Alumni
ITALIA CONTI HAS SEEN MANY FAMOUS FACES AND SUCCESSFUL PERFORMERS PASS THROUGH IT'S DOORS IN OUR 109 YEAR HISTORY.
Board of
Governors
MAGGIE KILLINGBECK (CHAIR)
Maggie Killingbeck taught dance from primary to higher education. At De Montfort University Bedford (later the University of Bedfordshire) she taught PGCE Dance students, engaged in research, developed masters level dance materials (with distance learning options) and wrote articles/book chapters/conference presentations concerned with dance pedagogy. She provided inset for teachers locally and nationally and showcases for local schools. Maggie has been an external examiner for other University dance courses, has taught and examined GCSE and A Level dance and is an enthusiastic supporter of recreative dance. Maggie teaches older adults in the community, co-develops/delivers inclusive, community projects, performs in local events and teaches movement fundamentals (a virtual prototype is under development). Maggie is a Governor and Trustee of two movement and dance organisations. She has an MPhil from De Montfort University.
SAM NEWTON (PRINCIPAL)
Sam Newton worked extensively as a performer, choreographer, and teacher in all media of the profession in the UK and throughout the world. Eight Royal Variety Performances, and a prestigious Montrose award in Germany stand out amongst many highlights of her work. A true Conti product, she says, “I am an introvert who has taught myself to be an extrovert. When needed”. She was initially hands-on in setting up the BA Acting course and the Associate Schools before leaving the Academy in 2002 to establish Italia Conti Arts Centre in Guildford as a separate business, originally for teacher training. She became Principal of the Academy in 2016, setting up the BA Musical Theatre course in 2017 for both Italia Conti Arts Centre and the Academy. In addition to the specialist training Italia Conti provides to equip students for the profession, Sam is passionate about ensuring students acquire the most important skills of the 21st century: adaptation, resilience, and re-skilling. Sam feels we are most ‘programmed’ by other people, and by having accountability partners and students we can use that natural tendency to our own benefit, and to set aside time to reflect on our goals and progress.
KATHY-ANN DARMODY (DIRECTOR OF FINANCE)
Kathy-Ann Darmody started her career with Ernst & Young in Trinidad, moving to the UK in 2000. She brings over 20 years of progressive experience in strategic planning, financial control, budgeting and reporting across a wide range of sectors. Kathy joined Italia Conti as Head of Finance in 2020 having previously been Finance Director at Arts Educational Schools since 2009.
KEITH BAILEY
Keith Bailey enjoyed a successful 41-year career in the financial services industry. Working for two major global companies (NatWest/RBS and Barclays) in a wide variety of roles, Keith gained significant senior executive and non-executive experiences across a wide variety of geographically diverse jurisdictions until retiring from Barclays at the end of March 2016. Since 2016 Keith has continued to be involved in a select number of non-executive director and consulting roles as well as sitting as a founding member of the Gibraltar Financial Services Resolution and Compensation Committee.
Keith has a long-standing connection with Italia Conti as a parent whose daughter joined our Guildford Associates school at the age of 5, subsequently becoming a pupil and student at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts until graduating at the age of 18. In addition to his role as a Governor, Keith maintains a strong connection today through one of our newer Associate Schools.
MICHAEL BERG
Michael Berg has 20 years’ experience in the cultural, entertainment and members club arena. He spent 18 years at h Club taking it from pre-launch to one of the leading enterprises supporting and championing the creative arts sector in London and, most recently, Los Angeles. Prior to h Club, Michael spent 15 years in the creative industry in London managing talent, co-founding Paul Spyker Management representing actors, writers, directors and composers. He also produced a number of fundraising events for Crusaid including Hero Awards with Elton and Liza Minnelli in 2002 & 2003, A World AIDS Day concert with Alison Moyet at The Old Vic and the Annual Heat/Crusaid Charity Auction and ArtAid. Michael has a passion for participation in both cultural development, heritage projects, social mobility and access programs for under-represented young talent. He is a Trustee of Shoreditch Town Hall and has previously sat on the development committee of Mountview Theatre School been a Director of Terrence Higgins Trust. He also served for two years as a member of the Hackney Council Conservation Committee where we were tasked with protecting the heritage of the local area in parallel with its rapid gentrification. In whatever spare time he has, he is avid theatre and cinema goer, visits galleries and museums and is a keen outdoor swimmer!
