Karen Watson

Bio

Meet Karen Watson, Co-Chair of the Bradford Producing Hub board. Karen is the founder and recent Co-Director of East Street Arts.

What attracted you to become a Board Member of Bradford Producing Hub?

I have always had a focus and interest in sector support, but it is often overlooked by funders and other stakeholders. I believe if there are services, programmes, spaces and expertise that can support the artists we have a much healthier sector, resulting in a stronger product or more meaningful engagement with audiences and participants. This and the fact that BPH has added the visual arts to their remit and the excellent work they have already done in Bradford attracted me to become a board member.

What experience do you bring to the role?

I have over 30 years of experience in supporting visual artists, in Leeds, nationally and internationally. I worked with policy and decision makers to ensure the visual arts were taken as seriously as other art forms and I worked with artists to support their developments. This had an impact on Leeds’ visual art sector and I took this learning and worked with artists and artists spaces nationally and internationally.

What excites you about the role?

The fact that it has a new start and it feels like a really exciting time to join. Helping to shape our future and how we continue to do the good work we do and create a stable and forward-thinking organisation for Bradford.