Rehana Mughal
Director, Creative Economy
Rehana leads a globally dispersed team to deliver projects that focus on policy, research, and advocacy, and on leadership development for creative professionals and policymakers. Rehana leads on building strategic collaborations and on ensuring the conditions are in place for creative individuals and organisations to grow, reach their potential and effect relevant, sustainable change.
Prior to leading the creative economy global Portfolio, Rehana held the post of Director Arts, British Council, China, and Cultural Counsellor, at the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Beijing. In this role, Rehana managed high level stakeholder relationships with the UK’s leading cultural institutions, and she led a diverse and impactful portfolio of activity designed to connect individuals and organisations from the UK and China to opportunities that build connections, capability, and appreciation through and for the arts. Rehana spearheaded the digital delivery of arts work across China and reached millions of people during the height of the pandemic and she created new opportunities for over 300 arts organisations.
Prior to working in China Rehana was based in Abu Dhabi where she established and led a £6.6 million culture and sports programme across the six countries in the Gulf. During her career in London Rehana worked at the Southbank Centre as Creative Producer, at Performing Arts Labs as Executive Producer and she held the post of Senior Manager for Cultural Partnerships at Arts Council England where she worked on the UKs most ambitious £300 million creative education programme targeting some of England’s most deprived schools.
Rehana is a member of the Creative Industries Council, a joint forum between the creative industries and UK government. She holds an MA in Museum Studies from Leicester University and an MA in Fine Art from the Slade School of Art at University College London.
Genevieve Pace
Senior Relationship Manager, Creative Economy
Genevieve collaborates with colleagues in the UK and globally to support the strategic alignment of Creative Economy programmes and projects. She contributes to the development and delivery of the thought leadership strategy for the British Council’s creative economy focus, through development of partnerships and opportunities to showcase the role that strong and sustainable creative ecosystems play in cultural relations. Most recently she has worked with BEYOND for their 2023 conference that was developed in partnership with the British Council, and with colleagues to further develop a programme for policy makers working in the creative economy.
Previously Genevieve was the global lead for the British Council’s creative enterprise activities, managing a partnership with Nesta to deliver the Creative Enterprise Programme (CEP) in over 25 countries. Before joining the British Council, Genevieve developed and project managed business support programmes for creative and cultural enterprises at Creative United, collaborating with institutions such as the London College of Fashion and Crafts Council. She’s gained in-depth knowledge of the business development needs and challenges faced by creative entrepreneurs, and has first hand experience from managing a design start-up and running her own craft business in her home town in South Africa.
Genevieve’s academic background is in International Relations and Psychology which she studied at the University of Pretoria. She has over 10 years’ experience developing, advising and leading on programmes, focused on exploring and evidencing the potential of the creative economy to reinvigorate economic, social and cultural value. She has worked across private and public sectors, designing strategic programmes and building partnerships to strengthen the creative industries in the UK and internationally.
Mirella Arcidiacono
Relationship Manager, Creative Economy
Mirella's priority is to support the development and implementation of strategic partnerships between the UK and countries that are part of the Creative Economy global programme. Mirella provides advice to global arts programme to ensure that opportunities are meaningful and lead to successful results. Mirella is particularly keen to bring her expertise ensuring that programmes are inclusive and sustainable.
Originally from Italy, Mirella is particularly interested in the power that culture and creativity have in achieving a more equal world. She has developed extensive experience in the arts, heritage and the cultural sector since moving to Scotland in 2007.
Mirella graduated in Cultural Heritage Studies at the University of Bari in Italy and continued her education accomplishing a MLitt in Professional Archaeology at the University of Glasgow.
Mirella has worked in a wide range of organisation such as theatres, arts galleries and museums, running several cultural community initiatives. All her worked has heavily addressed inequality and accessibility for women, LGBTQI+ communities, ethnic minority groups including refugees and asylum seekers. She has worked for organisations such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Capital Theatres, The Pier Arts Centre and the Scottish Refugee Council. Mirella has extensive experience in developing relationships with stakeholders to develop impactful projects that have a strong legacy, and which are embedded in communities.