Meet The Team

We have a small team of staff, supported by a dedicated group of volunteers.

Our Staff
Our Trustees

Staff

Jackie Sanctuary

Operations Director

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I have volunteered as a day Duty Manager, responsible for the Centre whilst on duty. I joined the Board of Trustees in July 2022, and at the request of the Board, started the role of Operations Director in October 2022, with overall responsibility for the operational and volunteer team. I very much look forward to working with everyone. 
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
I worked in insurance / finance for multinationals for 35 years, retiring in 2021.  
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
Cranleigh Youth Music Club volunteer, member of inaugural Cranleigh FC Women’s Team, enjoy walking, film / theatre, and travel. 
jackie@cranleigharts.org

Sophie Woods

Artistic Director

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I oversee the artistic direction and operation of the organisation and develop and deliver the program.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
I spent my formative years producing video content for global brands and then moved in to working in design for PR agencies.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
Can be found walking or cycling through the countryside. I enjoy all things creative, social and travel.

sophie@cranleigharts.org

Jo Edge

Volunteer and Community Coordinator

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I am the Volunteer and Community Coordinator and work two days a week looking after our wonderful volunteers.
Life pre- Cranleigh Arts
My work at Cranleigh Arts blends with my work as a restorer of antique gilt frames. I am also a furniture refinisher which I have done for over thirty years.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
I enjoy the theatre, films, books, art galleries and antiques. I love to travel and have a taste for big adventures.
jo@cranleigharts.org

Clive Jones

Volunteer Coordinator & FOH Manager

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I help to manage and recruit some of our great volunteers and also act as the Front of House manager.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
Previously I worked for Terrence Conran, owned a couple of shops and a nightclub in Manchester and spent 20 years running a very large superstore in the north.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
Now that I have retired to Cranleigh I am exploring my new area along with doing other voluntary work and spending time with my lovely family.
clivej@cranleigharts.org

Jane Heathcott

Event Front of House Manager

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I am Front of House/Duty Manager and am in charge of the centre during some evening events and Saturdays
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
I have worked in many offices: wine company, architects, retail; then a full time mother of one; retrained as a gardener and now garden for others locally.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
I cycle around the village every day, swim with a local club, run occasionally, walk, love doing pottery, yoga and spending time with my daughter and cats.
jane@cranleigharts.org

Gemma Curtin

Event Front of House Manager

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I am an Event Front of House Manager.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
I work full time as a Creative Arts teacher at a local secondary school, specialising in Fine Art, Textiles and Photography. Previously, I worked in the wardrobe department at ITV’s London Studio.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
I am a big foodie and enjoy trying out new restaurants and street-food stalls. I try to travel abroad as much as I can in my spare time and love trying out local cuisine and taking photographs on one of my many film cameras.
gemma@cranleigharts.org

William Lees

Bookkeeper

Responsible for maintaining Cranleigh Arts accounts.

william@cranleigharts.org

Admin Support

Penny Bramsden

Social Media Support

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I support the team with running the social media channels, uploading content and striving to maximise its impact.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
I have worked predominantly in marketing, most recently using my entrepreneurial skills when founding parenting website Surrey Mummy where I won awards for business use of social media.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
Family life is very busy with my three daughters and pets. In my rare spare moments I love to read, listen to podcasts and obsessively play fantasy football.
penny@cranleigharts.org

Chris Dubois

Contracts/Front of House

Life at Cranleigh Arts
Contracts, settlements, management information, PRS, occasional front-of-house. I enjoy “putting on a show.”
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
Before retiring, IT and business services career, travelling a lot. My wife Rosemary and I have volunteered here a long time, and she was voluntary Centre Manager 1985 – 1997 (the refurbishment bid to the Lottery). Later, we were both trustees for about ten years.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
Family, theatre, music, opera, walking, learning languages, and trying to persuade Sophie to put on a Wagner Ring all-nighter.
chris@cranleigharts.org

John Coghlan

Technical and Projection Team Leader

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I manage and work in a small team of volunteer projectionists who run the presentation of our movies, our NT and ROH live theatre relays and the live streaming of our classical music concerts.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
I started doing theatre work as a teenager in a small seaside theatre. Depending on the show, I would be operating the spotlights, being a stagehand or flying the backcloths. After University I worked in the IT industry, initially as an engineer and later in sales management. When I retired, the theatre, in the form of Cranleigh Arts, called me back!
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
I play tennis, work on the Watercress Line steam railway, take photographs, listen to music, and have fun with my three grandsons.
johncoghlan@me.com

Bernice Harris

Volunteer Secretary

Life at Cranleigh Arts
Since I came back after lockdown I have been volunteering in the office helping Sophie and Bethany.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts

