The Board

AIDAN GROUNDS – CHAIR

Aidan is Producer and Co-Founder at Rodeo Productions.

He is also a Partner at Tilted Investments; a Trustee for Stage One; and a member of the Advisory Board for The Women’s Prize for Playwriting.

Current productions include Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular (London); & Juliet (UK Tour & Germany); Indigo (Curve Leicester); and House of Life (London & NYC). & Juliet is also currently running on Broadway and on tour across the USA. The show has previously run in Canada, Australia and Singapore.

Rodeo Productions are also developing a number of new projects with world-leading composers, writers and creatives working with companies including The Seelig Group, The Roald Dahl Story Company, Netflix and Let’s Go.

Prior to Rodeo Productions, Aidan was Associate Producer and General Manager at Greene Light Stage where he general managed & Juliet in the West End and produced James Graham, Jake Shears and Elton John’s Tammy Faye.

He was previously Executive Producer at Curve Leicester and he has worked in his hometown of Southampton at both Nuffield Southampton Theatres as Director of Creative Programmes and MAST Mayflower Studios as Creative Producer. He has also worked in the fundraising team at the Young Vic, with music company Air-Edel, and with producer Thelma Holt CBE. He was the inaugural Executive Director of Reading Rep which he started while studying at Oxford University. Aidan has been supported by UnLtd and EY’s Accelerate Programme for social entrepreneurs.

He is proud of his Vincentian and Indian background.

SUZANNE STALLARD – VICE CHAIR AND SAFEGUARDING LEAD

Reading born Suzanne Stallard is an artist, activist, and founder of Jelly, an award winning Arts charity established in Reading in 1993, and in April 2023 Jelly became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Jelly is an organisation built on artists nurturing and developing each other; embedding creative excellence into our diverse community. Jelly acts as a catalyst, making space for art every day, elevating and celebrating creative work, and giving it a platform to be seen and heard.

As an artist, Suzanne works collaboratively with Laura De Moxom, as part of Bold and Tender Collective, making site specific work within the community across the country.

Since 2019, she has been working with Andrew Darnton, as a creative activist including experimenting with performances as protests, both for Extinction Rebellion and Ocean Rebellion. Coverage includes numerous Photos of the Day in The Guardian, The Sunday Times Photos of the Year (twice), front pages inc The Sun and the Glasgow Herald, and globally including New York Times and Washington Post, alongside all major TV channels. Since then, working with Andrew, Suzanne has been developing a programme of art interventions with artists and musicians, which can tell the truth about the emergency, and anticipate what lies beyond it.

ALAN STACEY

Alan became the Executive Director of Headlong Theatre Company in July 2016 and was previously Director of Development and Commercial Investment at the Young Vic, and Managing Director of Young Vic Films working alongside Artistic Director David Lan. Alan’s previous roles at the Young Vic include Executive Director (Sabbatical Cover), with shows including the acclaimed A View from the Bridge and A Streetcar Named Desire, and Director of Marketing and Press. Before that he was Marketing and Sales Manager at Bill Kenwright Ltd, with responsibility for marketing dozens of touring shows and several in the West End.

JONATHAN HOLLEY

A senior executive with experience in engaging and galvanising people around transformation and delivery of Innovation and technology. Currently Transformation Director of Breaking Barriers Innovations, and recently Interim MD of Ways into Work CIC, Jonathan’s background is in IT, Property, FM, Supported Employment for people with disabilities, Management Consultancy at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Business Leadership. Jonathan has designed and delivered innovative change and transformation programmes within the public and private sectors including FMCG, Retail, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Financial Services and Government across EMEA and Asia.

PAUL NEWMAN – ACTIVATE LEARNING REPRESENTATIVE

Paul is on the Group Executive Team of Activate Learning. Activate Learning is a forward-thinking and employment-focused educational group that brings together further and higher education, secondary schools, apprenticeships, training and consultancy for business as well as commercial enterprise. Paul has worked in teaching and management roles at Reading College for over six years, and has an MSc in Applied Management from the University of Reading.

JUDITH FOSS

Judith joined the Board in August 2021.  With extensive executive level experience across both the private and not-for-profit sectors, previous roles include Executive Director of HR with Guide Dogs and Executive Director of People and Culture with Catalyst Housing.  Awards include the “Brand, Purpose and Values” Business Culture Award and she is a member of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.  Other current roles include Board Vice Chair and Chair of the People.  She has lived in the Reading area for many years and is passionate about the role that the arts and culture can play in transforming lives and local communities.

TARIQ RIFAAT

Tariq is Managing Director of Steeldeck Rentals Ltd. who provide temporary demountable staging and seating solutions for the live events industry including theatre, festivals, TV & film, and fashion shows. Tariq previously worked in the theatre industry for over 30 years in Production and Stage Management. As a full-time member of staff at the National Theatre from 2015-2021, Tariq production managed over 20 productions under Rufus Norris’ artistic leadership, including People, Places & Things, Angels in America, Amadeus, and Small Island. Previously he was Production Manager at the Royal Court for 8 years and has also worked as a freelance Production Manager in the West End and at several producing theatres around London including the Young Vic, Kiln Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe. Tariq began his career as a Stage Manager, working in theatres across the country as well as touring productions internationally, most notably Riverdance. Tariq often mentors students and young professionals training in Production Management and Technical Theatre to help support and develop the next generation of theatre technicians.

PREVIOUS BOARD MEMBERS

Thelma Holt CBE

Laura Gater

Alexandra Rowlands

Siobhan White

Emma Donald

Ian Germer

Natasha Ratter

Alexandra Dewis

Donna Pentelow

Nicky Jones

Piers Elliott