Sutton STEAMs Ahead

Sam Fay

Brand Leader. Experience Strategist. Immersive Architect.
Sam is a board-level brand and growth leader with over 20 years’ experience building global brands at the intersection of culture, tourism and the experience economy.

As Senior VP at Guinness World Records, she transformed an iconic book into a global multi-platform media brand, scaling to 20M+ TikTok followers, launching the US office and founding its in-house creative agency.

As CMO at Layered Reality™, she led marketing for large-scale immersive productions in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces and secured major entertainment IP, including Elvis.

She delivered the inaugural London Experience Week 2025 with London & Partners and serves as Director and Trustee of the Old Royal Naval College (UNESCO World Heritage Site), advising on visitor engagement and commercially scalable cultural experiences.

She specialises in turning cultural capital into immersive creative projects with commercial momentum.

Sarah Dowd 

Creative Leader. Cultural Strategist. Experience Architect.

Sarah is a multidisciplinary creative leader working at the intersection of heritage, theatre, immersive design and public storytelling. For over 20 years, she has conceived and delivered transformational cultural projects across the UK and internationally.

Major project work includes leading the Change Programme at Durham Cathedral; working with the client team to conceive, develop and secure funding for the £50m Hull Maritime project: programming and engagement for the £30m+ Alexandra Palace restoration, and strategic development at the Wallace Collection, London.

Her work spans masterplanning, event programming, capital interpretation, capacity building and organisational change — blending creative ambition with rigorous business planning and agile delivery. She has supported more than 100 heritage and cultural organisations, from national museums to charities and international institutions.

She specialises in turning historic places into living, participatory environments built for the future experience economy.

Mark Hosea 

Mark is currently leading a major restoration project at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre as its Capital Project Director. Prior to that, Mark was the CEO of London Historic Buildings Trust (LHBT), the only Building Preservation Trust that covers the whole of Greater London, specialising in heritage-led regeneration to save at-risk historic buildings, creating spaces across the City which unified today’s communities with special buildings of the past.

Prior to that Mark was Director of Estates and Conservation at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and held Project Director roles for The Canterbury Journey at Canterbury Cathedral and for York Minster Revealed at York Minster, all of which developed and then delivered projects at internationally significant cultural heritage attractions that are commercially successful, with a key focus on creating engaging places that people from all backgrounds want to visit and enjoy. This meant ensuring that people and their needs were at the forefront, and physical assets were put to economically viable use and conserved in an appropriate manner, safeguarding them for the enjoyment of future, as well as present generations. Prior to these roles, Mark worked in the private sector advising multiple clients across England.

Mark is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Planning and Development) with an MSc in Urban Regeneration. Mark is a Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass, where he Chairs its Education and Training Committee. Mark is also Chair of The Stained Glass Museum as well as Chair of The York Glaziers Trust. Mark acts in an advisory capacity to numerous other heritage focussed funders, projects and institutions and Chairs the CIOB Heritage Advisory Panel.

Kate Kennedy

Literary Biographer. Music Historian. Cultural Interpreter.
Kate is an award-winning biographer, broadcaster and cellist whose work explores the intersection of music, memory and cultural history.

A leading literary and musical life-writer, she specialises in uncovering hidden or suppressed voices - from composers silenced by persecution to artists shaped by war and displacement. Her books have received international acclaim, and her BBC Radio work brings complex historical narratives to broad audiences with clarity and emotional depth.

Director of the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing, Kate moves fluidly between archive, stage and studio, transforming scholarship into compelling narratives across page, performance and broadcast.

She transforms archival discovery into living narrative.

Louisa Rogers

Cultural Analyst. Fashion Scholar. Identity Interpreter.

Louisa is a fashion researcher, lecturer and creative entrepreneur whose work explores how clothing, media and visual culture shape identity, politics and public narratives.

An Assistant Professor at Northumbria University, she teaches fashion communication, brand strategy and visual culture while pursuing interdisciplinary research examining the intersection of fashion, technology and power. Her publications explore topics ranging from militarised aesthetics and surveillance culture to digital identity and contemporary fashion imagery.

Alongside her academic work, Louisa founded Trendlistr, a sustainable vintage fashion platform supplying rare and archival pieces to stylists, film productions and private clients worldwide. The venture reflects her wider interest in circular fashion systems and the cultural life of clothing beyond the runway.

Her work reveals how fashion operates not just as style, but as a powerful social language.

Valerie-Isaiah Sadoh 

Audience Advocate. Inclusion Strategist. Community Champion.
Valerie is an audience development and engagement specialist focused on inclusion, co-creation and meaningful participation within the arts and heritage sectors.