In my working life I was a bookkeeper, so after I first came to Cranleigh Arts as a volunteer I spent the following 5 years in that role.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
When I have time I enjoy walking and spending time with my grandchildren.

bernice@cranleigharts.org

Marilyn Runnalls

Handmade At Cranleigh

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I look after Handmade at Cranleigh organising a range of arts and crafts to sell all year round.
Life pre- Cranleigh Arts
I worked with people who had MS running art therapy classes. I was involved in the Ockley drama group and made all the costumes for the pantos etc. I was the secretary of the Dorking group of artists for 18 years.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
I enjoy keeping fit by doing aqua aerobics classes and gardening. I still find time to paint and exhibit my work locally.
cranleigh@cranleigharts.org

Elizabeth Campbell

Friends Coordinator

friends@cranleigharts.org

Stephen Dennison

Classical Music Programmer

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I am the volunteer who organises the classical music programme, sourcing the best young professional musicians from far and wide and managing the concerts themselves.
Life pre- Cranleigh Arts
I worked 25 years in shipping in UK, Middle East and West Africa; before a career change to educational services, focused on examination and assessment.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
I follow the usual boy’s sports, rugby, cricket and Formula 1; love playing my violin in a local orchestra; and now creating time for 3 grandchildren; supported for 47 years by my darling wife, Gina, who was an original CA volunteer when Harry Secombe was Patron.

Trustees

Cranleigh Arts is a charity and company Limited by Guarantee, overseen by a Board of  Non-Executive Directors, or Trustees. The Board has a formal structure and meets every two months delegating the day to day running of the Centre to staff and volunteers. The Non-Executive Directors behave as instructed in the Articles of Association. The post of Art Centre director is voluntary and receives no remuneration.

Chairman: Brian Belcher. Appointed Chairman November 2022

 

 

Life at Cranleigh Arts

Brian was appointed as a Trustee in October 2022 and elected to serve as Chairman of the Board in November 2022.

Life pre- Cranleigh Arts

He moved to Cranleigh two years ago after retiring from from a banking career working in London, Johannesburg, Warsaw, New York, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi.  He is a volunteer at the Arts Centre.

Life outside Cranleigh Arts

Brian enjoys films, music, history and motorcycling.  He also enjoys golf on the days that he plays well.

 

 

Trustee: Jackie Sanctuary

Life at Cranleigh Arts
Jackie was appointed as a Trustee in August 2022.  She has been volunteering as a duty manager at the Arts Centre and, at the request of the Board of Trustees, recently took up the role of Operations Director at the Centre with overall responsibility for the Centre’s operations, staffing and volunteers.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
Jackie worked in insurance/finance for multinationals for 35 years, retiring in 2021.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
Cranleigh Youth Music Club volunteer, inaugural member of Cranleigh FC Women’s Team and enjoys walking, films, theatre and travel.

Trustee: Caroline Heslop

Life at Cranleigh Arts
I have been associated with the Arts centre for many years and look forward to taking on my new role as Trustee. I intend to continue to as a volunteer steward and look forward to being more involved in the future success of the centre.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
I worked for many years in event management, publishing & marketing. I have organised fund-raising events for various charities including opera nights, walks, music events and tennis tournaments.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
I love music, theatre and Am Dram. I like to paint and organise pop-up galleries.I enjoy mountain biking, tennis & travel

Trustee: Kavita Agarwal

Life at Cranleigh Arts
Kavita was appointed as a Trustee in July 2021.
Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts
She has a wide professional experience from managing engineering projects to senior posts in the branded consumer goods industry worldwide.  Brought up in India, Kavita holds an economics degree from Delhi University and two masters from English universities.
Life outside Cranleigh Arts
She is a firm advocate of and champion for diversity and inclusion.

Trustee: Simon Rabinowitz

“I grew up in an ‘Arts Family’ surrounded by the world of Show Business as my father’s musical journey progressed from Radio to TV and then onto Theatre and Films. I absorbed more than I realised about the Entertainment world although mostly from a commercial point of view. As the only one who could add up I became the family ‘Drop In’ much to the disappointment of my parents. Many years later I found myself managing catering, bar, event and hospitality facilities in Theatre and Television companies. Hopefully, some of this experience will be useful at the Arts Centre.”

Trustee: Brian Freeston

Life at Cranleigh Arts

Brian was appointed as a Trustee in August 2022

Life Pre-Cranleigh Arts

He is a former Cranleigh Parish Councillor who helped save our Recreation Fields from development.  He has worked in film and television for more than 40 years.  Before that, Brian was a journalist in Scandinavia and Canada.

Life outside Cranleigh Arts

Brian still works as a feature film producer

Trustee: David Hitchen

David was appointed as a Trustee in July 2021.

He is an actor, singer, teacher and examiner.