engaged Board of Trustees who, together with representatives of our funders, work closely with the Centre Director and her team to manage the Arts Centre and develop future plans.

Below are brief biographies of our volunteer Board of Trustees.

Alan Beevor

Director of wine merchant Mount's Bay Wine Company based in Penzance, a Chartered Accountant who spent his career first in Industry, then in the international Venture Capital market with 3i Group plc. Alan is Treasurer for the charity.

Erica Duggan

Bernard du Sautoy

Work background: Experience in quality assurance and quality systems. Developed and validated software in early days for computer systems manufacturer and with users. Worked in UK based company with customers world wide and then in independent business unit; finally part-time freelance. Enjoying retirement.

Tessa Garside

Studied at Penzance Art School and acted for three years at the Minack in Rowena Cade's time.  On graduation trained as a jeweller, exhibiting nationally and internationally, including with Goldsmiths and the Arts Council.  Taught jewellery at the university, adult education college and Cancer Care in Lancaster.  Retrained as a counsellor and Expressive Arts Therapist, working at Cancer Care and St John's Hospice for twenty years.  Given workshops and designed art exhibitions at Cancer conferences nationally.  Also facilitated publication of three books by Cancer Care clients.  In summer 2007 received a Millennium Grant to set up Expressive Arts Therapy workshops in Penwith

Phil Jackson

Born in Penwith and lived here throughout his life. Performed in amateur theatre throughout '80s and 90's - now retired from the stage!! Theatre Manager of The Minack Theatre on the cliffs at Porthcurno for the last 16 years with responsibliity for programming, PR, IT and many other things. Trustee of the Cornish Theatre Collective.

Susanne McNab

Born in Devon. B.A.(Hons), Ph.D. Trinity College, Univ.of Dublin. Art Historian & retired lecturer, course co-ordinator and Board member, the National College of Art & Design, Dublin. Early career in gallery management. She has published on early medieval and contemporary Irish art. Now based in Mousehole & Dublin. Trustee of the Cornish Maritime Trust & Chair of the Education Committee to its Board. She has written & produced a documentary film for the CMT recently.

Denzil Monk

Denzil is a writer, producer and cultural social entrepreneur. Currently Denzil is employed by RiO Community Interest Company as a Lead Developer, with responsibility for digital media developments for young people in Cornwall and Plymouth and as Senior Producer for Chew TV - ‘a communication channel for a connected generation'. He is Chair of Cornwall Film Festival , a founding Director of awen productions CIC ; a Director of film & theatre production company o-region ; a Director of the Creative Kernow Partnership board; lectures in scriptwriting and media production for Combined University of Cornwall, is an Arts Award Advisor and Moderator and was recently elected Chair of Fresh Media Collective , the regional network for youth media organisations across the SW.

Joan Porter- Butler

Joan is Director of Porter-Butler Associates, Human Resources Consultancy. Based in Falmouth she works with a range of clients throughout the UK. Her HR experience has developed as a result of working in global corporations including Thomas Cook, American Express and Gap Inc. before moving into Consultancy in 2005. Joan provides guidance on HR and employment legislation to the Acorn. As well as making a difference in her clients' organisations Joan's passions include, literature, art, theatre, music and travelling.

Steve Revill

Colin Rogers

Managing Director, Deco Films & Television Ltd., based near Penzance. Has worked as a producer, director, writer and company executive in UK film and tv industry, including running network drama departments in ITV and BBC TV. Founding executive of Meridian Broadcasting Ltd.. Set up and ran Cornwall Film Fund 2000-03, then ran the world's largest media health campaign (on HIV/AIDS) as Director (India), BBC World Service Trust, 2003-5. Headed similar DFID-funded project in 2007 as Country Director, Nigeria, BBC WST. Director, National Association for Literature Development 2005-6. Lecturer, MA in Professional Writing, University College Falmouth since 2005. Fellow of Royal Television Society and Royal Society of Arts. Director, Media Centre for Cornwall Ltd.; Board member, Cornwall Film Festival; Director (co-opted), Mencap (Royal Mencap Society Ltd.); Governor, Mencap National Colleges; Director (non-executive) and Vice-Chairman, Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly NHS Primary Care Trust. Occasional glass-collector, Acorn Arts Centre.

Barbara Smith

Freelance PR consultant, project and event manager, corporate company secretary. community arts co-ordinator and former corporate community affairs manager, Barbara is now based in Penwith but has clients throughout the UK. She trained initially as a linguist and has more than 25 years' business experience with companies such as British Steel (now Corus); Sedgwick (now Marsh); Rolls-Royce and Thomas Cook. She is currently chair of trustees of circus education charity, Cirque du Ciel, and is chair of the Trustees of the Acorn Arts Centre.

Sue Turner