Who’s who at Anthem

Our team

Anthem is driven by a board of trustees and a core staff team, with support
from our members and our youth forum.

Rhian Hutchings

Chief Executive Officer

rhian.hutchings@anthem.wales Rhian joined Anthem Music Fund Wales in 2020. She is an opera director, creative producer and connector with a passion for young people and music. Rhian has been active in the participatory music sector in Wales for the last 20 years, founding Operasonic in Newport, leading the Youth & Community team at Welsh National Opera for seven years, and driving the ArtWorks Cymru Partnership to explore sector development.

Kofi Acheampong

Programme Manager

kofi.acheampong@anthem.wales

Rebecca Hobbs

Fundraising Manager

rebecca.hobbs@anthem.wales

Tori Sillman

Communications Manager

communications@anthem.wales

Sarah Sweeney

FFWD>> Project Manager

projectmanager@anthem.wales

Elijah Jeffery

Anthem Gateway Discord Manager

elijah.jeffery@anthem.wales

Lennon Williams

Anthem gateway project manager

lennon.williams@anthem.wales

Richard Jones

Anthem gateway content manager

richard.jones@anthem.wales

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Heledd Holloway

Fundraising assistant

heledd.holloway@anthem.wales

Our youth forum

The Anthem Youth Forum meets regularly to support Anthem’s work. Find out more about them here

Our trustees

Anthem’s trustees are all united by a passion for music and young people. They shape
organisational strategy and lead our fundraising activity.

Catrin Roberts

Catrin Hughes Roberts is Director of Partnerships at S4C - the Welsh language broadcaster. She has a communications background, with external affairs experience at devolved, Westminster and EU levels. Catrin leads on S4C’s public affairs work, and its partnerships, as well as the broadcaster’s support for skills and training for the screen sector. She oversees S4C’s diversity work and is a board member of the Creative Diversity Network of UK broadcasters. She is also an RTS Cymru committee member. Before joining S4C, Catrin worked in the BBC’s corporate affairs team in London and also spent time with BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Worldwide. She has previously worked as a campaigner in the third sector, and in the European and UK parliaments. Catrin is a fluent Welsh speaker with a smattering of other (slightly rusty) languages too. She is passionate about music and the role it can play in wellbeing and development. Catrin likes confusing algorithms with her slightly eclectic listening ranging from Beethoven to folk, Queen, hip-hop and beyond.

David Alston

David was Arts Director at the Arts Council of Wales 2005-2019. He led on arts development, strategy, international work, Festivals and allied projects. He led work on Arts Council of Wales’s 2014-18 Inspire: Our Strategy for Creativity and the Arts in Wales and working with the Welsh Government, initiated the idea of a National Endowment for Music in Wales. His interest in music spans genres. In his years as Arts Director he developed the involvement and investment of the Arts Council in more types of music and in showcasing that music. Previous to his work with Arts Council of Wales, David led The Lowry development in its opening years in Salford and in the 1990s was Keeper of Art and for a period, an Assistant Director in Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales.

Deborah Keyser

Deborah Keyser has been Director of Tŷ Cerdd since November 2016, having moved there from the role of Director at Creu Cymru (the development agency for theatres and arts centres in Wales), where she worked from 2005. Welsh born-and-bred, Deborah studied music at Cardiff University and postgraduate Orchestral Studies at Goldsmiths’ College (University of London), before starting her career working at the BBC (Radio 3 and BBC Music Magazine). A period in orchestral management and opera production followed, as well as a stint at a London news agency – before Creu Cymru brought her back to Wales in 2005. Until 2011, Deborah also worked on Wales’s flagship annual contemporary music event, the Vale of Glamorgan Festival (for whom she now sits on the council of management). She is a trustee of the Presteigne Festival and Sinfonia Cymru, and is on the executive committee of IAMIC (the International Association of Music Information Centres). She is the current President-Elect of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM).

Gwenda Carnie

Gwenda is a city trained media and entertainment lawyer, now a partner in a niche media commercial and business affairs advisory company, Industry Media. Her skills include deal-making and commercial and copyright advice for people in the creative industries. Gwenda has advised creatives for over 20 years and has experience of the business of Music, including a legal role at MTV Networks Europe and a role as legal and business affairs advisor to BBC Wales' Music Department. Gwenda speaks fluent French and Welsh and lives in Barry with her husband, 3 musical children (2 guitarists and a harpist).

