Alex Ferguson, Executive Director
Alex (He/Him) is a Liverpool-based producer, interested in art as activism, personal/societal change through radical arts. When he’s not at Homotopia, he is the host and producer of A Lovely Word Festival and monthly spoken word night, based at the Liverpool Everyman. His freelance producing credits include; progressive brass band Perhaps Contraption’s Nearly Human (“Completely extraordinary” BBC 6 Music), and Majid Mehdizadeh’s YMAM (Young Man’s Angry Movement) (**** Guardian,**** Stage), Felix Mufti’s be gay do crime by Transcend Theatre.
At Homotopia Alex leads on: community projects, organisational growth, artist development (main contact for QueerCore), fundraising (main contact for adverts, sponsors, donors), and parts of the festival programme that we produce in-house.
Alice Holland, Festival Programmer
Alice (she/they) is a creative producer and artist with 20 years’ experience working in nightlife, festivals, disability arts, radio and fundraising. Previous curation projects include Powerhouse Queer Arts Bender, The Sistxrhood (“Glastonbury’s most crucial venue” NME) and ArtWank (“a gloriously squelchy one-off” The Erotic Review) As her cabaret alter ego Ophelia Bitz she enjoyed a 2 year residency at Madame Jojos and awards from The Outsiders Trust and OldVicNewVoices. Outside of work, Alice enjoys martial arts, charity shops and fireworks displays.Olivia Graham, Marketing and Development Manager
Olivia Graham (She/Her) is an activist, visual/audio artist and marketing expert from and based in Liverpool. When Olivia moved back to Liverpool in 2015, disheartened by the lack of equality in Liverpool’s art scene, Olivia founded an arts organisation aimed at reclaiming creative spaces through intersectional feminism and has continued to play a role in challenging the exclusion of marginalised creatives.
Outside of Homotopia Olivia writes fiction, plays music, and freelances as a producer and editor on a variety of series of podcasts that platform marginalised voices. Olivia supports Liverpool Football Club.
At Homotopia Olivia leads on: Marketing and Development including social media, Homotopia print publications, audience growth, engagement and development and marketing partnerships. Contact her for any marketing related enquires.
Email: olivia@homotopia.net
Josiah Worth, Creative Partnerships Producer
Josiah (he/him) is a freelance Producer / Event Manager working in Liverpool for the past 11 years. He has an extensive catalogue of managing and creating programmes of events at iconic venues such as Sefton Park Palm House and Liverpool Cathedral. More recently he has curated a UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Exhibition, delivered a commemorative mural of the hyper-pop icon SOPHIE and has also produced the opening procession of Shakespeare North Playhouse + the first show on their main stage ‘As You Write it’.Exceptionally interested in immersive installations, performance art as activism and the intersection of working class identities and queer culture.
At Homotopia Josia leads on: Producing Eurovision cultural commission and other projects.
Email: Josiah@homotopia.net
Jess Gallie-Daly, Marketing Officer
Jess (she/her) is a visual artist, digital creative and marketing officer from Liverpool. After working on multiple marketing campaigns and running companies’ socials, Jess likes to be able to give conversations, communities and events a face through different forms of media and digital platforms. Outside of Homotopia, Jess works as the digital creative and events supervisor at Lush Liverpool.
At Homotopia Jess works on: Marketing, specifically social media and website.
Email: jess@homotopia.net
Al Matthews, Finance Officer
Al Matthews is Liverpool born and bred and is an experienced Finance Manager/Officer. Al has worked for various Liverpool arts organisations since 1993. These include Unity Theatre, Bluecoat, TEAM and Milap. He has been with Homotopia since its inception in 2004, so has a unique insight into Homotopia’s journey. He is an avid (some say obsessive) Liverpool fan, and a big music fan. From Abba to Zappa and many points in between, and in his younger days was a frequent gig and festival goer.
At Homotopia Al leads on: All things Finance
Email: accounts@homotopia.net
Board of Trustees
Jess Shannon (Chair)
Jess Shannon (She/Her) is a queer trans woman passionate about LGBTQ+ rights. She is an experienced operations director and software consultant who has been part of the Liverpool business and queer scenes for 20 years. She has previously served as trustee for a number of charities and was Chair of the board of the Michael Causer Foundation. She is also part of the organising committee for Liverpool Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil.
Danny Kilbride (Deputy Chair)
Danny is a filmmaker and the Creative Director at Thinking Film, a Social Enterprise that exists to provide people & communities, across Merseyside, with a voice. Telling stories that challenge the way people see the world.
Andrew Bullock
Andrew is a gay, socialist, feminist, Christian. He has a liking for patterned shirts, playing the ukulele and painting his nails. When he is not painting his nails he works as Senior Exhibitions Officer at National Museums Liverpool, where in the past he has held marketing roles.
Cheryl Martin
Cheryl is a Washington, D.C born poet, playwright and director, and Co-Artistic Director of Manchester’s Black Gold Arts Festival. Her past roles include as Guest Curator for Homotopia 2018, a former Associate Director for New Writing/New Work at Contact (In Manchester), and Director-in-Residence at Edinburgh’s Traverse.
Joan Burnett
Joan is a Merseysider born and bred and has worked in customer service in arts venues for over 30 years, currently as visitor services manager at FACT. Former volunteer on Liverpool’s Outsiders Queer Film Festival from 2006, she later spent 9 years as a Director/Trustee of Liverpool Pride. She currently volunteers for Liverpool City Region Pride as a programmer for Film With Pride, focusing on new and classic films from around the world with the accent on making diverse voices heard. She is hugely honoured to join the Board of Homotopia which she never ceases to find essential, inspiring and moving.
James Lawler
James Lawler is a curator and events organiser. He works as one half of DuoVision with Martin Green to highlight undervalued artists, older artists, and LGBTQ+ artists.
For the past 4 years they have been running The Gallery Liverpool, where they have shown premier exhibitions by a variety of musicians, artists and designers including Jarvis Cocker, Marc Almond and Pam Hogg. They have recently curated exhibitions in London, Paris, Belfast, and Stoke – on – Trent.
Sinéad Nunes
Sinéad is a writer, editor and marketer based in Liverpool, with a keen interest in accessibility and diversifying audiences. As an arts marketing professional, Sinéad has worked with institutions across the North West, including Abandon Normal Devices, Liverpool Biennial, FACT, Tate Liverpool, Storyhouse and The Reader Organisation. Outside of work, Sinéad is Regional Editor (Merseyside & Cheshire) for arts criticism magazine Corridor 8, as well as working with local queer organisations to produce and stage manage grassroots drag and burlesque events.
Stephen Welsh