Her experience spans museums, theatres and national organisations, where she designs programmes that connect underrepresented communities with cultural institutions through oral history, sensory interpretation and collaborative storytelling.

Valerie is particularly skilled in aligning consultation with funder priorities, ensuring projects deliver measurable social impact alongside cultural value.

She embeds access, representation and long-term participation at the heart of cultural development.

Seren Welch

Screen Tourism Specialist. Destination Strategist. Audience Connector.
Seren has over 25 years’ experience in destination marketing, specialising in the growing field of screen tourism. She works with destinations, attractions and international distributors to translate the cultural impact of film and television into powerful audience engagement and long-term visitor growth.

A recognised voice on the global “set-jetting” trend, Seren helps places harness the emotional connection audiences develop with stories they see on screen. Her work focuses on turning that connection into meaningful tourism products, experiences and campaigns that keep destinations relevant long after filming ends.

Her projects have tapped into the global appeal of productions including Bridgerton, James Bond, Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jack Ryan and All Creatures Great and Small, as well as documentaries and reality television.

She specialises in turning screen moments into destination legacy.

Nick Hewitt 

Public Historian. Exhibition Author. Narrative Authority.
Nick is a public historian, author and broadcaster dedicated to telling powerful stories about ordinary people in extraordinary times.

Beginning his career at Imperial War Museums, he later led major projects at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, including landmark exhibitions and the restoration of the last surviving D-Day Landing Craft Tank.

A published author with Yale University Press and regular contributor to BBC television and radio, Nick specialises in making complex military and maritime history emotionally immediate and accessible.

He combines scholarly depth with narrative drive - ensuring audiences don’t just learn history, but feel it.

Nik Nyonyintono

Creative Technologist. Spatial Designer. Immersion Architect.
Nik is a creative technologist specialising in data visualisation, 3D design, interactive applications and immersive digital environments. With over 14 years’ industry experience, he operates at the intersection of code, design and storytelling - translating complex ideas into visually engaging, participatory digital experiences.

His work spans real-time visual systems, spatial installations and immersive environments that transform data and archives into intuitive audience journeys. Combining technical precision with creative sensitivity, he develops interactive platforms that deepen engagement and extend storytelling beyond physical space.

He builds the digital infrastructure that allows narrative to scale - across screen, space and experience.

Helen Rana 

Screenwriter. Cultural Researcher. Narrative Architect.
Helen is an award-winning screenwriter and member of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. A former Creative Writing Associate at Bath Spa University, her short stories have been published in anthologies, and her feature and short screenplays have won awards or been selected for international film festivals.

A short animation she scripted for Historic England is nearing completion, and a feature screenplay is currently under option with a production company.

With a BA (Hons) and three Master’s degrees, Helen combines academic depth with creative instinct. Her career spans international diplomacy, non-governmental work in Zambia and the corporate sector, applying research, strategy and storytelling across diverse environments.

She brings intellectual rigour and creative clarity to every narrative she shapes.

Frank Crosby 

Audience Researcher. Heritage Interpreter. Story Strategist.
Frank is a former archaeologist and national museum professional with decades of experience using audience insight to shape how heritage and cultural stories connect with wider publics.

Following early roles in museum conservation and interpretation, he went on to lead research-driven marketing and commercial development at Imperial War Museum Duxford, growing annual attendance to a record 469,000 visitors. His work focuses on translating complex history into accessible, engaging experiences for non-specialist audiences.

Frank is the author of more than thirty history reference books, specialising in aviation and military history. Alongside his writing, he has delivered audience research and interpretive projects for archives, museums, festivals, castles, cathedrals, heritage landscapes and historic transport sites. He also conceives interpretive films and produces theatrical productions that bring history vividly to life.

He brings heritage to life through film, theatre and powerful audience-led storytelling.

Marek Bublik

An experienced Head of IT and data compliance with over 25 years in managing people, systems, digital security and IT/AV infrastructure for large-scale events, festivals and exhibitions.

A multi-disciplined creative, Marek is an award-winning drummer, songwriter and designer for UK space-rock legends Litmus as well as numerous other musical projects with internationally renowned artists.

Familiar around DAW systems and creative design packages, Marek is also trained in pitch-to-premiere media production and editing.

Dan Schumann

Cultural Producer. Interpretation Strategist. Placemaking Leader.

Dan is a creative producer and heritage strategist with over 20 years’ experience delivering storytelling-led cultural programmes across theatres, festivals, local authorities and historic venues.

He specialises in activating heritage through live performance, co-creation and public programming - ensuring historical narratives are not simply displayed, but experienced. His leadership spans complex, community-driven environments, including senior roles at Cambridge Arts Theatre, The Almeida Theatre and Bill Kenwright Ltd.