Gareth Williams

Gareth has been Chief Executive of Rondo Media since 2008. The Rondo group produces drama, sport, music, events and factual content for a wide range of broadcasters including S4C, BBC 1 and Channel 4. He started his career as a BBC trainee producer and joined independent production company Opus in 2001 where he produced several documentaries, concerts and full-scale filmed opera productions including Falstaff featuring Bryn Terfel. He was appointed Chief Executive of Opus in 2006 before founding Rondo Media two years later. The Rondo group now includes Yeti Media – a subsidiary focusing on network productions and Galactig a digital and VR specialist company. Gareth has co-produced content for a wide range of international broadcasters including the 2018 Berlin Concert for Peace and 2016 Cantata Memoria Aberfan commemoration event. Gareth is also the executive producer of The Wall, co-produced with Korean and Irish production partners. He has been a juror for the International Emmy Awards and in 2018 was appointed Chair of TAC – the trade industry body for Welsh production companies.

Ify Iwobi

Swansea born classical/contemporary pianist Ify Iwobi is a Welsh A List artist. She studied Music Performance at Brunel University in Uxbridge. Ify performs solo and with her ensemble around Wales at Wales Millennium Centre, Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama and National Museums Of Wales for example. She has also performed internationally in Ohio and Nigeria. Ify composes scores for soundtracks as well as her own original works. Releases have included ‘Flying High,’ her album ‘Illuminate,' EP ‘Bossin’ It’ and 'Solo' ft Luna Lie Lot. Two of her ‘Bossin’ It’ EP tracks ‘Love Rapsody’ (ft Anwar Siziba) and ‘Thinking About You’ (ft Jinmi Abduls) have been A Listed on BBC Radio Wales. 'Solo' ft Luna Lie Lot was also A Listed. Awards have included: 2016: Black History Young Musician of the Year 2017: Swansea Bay Young Achiever Award (Performing Arts - Musician of the Year) 2019: All Wales Ethnic Minority Welsh Women’s Achievement Award for Arts and Music 2020: BBC Radio Wales A List Artist

Hayley Smith

Meet Hayley, a dynamic force at the intersection of music, creativity, and innovation. She's been immersed in the creative industry from a young age, writing, producing and performing music. Hayley's love and passion for creativity naturally led her into the world of music and tech. Over the past 8 years, she's made waves in the music and tech scenes, becoming a driving force behind disruptive brands that are changing the game across the creator economy. Hayley has a knack for capturing the essence of these industries and bringing them to life. She started at Pirate.com, where she played a crucial role in transforming the company from a small startup to a global scale-up. With her exceptional skills in brand, marketing, PR, and community engagement, she helped put Pirate.com on the map to empower musicians worldwide. From there, she joined Contact.xyz, leading brand marketing teams to orchestrate explosive content, PR and campaigns. Fuelled by a passion to champion creatives and start-ups, in 2022 Hayley ventured out on her own as a brand, marketing, and content consultant. Her goal has been to empower small and mid-size enterprises, equipping them with the tools and strategies they need to thrive in a competitive landscape.

James Radcliffe

.James has worked in Politics and public affairs roles for at least 15 years, including 10 years working in the Welsh Parliament. James is passionate about music, has played in heavy metal bands as well as been a rock club DJ, and wants to ensure the next generation get their chance to be involved in creating music.

Laurence Collier

Laurence is a musician, composer, event organiser, teacher and promoter. He has been a figure in Cardiff’s music scene for over a decade, performing in some of the city’s best musical outfits, namely with Afro Cluster and N’famady Kouyaté, putting on music and art events and being a mentor to the next generation of musical talent.

Phil Sheeran

Phil has extensive venue management experience having worked for Live Nation in Dublin, Manchester and for the last 9 years as GM of Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. Phil is passionate about music, education and the wellbeing of young people and sees Anthem as a great opportunity to combine all three

Pea Pearson

Pea is currently in their third year at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama studying the oboe.

Ryan Singh (Chair)

Ryan is Chairman of Anthem, Music Fund Wales and serves as HR Advisor for a market leading company overseeing key functions such as training and development, recruitment, employee relations and experience, benefits, payroll, and EDI. Ryan has many years of Board-level experience. Serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Growth Path, and HR Director at Cattleya CIC. In these roles, he contributes to strategic leadership and governance, offering advice primarily in the fields of people and organisational development, performance management, law, and recruitment.

Tayla-Leigh Payne

Tayla-Leigh Payne is a Welsh composer based in Cardiff, where she recently graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) with a First Class Honours in Composition and Creative Technology. Her most recent achievements and commissions include, Composition Wales in association with BBC NOW, being the assistant composer to the Anfamol production in association with Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, Folks of the Footbridge in association with Operasonic, Ty Cerdd's CoDI Move, CoDI Lead and Encore Scheme, Burry Port Towns Band ACT Scheme, as well as premiering her interactive audio installation, MIXTAPE at RWCMD's Atmosphere's Festival. Likewise, Tayla was previously part of the Anthem Youth Forum and the Welsh Music Youth Forum, as well as working as a part-time Music Youth Support Worker at YMCA Swansea.

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Wales in which music can empower every young life.