Our Team
The monitoring and evaluation of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 (UK CoC 2021) was a joint venture between the University of Warwick, Coventry University and Coventry City Council’s Insight Team.
Dr Andrew Anzel, formerly Warwick Business School
Andrew Anzel was a Research Fellow at the Warwick Business School. His research focused on the interaction between the cultural sector and core management constructs. His PhD explored how temporary organisations can create an organisational identity, using the Coventry UK City of Culture Trust as an empirical context. His recent work on social value, co-creation, and performance measurement within the cultural sector has been published by the AHRC and the academic journal Cultural Trends.
Dr Haley Beer, Warwick Business School
Haley Beer was the Lead of the Social Impact Evaluation of Coventry City of Culture 2021. Her research focusses on the creation and measurement of social value and social impact: how organisations can have, and demonstrate, a positive influence (physical, emotional, cultural) on all stakeholders − not just make financial profit for shareholders. Haley has volunteered on and contributed to several regional, national, and international advisory committees, not-for-profit boards, and social value projects with United Kingdom and Canadian government entities and socially motivated organisations. She has consulted on impact measurement for organisations such as the Crown Estate, OECD, UNDP, and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Dr Ila Bharatan, formerly Warwick Business School
Ila Bharatan was a research fellow at Warwick Business School funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) programme. Her research has focused on topics on learning and knowledge mobilisation issues in organisations, through multiple mixed methods projects in the health and social care fields looking at innovation implementation issues. She sat on the Core Monitoring and Evaluation as a qualitative researcher; her project focused on health and wellbeing impacts arising from Coventry City of Culture 2021.
Tim Hammerton, formerly Coventry University
Tim Hammerton is an experienced project manager and editor having overseen and contributed to the Coventry University coordinated European cultural heritage-related partnership research projects: Renewal, Innovation and Change: Heritage and European Society (RICHES), Europeana Space and Re-designing Access to Cultural Heritage (REACH). These follow other significant projects − including the redundancy and redeployment contracts that followed the closure of the MG Rover and Peugeot car factories. Further heritage credentials include developing the Allesley Park and Village Treasure Trail − using historical buildings and landmarks as clues – which has been well-received by the public.
Tim Healey, Coventry City Council
Senior Analyst, Public Health, Coventry City Council. Tim Healey has worked at Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council in Sports Management, Arts Marketing, Adult Social Care, Community Development and Data Analytics roles. Tim has also lectured at Coventry University in Cultural Studies, works closely with undergraduate and post-graduate students from Coventry and Warwick Universities and is a published academic author. Tim still hopes one day to open the batting for England or be a pop star – Tim is 60.
Professor Nick Henry, Coventry University
Nick Henry is a Professor of Economic Geography at Coventry University and was the university-lead for the institutional partnership on monitoring and evaluation of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021. In July 2023, he was appointed Executive Director of the newly founded Research Centre for Creative Economies at Coventry. Previously he was Consulting Director, Economic Development and Economic Policy at ICF GHK before joining Coventry University in 2013 to support the creation and development (as Co-Director) of the then new research Centre for Business in Society. Nick is a founding Director of Creative United, Editor-in-Chief of European Urban and Regional Studies and sits on the DCMS Commonwealth Games 2022 Evaluation Advisory Group. He was principal investigator for the AHRC Knowledge Exchange Project, City Change Through Culture: Securing the Place Legacy of Coventry City of Culture 2021 which funded this website.
Si Chun Lam, formerly Coventry City Council
Si Chun Lam is an insight professional working with respect, reliability, and integrity to bring the latest research evidence to uncover seldom-heard voices to make a lasting difference to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. A leader in insight and intelligence, Si Chun works with stakeholders to develop solutions to transform the life chances and opportunities of local communities through evidence-based public service redesign. An economist by training, Si Chun has coordinated research and transformation programmes in health, care, and education. He now works as the Head of Research, Intelligence and Inclusive Growth at the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Clare Mitchell, Consultant
Clare is an arts and cultural professional with over 25 years of experience working both in the strategic management of arts development and delivery. She has worked for a variety of organisations ranging from Warwick Arts Centre and Government Office, and at Coventry City Council, as the Arts Partnership Manager, on the development and delivery of a new cultural strategy for the city and the successful UK City of Culture 2021 bid.
