Hauser & Wirth, MarGin Gin and DRAW Recruitment have sponsored two-year memberships for 15 women to encourage the widening participation and diversity of the AWITA community.

AWITA invited eligible individuals to apply for a sponsored membership at the end of 2023. "We believe that everyone deserves the chance to thrive in the arts, regardless of their background or identity," said Sigrid Kirk, Co-Founder at AWITA. "This is a step toward creating a more inclusive and equitable art community, ensuring that fresh voices and perspectives are heard.” This is the second iteration of the programme, which first launched in 2021 with the support of Martin Miller’s Gin, Hauser & Wirth and the Adara Foundation.

Cat Manson, Art Market Mentors Founder and Executive Coach, will work with the women providing guided sessions and a mentor programme.

Sponsored members are:

Ariel Collier (Programmes Assistant for Queercircle), Bengu Gun Unsal (Independent curator, arts manager, and consultant), Claudia Di Tosto (PhD Researcher), Ghadah Alharthi (UAL Associate Professor and cultural consultant), Jennifer Shearman (Head of Collection (Curator) at Queer Britain), Kanaiza Onalo (Founder of Kanaiza Gallery), Lara Alake (Sale Coordinator, Modern and Contemporary African Art Bonhams), Melissa Baksh (Art historian, writer, curator, educator and broadcaster), Nora Laraki (Producer for Artsadmin, researcher and curator), Seren Metcalfe (Director and Founder of Working Class Creatives Database), Shasti Lowton (Curator for the Government Art Collection), Sim Panaser (Curator at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff), Svetlana Leu (PR Leader Europe at Gensler), Tosin Adeosun (Curator, Researcher and Founder of African Style Archive) and Xiaowen Zhu (Director of ESEA Contemporary).

Sponsored Member Announcement

The Cultural Leaders Programme

New Team Members