AMA announces latest board election results
One new board member has been elected and one re-elected by our community of over 4,300 cultural marketers and leaders.
We’re thrilled to welcome Allison Thistlewood, Head of Marketing at Woolwich Works, to the AMA board. We’re also delighted to share that Monique Baptiste-Brown, Head of Marketing, Communications and Audience Development at Brixton House, has been re-elected for a further three-year term.
Introducing our New Board Member
Allison Thistlewood
Allison Thistlewood brings over 25 years of strategic marketing experience across arts, craft and cultural organisations to the AMA board. She is currently Head of Marketing at Woolwich Works, a cultural hub on the Royal Arsenal in South East London, and is the Founder of marketing consultancy, Champagne Communications.
Her career spans roles with Farnham Maltings and the Government of Ontario, covering programme marketing, B2B outreach and destination marketing. A long-standing advocate for diversity and inclusion in the craft sector, Allison is also the Producer of Make Joy and its companion podcast, where she speaks with guests from across the craft industry.
On her appointment, Allison says, “I’m thrilled to be joining the AMA board at such a pivotal moment for arts marketing. The sector is navigating real challenges — from financial sustainability to rapidly changing audience behaviours and the rise of AI — and I’m passionate about helping arts marketers meet those head on. The AMA’s advocacy and professional development work is invaluable, and I’m looking forward to contributing to that alongside such a talented and committed board.”
Members Re-elect Monique Baptiste-Brown
Monique Baptiste-Brown continues her impactful work on the AMA board alongside her role as Head of Marketing, Communications and Audience Development at Brixton House, a multi-arts venue in South London, and as a Visiting Lecturer at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
A strategic and creative leader in audience growth, brand marketing and cultural communications, she brings extensive senior marketing experience from organisations including the Black Cultural Archives, National Theatre and Bernie Grant Arts Centre. Monique co-founded the #BlackWomxnInTheatre movement, drives the business equity charity BPD Global’s Black Pound Day initiative, and serves as a Trustee for Tamasha Theatre.
On her re-election, Monique says, “Being re-elected to the AMA board feels like a real privilege. I’ve been in and around the AMA my whole career – as a member, a Regional Associate, and three years on the board. The cultural sector is shifting in ways that are challenging, sometimes overwhelming, but also can be genuinely exciting, and I want to make sure arts marketers have the tools, the community and the confidence to meet this moment.”
Monique Baptiste-Brown
A Word from Our CEO
Our CEO, Cath Hume, comments: “Community is our lifeblood at the Arts Marketing Association, so it is crucial that our members play a vital role as part of our board — not only representing the voices of their peers but bringing their experience to help shape the support we offer cultural marketers and leaders.
“Welcoming Allison to the board marks an exciting new chapter, and with Monique’s expertise continuing to strengthen our work, we’re in excellent hands. Arts marketers are the connective tissue of the cultural sector. The AMA’s strength comes from staying rooted in their world, and from having board members who are genuinely part of that community. That is what these appointments represent.”
Our board now includes ten professionals based across the UK who generously contribute their time and expertise to strengthen and drive the Arts Marketing Association forward, representing the voices of our members who are responsible for marketing, communications and audience development across arts, culture and heritage.