She has developed and managed large-scale investments and grant programmes that have led to the development and sustainability of place-based cultural development programmes for diverse cultural communities.
Professor Jonothan Neelands, Warwick Business School
Jonothan Neelands is a National Teaching Fellow, Academic Director for Cultural Partnerships University of Warwick and Professor of Creative Education at Warwick Business School (WBS). Jonothan was Director of Study for the Warwick Commission on the Future of Cultural Value and Director of Research Projects for the Creative Industries Federation. He developed Joint Cultural Needs Assessment Guidelines for Arts Council England. He was the lead writer of the Coventry Cultural Strategy 2017-2027, contributed to Coventry’s successful bid to be UK City of Culture 2021 and was the Academic Lead for Research and Evaluation Coventry City of Culture Trust.
Hayley Ruane, Warwick Business School
Hayley Ruane joined the monitoring and evaluation team in May 2022 and supports it as a Project Coordinator. She has worked at the University of Warwick since 2018 and is also PA to the Legal Director there. Hayley was born and raised in Coventry.’
Mark Scott, Warwick Business School
Mark Scott is a Research Fellow at Warwick Business School. His research focus is the evaluation of Coventry, UK City of Culture 2021. Mark was a contributor to the AHRC-funded Warwick Cities of Culture project which demonstrates the importance of independent research sitting alongside a UK City of Culture. Before joining Warwick Business School, Mark was the Monitoring and Data Manager for the Coventry City of Culture Trust and was responsible for collecting monitoring data for the evaluation of Coventry 2021.
Valerie de Souza, Coventry City Council
Valerie de Souza is a consultant in public health at Coventry City Council, leading on Insight, a function which includes engagement, intelligence and performance. Overseeing this function provides a unique opportunity to shape council and wider partner decisions based not only on data but also feedback from residents. Valerie is passionate about voluntary and community sector and public sector working in fair and equal partnership and highlighting the important role communities play in supporting health and wellbeing.
Along with the Insight team, Valerie has shaped and challenged how the impact of Coventry 2021 is evaluated, recognising the relationship between wellbeing and cultural participation and the important role culture can play in reducing inequalities.
Dr Richard Tomlins, Coventry University
Dr Richard Tomlins is an internationally recognised expert in the creative economy, social value and entrepreneurial innovation, social enterprise, community cohesion, regeneration, equalities and social inclusion. His track record includes driving business and social gains through commissioning, procurement and social impact measurement. He has been a Professor of Race, Diversity and Housing at De Montfort University, and Visiting Professor of Race and Diversity at Coventry University, whilst directing his own consultancy Cohesia Ltd. He was the Associate Head of School, Enterprise and Innovation, School of Marketing and Management, Faculty of Business and Law. He has recently taken up the role of Group Regional Director UK/Europe, CUMSL, Coventry University.
Jo Truslove, Warwick Business School
Jo Truslove was born and raised in Coventry and has spent many years working in marketing and development roles to support the growth of the city’s tourism, inward investment and small business networks in both the private and public sectors.
She is an experienced project coordinator and uses her background in marketing and knowledge of the city to communicate and engage stakeholders.
When not working at Warwick Business School, Jo also works as a Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Manager for a local property developer and regeneration specialist. She is also a board member of the Coventry City Centre Business Improvement District (BID)
In addition to monitoring and evaluation team members, two further Co-Investigators supported the place-based knowledge exchange project.
Professor Neil Forbes, Coventry University
Neil Forbes is Director of the Institute for Creative Cultures, and Professor of International History. His recent publications include the co-edited volume Cultural Heritage in a Changing World. He was co-ordinator of three EU-funded projects: RICHES project – ‘Renewal, Innovation and Change: Heritage and European Society’, REACH – the social platform for cultural heritage – and CSI-COP, and a Science with and for Society project on citizen science. He has played a leading role in several other research projects, including a £1m digitisation and creative archiving project in association with BT and The National Archives.
Professor Jacqueline Hodgson, University of Warwick
Jacqueline Hodgson is Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Professor of Law. She established the Criminal Justice Centre and the cross-faculty Centre for Operational Police Research, which she co-directs. She has researched and written extensively in the area of UK, French, comparative and European criminal justice, collaborating with researchers across Europe, Australia, Canada and America. As DPVC, she has a broad portfolio, including as University lead supporting Research and the City of Culture.
