Staff profiles

David Wright
Director

David Wright has been Director of Commissions East since 1993 following a year long research and feasibility study into the development of public art in the Eastern region.

He was previously Director of City Gallery Arts Trust, Milton Keynes where between 1984 and 1991 he was involved in the development and realisation of numerous commissions for both the public and private sectors in the East Midlands and the new city of Milton Keynes.

David was a founder member of Public Art Forum (the National Association for Public Art) and a member of the Executive between 1983 and 1991, a member of Southern Arts Visual Arts Panel (1990-2), an advisor to Buckinghamshire Arts Association, Milton Keynes Arts Association and Milton Keynes Foundation, and a Trustee of the Chiltern Sculpture Park (1989- 1991), and Milton Keynes Community Workshop Trust (1983-1989). He is currently a Trustee of the Hosking Trust and until recently was a Trustee for Shape East, the architecture and built environment organisation.

Grace Thorne
Company Manager

Grace Thorne has worked for Commissions East since 2001 and as Company Manager she is responsible for operational management and is involved in all aspects of the organisation's work. Working closely with the Director she is responsible for the financial management on both organisational and project level, developing and planning budgets, reporting to funders as well as working with the Director of Development on marketing activity.

Since 2001 Grace has been involved in the development of a number of strategies, policies and feasibility studies, as well as public consultations and public art audits. She has also been closely involved in a number of the organisation's collaborative projects.

Grace’s background is as a textile artist and designer. She was a Council Member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen between 1996 & 2001.

Waqar Ashraf (Ash)
Project Manager

Ash has been Project Manager of Commissions East since November 2008 having worked in the creative sector for over 20 years within many areas of Arts Management.

Between 1986 and 1992 Ash combined his work as a Visual Artist and Project Manager working mainly abroad for organisations such as African National Congress, S.O.S Racism and Amnesty International.

He has worked in many regions of the U.K. co ordinating and managing a wide range of projects including Asian Arts officer in Derby in 1992/94, working with predominantly hard to reach groups. As Visual Arts and Crafts Officer in Manchester 1995/99, he was involved with promoting and creating contemporary based collaborations between communities, artists and crafts people. Between 1999 and 2001 as Youth and Community Arts Officer for Trafford MBC he developed participatory youth and community programmes for the council and their partners, The Lowry, The Imperial War Museum North and Manchester United Football Club.

In 2001 Ash relocated to the Yorkshire region where he managed creative training courses customised for voluntary and public sector organisations. He went back to working freelance in 2005 as an artist, co ordinator and project manager undertaking a number of commissions to develop his practise within the creative industries.

Siân Wilson
Project Assistant

Working closely with the Director and Project Manager, Siân assists with the development and coordination of projects.

Siân who completed an MA in Printmaking in 2009, following her first degree in Contemporary Textile Practices at Norwich School of Art and Design, has previously worked at Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery supporting the curator with the organisation and administration of exhibitions.

Associate Project Managers

Commissions East works with a small team of freelance Associate Project Managers who help the organisation deliver its programme.