Meet The Board

Matthew
Peters

For 30 years, Matthew Peters has been leaving his mark, both as a performer and manager, in some of the most prestigious concert halls and performing arts centres across North America and Europe. 

After receiving his degree in Cello Performance from Northwestern University (USA), he began his career by becoming the youngest producer of the Chicago Symphony radio broadcasts in their history. Other notable positions in classical music include Midwest & West Coast booking agent for Columbia Artists Management, General Manager of the English Symphony Orchestra, and managing several artists through his own company, ABMC Productions.

Using the name Mad EP, Matthew is also a highly-acclaimed composer, producer, and DJ. His debut single (“When I’m 6”) was selected for legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel’s final broadcast, he has performed at several international festivals (such as Club Transmediale in Berlin, TodaysArts in Den Haag, Elevate in Graz, DEAF in Dublin, and Soukmachines in Montreal), his genre-bending show “Tasty Cyanide Radio” ran on Sub.FM for 6 years, and has featured as a guest artist on tracks by Venetian Snares, DJ Vadim, and Leafcutter John.

Matthew’s passion for interdisciplinary collaborations has led to composing for experimental multimedia theatrical shows in New York and Chicago; innovative interactive web installations and performances; and filmmakers, dancers, and choreographers in the USA, Panama, and UK. Recently, his music was performed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Currently, he is a Senior Lecturer and Curriculum Developer at the Academy of Contemporary Music and regularly leads thought leadership panel discussions examining modern issues facing the creative industries.

Matthew is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (FRSA).

Dharmesh Rajput

Having worked at the BBC for 14 years working across TV, radio, online, live events, Dharmesh now works as an academic leading the BA Media Production at Birmingham City University and is involved in a number of arts and cultural events and runs the Birmingham Indian Film Festival. He has a range of transferable skills with experience including accomplished leadership, strategy writing, digital content creation, project management, change management and diversity.

As head of Birmingham Indian Film Festival, Dharmesh brings a host of talent and independent films from the South Asian diaspora to the city every summer as well as community screenings throughout the year. Arts projects have included Stage Manager for Mandala; a strikingly bold production that pushed South Asian performing arts into new territory, as the result of a collaboration between Sampad and leading arts and technology company, seeper, which was performed in Birmingham and Nottingham as part of the finale to the London 2012 Festival. Dharmesh has also performed comedy and storytelling for The Big Difference Company’s ‘Let’s Be Clear’ comedy project raising awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and ‘Taxi Tours’ for Sampad’s My Route project. This project has evolved into the Migration Stories: Stratford Road Walking Tour that Dharmesh continues to lead.

Donna Makins

Donna trained at Laine Theatre Arts and London Contemporary Dance School and worked as a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer for 15 years. During this time, she also worked as a freelance arts administrator for many years, including positions with National Youth Ballet, Greenwich Dance, Physical Recall Dance Company, Clerkinworks Irish Dance Theatre, Jeanefer Jean Charles and latterly at Stopgap Dance Company.

After a short break to look after her (now not so) small children, Donna worked for over seven years as Culture Officer at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, primarily in artist development and producing Basingstoke Festival, an annual outdoor arts event. In early 2023, Donna moved to become Event Producer of the Culture and Activation Team at the Royal Docks in east London, and is delivering several large scale projects for residents, local creatives and international artists.

Donna still teaches Irish dance part-time at the Royal Ballet School and is chair for a UK charity providing education opportunities for Gambian children.

Clare
Lee Davis

Clare Lee Davis is an independent executive producer and fundraising consultant with a portfolio across dance and film.

Clare studied Theatre Arts at Birmingham University, following which she worked as a make-up designer and supervisor for stage and live events, alongside a parallel career in fundraising, commercial bid writing and pitch design.

With a view that executive production is all about providing the highest level of support for an artist’s vision, Clare supports a variety of clients and collaborators, including Oscar, Emmy and BAFTA winners and nominees and early career creators, to develop partnerships, cultivate investments, seek sponsorship opportunities and build sustainable revenue streams. 

Clare was Fundraising Manager at Dancers’ Career Development from 2017 to 2021 and remains passionate about supporting development of dance artists in their post-performance careers.

Amelia Clarke

Amelia graduated from University of Warwick with a First-Class Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre Studies. She is now an arts programmer specialising in children and young people’s programmes.

In 2023 Amelia was selected to take part in Birmingham Arts School’s Young People on Arts Boards training programme. Since then, she has joined Autin Dance Theatre as an ex officio member of the board.

Amelia’s earlier dance experience involves training on Trinity Laban’s Centre For Advanced Training programme and being a member of National Youth Dance Company where she worked alongside choreographer Russell Maliphant. Consequently, Amelia is passionate about youth involvement in dance and the performing arts and believes they should be an accessible place for all.