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Our team

Image of Fran Panetta in a workshop
Image of Fran Panetta in a workshop
Image of Fran Panetta in a workshop

Meet our AKO Storytelling Institute team

Institute team

Francesca Panetta, Director, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel
Francesca Panetta, Director, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel

Francesca Panetta, Director

Find out more

Christina Miariti, Institute Manager, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel
Christina Miariti, Institute Manager, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel

Christina Miariti, Institute Manager

Sandra Gaudenzi, Research Coordinator, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel
Sandra Gaudenzi, Research Coordinator, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel

Sandra Gaudenzi, Research Coordinator

Headshot of Ben Teasdale
Ben Teasdale, Story Associate, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL

Ben Teasdale, Story Associate

Fellowship support staff

Mark Atkin, Co-course Leader, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel
Mark Atkin, Co-course Leader, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel

Mark Atkin, Co-course Leader

Tom Millen, Co-course Leader, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel
Tom Millen, Co-course Leader, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel

Tom Millen, Co-course Leader

Kidist Adamu, Intern, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel
Kidist Adamu, Intern, AKO Storytelling Institute, UAL | Photograph: Eugénie Flochel

Kidist E Adamu, Storytelling Intern

Advisory board

Alice Sachrajda, UK Program Officer and UK Head of Cultural Strategy, Unbound Philanthropy
Amanda Michel, Sustainable Business Development Consultant
Bambo Soyinka, Professor of Story and Chair of the Research Centre for Transcultural Creativity and Education
Beadie Finzi, Co-founding Director, Doc Society
Katerina Cizek, Co-founder, Executive Producer, and Artistic Director of the Co-Creation Studio at MIT Open Documentary Lab
Luke Tryl, UK Director at More in Common
Patricia Aufderheide, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Media & Social Impact, American University
Sue Tibballs, Chief Executive at Sheila McKechnie Foundation
Zamzam Ibrahim, Co-Founder, Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK)

UAL steering group

Alisdair Aldous, Director of Strategy and Knowledge Exchange
Alison Prendiville, Professor Research, LCC
Amanda Crawley Jackson, Associate Dean Knowledge Exchange, LCC
Kate Pelen, Creative Director, Climate Emergency Network
Noleen Robertson, Associate General Counsel
Polly Mackenzie, Chief Social Purpose Officer
Pratap Rughani, Professor, Associate Dean of Research
Rebecca Munro, Associate Director Communication
Zey Suka-Bill, Dean of Screen School, LCC