PARTNERS
The commissioner - Alex Beard
Alex Beard CBE has been Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House since 2013. During his tenure ROH has undertaken a major transformation of its public facilities including the creation of a new world class theatre for chamber opera and ballet, extended its digital presence and reach through national learning programmes and live cinema relays, and strengthened its reputation as one of the world's leading lyric theatre organisations.
Alex is a member of the Board of 14-18 NOW chairing its Finance and Operations Committee, and Chairman of High House Production Park Ltd.
In 1994 Alex was appointed Director of Finance and Administration of Tate, then Director of Business in 1999 and Deputy Director in 2002. During Alex’s time with Tate he worked closely with Sir Nicholas Serota in the creation of Tate Modern, while also leading the business operations of the organisation.
At the end of 2012 Alex was appointed a CBE for his services to the arts, and was made a Fellow of Kings College London in 2016.
The Designer - Terence Woodgate
Terence Woodgate is an Industrial Designer specialising in furniture and lighting. He became a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 2003 and has received several international design awards, including the Red Dot 'Best of the Best' and the IF ecology award. Examples of his work are held in private collections and in the permanent collections of the Museu d'Arts Decoratives, Barcelona and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. His client list includes Established & Sons, Objekten, Punt Mobles and SCP.
AHEC
For over 25 years the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has been at the forefront of international wood promotion, successfully building a distinctive and creative brand for U.S. hardwoods. AHEC’s global programme of activities secure a future for American hardwoods by demonstrating the performance and aesthetic potential of these sustainable materials, while providing valuable creative inspiration and technical advice.
Benchmark
Benchmark is a leading company of craftspeople and designers, founded 30 years ago by Sir Terence Conran and Sean Sutcliffe. Based in West Berkshire on a converted farm, the team is now 50 strong in over 40,000 sq ft of workshops for timber milling, carpentry, veneering, spraying, specialist metalworking and upholstery, as well as design studio and furniture showroom. Benchmark works extensively on design solutions for hotels, restaurants, public buildings, offices and private residences.
London Design Festival
The London Design Festival is a key constituent of London’s autumn creative season, alongside London Fashion Week, Frieze Art Fair and the London Film Festival. Established in 2003 its role is to celebrate and promote London as the world’s design capital and gateway to the international design community and it has now established a reputation as one of the largest and most exciting design events in the world. This year the Festival will run from 15-23 September and over 400 events and installations will be on offer across the capital, from an exciting programme at the V&A to plus over 300 partners who will participate in the nine-day Festival.
V&A
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The Museum holds many of the UK's national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance.
