Rachel Nelken

Rachel’s 20+ years in the creative sector have included work with many high-profile and grassroots arts organisations designing, developing, and running creative programmes for communities, developing artists, producing events and shows, and working with strategic music funders, including setting up and developing the PRS Foundation for New Music in 1999. Recent senior roles in the performing arts as a programmer and producer include Head of Creative Programmes at The Albany in Deptford from 2017-2019, leading a team of producers managing the theatre’s youth and community engagement and award-winning gig programmes. As Senior Producer at the Roundhouse in Camden, she led on many high-profile productions including collaborations with the Royal Opera House, Akram Khan Company and Daniel Kitson, Imogen Heap’s Reverb Festival, and three editions of the UK’s largest spoken word festival, The Last Word. In 2008 she developed the ArtsTrain programme offering creative music-making opportunities to young people across Bromley, Bexley, and Lewisham, which joined the Arts Council’s National Portfolio in 2018. Rachel is a Trustee for the National Foundation for Youth Music and a mum to 2 lively and opinionated daughters. She is passionate about creative arts and music of all genres and is a musician in her own right, currently developing her jazz cello skills!