TONY DE VIZIO
Tony de Vizio is a scale-up and transformation professional, having operated across digital, marketing and media production agencies over 25 years. His experience spans large corporates and venture backed disruptive start-ups. He fell in love with the performing arts at an early age and has acted, directed, and produced theatre and short films. He is the Chair of Trustees at the Head2Head Sensory Theatre for children and young adults with special needs. He grew up in Woking, so knows Italia Conti’s new home well. He holds a BA in Economics from Durham University. He is married with three children.
WILL FLANAGAN
Will has worked extensively on FE and HE courses since beginning his career in teaching in 1994. At Bexley College (1994-2000) he supported college wide literacy/numeracy workshops which gave him a good overview of the range of courses available at a large FE college. At Guildford College he began teaching on Access to HE courses (Humanities, Health, Social Sciences) and was involved with training the trainers at the Army’s new national Education Centre at Pirbright. He also programme-managed the PGCE course franchised from the University of Greenwich and, since starting work at the Italia Conti Arts Centre in 2012, has been responsible for the PTLLS, CTLLS and DTLLS courses, and taught on the ISTD’s DDE teacher training course. He is currently involved in co-programme managing the BTEC (Level 3) course in Performing Arts and acting as Data Protection Officer for Italia Conti. In 2021 he has also become involved in supporting the Quality Assurance team at Italia Conti.
CHRIS LOWETH
Chris Loweth is a media and entertainment barrister and head of legal and business affairs at BBC Global News, the BBC's international news commercial subsidiary. He has over two decades' experience advising on legal and business affairs matters affecting the broadcast, production, and live events industries. Before joining the BBC he advised on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, was Head of Content Legal Advice at Channel 5, and worked for a number of production companies and TV broadcasters. He is an elected barrister member of the Lincoln's Inn Bar Representation Committee and is currently leading a review of the Inn's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Action Plan. He has been a member of BAFTA since 2003 and is Chair of a residential property management company. He lives with his husband in north London and is an avid fan of theatre, film and the performing arts.
ANDREW SHEPHERD
Andrew Shepherd is the Executive Director of Theatre503, with an expertise in fundraising, business development and communications. He originally trained as an actor at LAMDA after completing a law degree at Newcastle University. He spent five years as a fundraiser in the charity sector and was the Development Manager of Young Actors Theatre Islington prior to joining Theatre503 in early 2016. He has extensive freelance producing experience through his theatre and film companies, including the feature film Showreel, which he also co-wrote. His plays have been performed around the world and directing credits include work at Park Theatre and Jermyn Street Theatre.
ANNE SHEWARD
Anne Sheward trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts as a performer and was fortunate to play various leading roles, primarily in television dramas and series, before switching to the administrative side of the profession. She started working as Ruth Conti’s assistant in the mid-1960s, progressing to a variety of general office duties and to successfully running the Agency, eventually handing it over to her sister, Gaynor when she became Vice-Principal in the early 1980s. In over 20 years as Academy Principal, she was responsible for both the artistic and administrative running of all full-time and part-time courses and employment of staff as well as overseeing the Associate schools. She was responsible for the selection of all the Academy’s pupils and students and their curriculum and introduced numerous new Diploma and Degree courses in musical theatre, acting, dance and singing, working with all the recognised educational bodies and numerous universities. She fought for grants so that talented students had the opportunity to train. She promoted student professional development by ensuring they were given as many performance opportunities as possible, ranging from TIE tours in collaboration with The Complete Works company to showcases at West End and regional theatres as well as the Academy’s own Avondale Theatre. Throughout her tenure, she advocated an ‘open door’ policy for staff and students. Having retired as Principal in 2016, she still retains her Directorship and has an avid interest in all things Conti.
EDITH WOI
Edith Woi is the founder of Travel by Pen Productions (TBP), a social enterprise film, music and digital media production company. TBP aims to help artists and talent from diverse backgrounds through upskilling, training and mentoring. She was previously a financial services consultant at a Swiss law firm. After attending Kings College London, she worked as a consultant for local government providing economic regeneration strategies. In her spare time, she is an award-winning screenwriter with several projects in development. In 2019, she was asked to be an external representative on the Arts Advisory & Review Committee for the South Hill Park Arts Centre.