ChalleNGe staff team

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Amy Bere is Director of Culture at Nottingham Trent University. NTU hosts ChalleNGe and as such, is the accountable body for funding and staffing. Amy’s background is in cultural strategy and leadership, and she has worked extensively in arts engagement for all ages, backgrounds and abilities. She is also a trustee of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature; a member of the Mansfield & Ashfield Cultural Compact and the independent Chair of First Art’s Creative People & Place Consortium. 

Nigel Cooke is passionate about cultural and creative education. He presently works with Small Steps Big Changes on the UNICEF Child Friendly City programme.  He is chair of Young Creatives Nottingham and a trustee of the Nottingham Music Service.

During his career in the public and voluntary sectors Nigel led on innovation and Early Intervention. He led the team which won the title and delivered the programme for Nottingham City of Football, a programme which linked football, culture and creativity.

Eky is the Child Friendly City Lead for Nottingham www.childfriendlynottingham.org.uk

Eky’s background is in Youth and Play work - she worked across Nottingham with children and young people aged 5 – 19 year olds for over 17 years. Eky has extensive experience of working with children and young people as well as Youth Forums, Girl’s Groups, SEND and Family Support. 

Eky’s passion is to support engagement, participation and the voices of Nottingham’s children and young people. 

Jo McIntyre is Professor of Education at the University of Nottingham. After a number of years teaching English in local secondary schools, and then teacher education, Jo seeks through her research to understand and improve the lives of those who are marginalized or disadvantaged by society, with a particular focus on refugee education. Jo led on the Art of Belonging project which explored the role of art and culture in fostering a sense of belonging for newly arrived young people in cities in Europe. The Art of Belonging work has continued beyond the original funded project with the development of the city wide Art of Belonging pledge, a commitment that has been embraced by a wide range of arts and cultural partners
in Nottingham.  

Amanda is Head of Learning at Nottingham Contemporary. With her team of programmers and artists she works with schools, families, youth and community groups across the city.  Their approach focuses on partnerships and growing projects together. Before that Amanda worked in schools developing creative programmes for students and families and in neighbourhoods supporting children's voices in local decision-making. 

Rick Hall is a writer and consultant in the arts, young people and creativity in education.  

Rick was founder of Ignite! a Nottingham charity dedicated to promoting creativity in learning. 

He is a Visiting Fellow at Nottingham Trent University and a 2016 Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (CF), awarded to support his research in South Korea and India into creativity and innovation. Rick is currently working in schools in Nottingham and Finland on projects about nature connections and well-being.

Louise is the Audience Engagement Officer at Nottingham City Museums, bringing over 20 years of experience in the museum and gallery sector. Her career spans a wide range of specialisms, including visitor services, volunteering, community engagement, and learning.

In her current role, Louise leads a team of Learning Programmes Officers and Gallery Educators, shaping and delivering inclusive, high-impact learning programmes across Nottingham’s Museum sites and collections. Louise is passionate about the power of museums, and her work is driven by a commitment to ensure that museums remain relevant, responsive, and welcoming spaces for all.