DASH Appoints Executive Director

DASH appoints Peter Bonnell as Executive Director

Peter brings over 20 years professional experience in the visual arts to DASH
As an autistic person (diagnosed at the age of 48), Peter has a specific interest in supporting disabled, neurodivergent and d/Deaf creatives

DASH has appointed Peter Bonnell into the newly created role of Executive Director.

Peter is currently the Arts Programme Manager at QUAD and the Director of FORMAT International Photography Festival, where he leads a team of curators and producers. With over twenty years in the professional visual arts sector, Peter has curated, managed and produced close to 200 exhibitions, commissions and touring projects. Prior to embarking on a career as a professional curator in 2004, Peter was, since the late 1990s, a practising visual artist and occasional lecturer and curator, where he worked in the UK, Europe and USA. Peter holds the Royal College of Art MA in Curating Contemporary Art, plus an MFA from the University of Arkansas.

Peter is neurodivergent, and was diagnosed with autism at the relatively advanced age of 48. He has a specific interest in exploring opportunities to work with and support Disabled, neurodivergent and d/Deaf creatives.

He collaborated with DASH in 2016 for a disability-focused project by Regan & Attwood that was exhibited as part of FORMAT Festival in 2017, and has developed opportunities for East Midlands-based neurodivergent artists alongside the LEVEL Centre. He has also organised remote training programmes for Disabled artists, while continuing to offer mentoring support and portfolio reviews to Disabled artists based across the UK.

This is a newly created role for DASH. As Executive Director, Peter will lead on the development and implementation of organsational operations, systems, policies and performance indicators. He will deputise when required for the CEO/Artistic Director by providing leadership and senior level oversight, and lead on income generation through both fundraising and earned income strategy, creating the conditions in which DASH can thrive.

Peter Bonnell comments, “I am deeply honoured to join the DASH team at this formative and exciting time in the organisation’s history. As an autistic person, for much of my career as a curator, project manager and senior manager I have striven to platform, support and mentor Disabled artists to access opportunities. I now can’t wait to get started to help DASH grow and develop in its groundbreaking support of disabled creatives.”

Heather Peak, CEO and Artistic Director of DASH, comments, “I am excited to announce the appointment of Peter Bonnell as our new Executive Director. The board and team are looking forward to working with him immensely and I am delighted to be leading DASH with Peter. With a proven track record of leadership, curation, disability justice work and thoughtful creative practice, he will inspire our team and work with our artists, audiences, communities and organisations to challenge inequality and implement change.”

Craig Ashley, Chair of DASH, comments “We’re delighted Peter is joining DASH during what is a period of significant transformation in the organisation. Having worked with Peter in partnership over a number of years, and having benefited greatly from his incredible wealth of knowledge and expertise, we’re looking forward to what we can achieve together as he takes on his new role as our Executive Director. With Peter on board, DASH is well placed to deliver on our ambitions to effect real change for Disabled artists and arts workers.”

DASH is a Disabled-led visual arts organisation that creates new work and develops meaningful opportunities for Disabled artists. To date, DASH has chalked up two decades of important work with representation and collaboration at its heart. From programmes for Young Disabled Artists through to shaping strategic roles for Disabled curators, DASH’s work has helped to support Disabled people at all stages of a creative practice.

ENDS.

For more information contact Helen Stallard on Helen@helenstallard.co.uk or call 0774 033 9604

About DASH:

DASH is a Disabled-led visual arts charity. It creates opportunities for Disabled artists to develop their creative practice. These opportunities take many forms, from high quality commissions to community based workshops, the work it creates is centred around its vision and mission.

DASH works with artists, audiences, communities and organisations to challenge inequality and implement change.

With a history of work including visual arts, dance, theatre, live arts and festivals in Shropshire since the mid-1990s, DASH became a limited company and registered charity in 2001 and in 2004 secured revenue funding from Arts Council England. In 2009 DASH took the decision to specialise its work in visual arts, while expanding its geographical boundaries.

During the last ten years DASH has undertaken truly ground-breaking work – projects that have challenged perceptions, fostered and mentored new Deaf and Disabled artists, encouraged professional development and helped to engineer change in the sector.

DASH partners and funders include Arts Council England, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Garfield Weston, and Art Fund. DASH is a member of the Plus Tate Network.
www.dasharts.org

New Art West Midlands is the Contemporary Visual Arts Network for the West Midlands region. Our purpose is to strengthen and develop the contemporary visual arts sector in the West Midlands, working collectively to safeguard the future of artists and our sector as a whole.
https://cvan.art/regions/west-midlands/