Matthew Cock

Chief Executive, VocalEyes

Keynote Panellist

Matthew Cock is the Chief Executive of VocalEyes, working to bring art and heritage to life for and with blind and visually impaired people. Matthew is a graduate in Art History (Edinburgh) and Fine Art (Glasgow School of Art). He joined VocalEyes in 2015, having worked for many years at the British Museum, as an editor, digital content manager and then head of the web team, responsible for the museum’s websites and digital projects, including gallery and mobile technology projects. Prior to that he worked at the Victoria and Albert Museum as a curatorial assistant, working on documentation, gallery and other projects across many of the curatorial departments. Matthew is a Fellow of the RSA and Trustee of the Jodi Mattes Trust, which champions accessibility of digital culture in museums, libraries and archives.

Uzma Johal MBE

Chief Executive, Threshold

Keynote Panellist

Uzma has over 25 years’ extensive experience working in the arts and creative media industries. A passionate advocate for social change, Uzma’s work has always prioritised participation, innovation and development of creativity in media, technology and the arts in the UK. As a Co-Founder and CEO of Threshold, the powerhouse behind Frequency International Festival of Digital Culture, she drives the ethos and vision behind the organisation. Since 2011, Frequency has welcomed 95,000 visitors to the historic city of Lincoln, celebrating art, heritage and culture. She brokers partnerships within place based strategic settings to unlock opportunities for meaningful collaborative production and engagement in new and emerging technologies in public spaces. She works with CEO’s, Senior Management Teams and Boards, facilitating how technology can achieve its objectives through the lens of Diversity and Inclusion. She was recognised on the 2016 New Years Honours List and received an MBE for her contribution to the Digital Economy.

Professor Abigail Woods

Pro Vice Chancellor & Head of College of Arts, University of Lincoln

Welcome Session Invited Speaker

Roberta Beattie

Tech Champion for Digital Accessibility, Arts Council England

Closing Plenary: Invited Speaker

Roberta specialises in digital accessibility and gives advice on creating digital content that is accessible, creating accessibility statements, and running accessibility audits for the Digital Culture Network. Roberta has over 25 years experience in all things digital, starting out working in London agencies. Roberta ran a web agency for 15 years, and has had various other roles over the years. Before working for Arts Council England, Roberta was head of marketing for an Irish cybersecurity for medical devices start-up. The Digital Culture Network provides practical, on the ground help to the arts and culture sector. Their focus is around digital skills and leadership development. DCN can help you explore and harness the benefits of technology to achieve your goals, find new ways to reach and engage audiences, and develop sustainable business models. Roberta is a Tech Champion within a team that offers one-to-one support on digital content, eCommerce, data analytics, social media, digital strategy, email marketing, ticketing and CRM, websites and search engine marketing. They also provide practical workshops and webinars to improve skills and engage with peers, signposting to resources and training from DCN and partners, support with technology related funding opportunities, and offer national and regional training days delivered with technology partners.

Eilish McGuinness

Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Welcome Session Invited Speaker

Eilish McGuinness became Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in January 2022, having previously been the Heritage Fund’s Executive Director, Business Delivery. Eilish has worked in heritage all her professional life and has extensive experience across the sector and the breadth of the UK’s heritage. She joined the Heritage Fund in 1996 and has held a variety of roles – both operational and strategic – including Regional Manager North East, Head of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Major Grants and Special Programmes. Prior to joining the Heritage Fund, Eilish worked with Historic Scotland, Historic Monuments & Buildings Branch, Northern Ireland and in the heritage sector in Ireland. She has a degree in History of Art and Archaeology from University College Dublin, and an MA from Queen’s University Belfast, where she was a junior research fellow in the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s University Belfast.

Josie Fraser

Head of Digital, The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Closing Plenary: Invited Speaker

Josie Fraser‘s work focuses on equitable and inclusive digital transformation. She has worked across the education, government, and cultural sectors, advising and representing major organisations and governments nationally and internationally. She is currently Head of Digital Policy at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the UK’s largest funder of heritage.  She supports effective and strategic digital grant making, with a focus on accessibility, openness, and investment for the future. She leads the UK-wide Digital Skills for Heritage initiative, designed to drive up skills and confidence across the sector, and help organisations make strategic and effective use of technology. She previously worked for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as a senior technology adviser, leading on a range of policy areas including digital economy, online harms, internet regulation and multilateral digital policy.