Delia Barker stepped into the role of Chair in October 2021 having previously been a co-opted board member at Phoenix Dance Theatre from September 2020.

Delia Barker is the Managing Director of Brixton House, a dynamic and exciting new venue in the heart of Brixton, South London, which sprang to life in spring 2022. Prior to this Delia worked at senior level within the cultural sector for several years and continues to bring a wide range of experience gained in and around the creative sector to support her work with large and small organisations. Working in many guises and arenas Delia has an enviable track record of delivering leadership, change management and organisational development at the highest levels.

Previously Director of Leadership and Organisational Development at Deeds and Words, a small agency who specialise in sustainable and positive culture change in organisations, Delia has supported organisations such as BT, Nationwide and NHS England to address specific issues around organisational cultures and race equity. Prior to this she was Programmes Director at The Roundhouse – the world-renowned music venue and young peoples’ charity. There she oversaw the commercial music and artistic outputs alongside driving the charity’s engagement with 7,000 11-25 year olds each year, using creativity to improve their life opportunities.

Other roles include Director of the prestigious English National Ballet School and Chair of Studio Wayne McGregor for 10 years.  Delia is also a Governor of the Royal Ballet School, continuing her commitment to the development of young peoples’ creative passions. Alongside her governance work, Delia maintains her consultancy activity and has supported organisations such as Drake Music, Jasmin Vardimon Company, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Greater London Authority and Clore Leadership. Delia has been involved in the development of several emerging leaders as well as supporting established executives to implement changes within their organisations – especially within the context of diversity.

She is accredited as an Organisational Development practitioner after studying with the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioural Science and is trained in Action Learning Set facilitation (including virtual sets). She regularly delivers mentoring sessions and public speaking engagements across a few sectors, fundraises for charities such as Dementia UK and is a Member for the Mulberry School Trust which was famously visited by the then First Lady Michelle Obama.