The Imogen Kinchin Fellowship has announced its first group of eight emerging cultural leaders for the 2026-27 programme, honouring the legacy of producer Imogen Kinchin. The funded year-long scheme offers mentoring, bursaries, and sector networking to support new leadership in the arts.

The Imogen Kinchin Fellowship, established in memory of the late producer and executive director Imogen Kinchin who passed away in March 2024 at the age of 44, has revealed its inaugural cohort. The twelve-month programme aims to nurture emerging cultural leaders with mentoring, funding, and connections across the arts sector.

The first group of eight Fellows includes artists and producers from a range of UK venues: Aisha Zia of Kali Theatre; Alessandra Hồng Duyên Zavagno from Lyric Hammersmith Theatre; Beccy D’Souza of Nottingham Playhouse; Ben Alexander Anderson from Lincoln Arts Centre and the University of Lincoln; Connor Allen, founder of LOYALTY Arts; Franny Rafferty of Theatre Royal Plymouth; Kat Joyce of Tangled Feet; and Vanessa Maria Mirza, founder of Dance Bridges.

Each Fellow receives a £3,000 bursary alongside one-to-one mentoring and collective support from the cohort. The programme kicked off with an inaugural supper on 24 September at Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings, a key partner venue.

The Fellowship’s mentors—Emma Brünjes, Jo Danvers, Georgia Gatti, Glenn Graham, James Grieve, Nia Janis, Nicholai La Barrie, and James Mackenzie-Blackman—bring extensive experience to support the Fellows. Rafferty described the selection as “particularly special,” citing the opportunity to “learn alongside the rest of this extraordinary cohort” while honouring Kinchin’s legacy of generosity and brilliance.

Kat Joyce called the Fellowship “a rare opportunity” to focus on leadership development and reflect on how best to contribute to the sector. Brünjes, speaking for the mentors, praised the “exceptional talent” represented in the applications and the Fellows’ shared qualities of generosity, curiosity, and ambition.

The Fellowship is delivered in partnership with organisations that shaped Kinchin’s career, including Theatre Royal Plymouth, the National Theatre, Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, Playful Productions, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, and New Adventures. Its founding principles emphasise empowerment, cross-sector connection, access, fairness, and a reciprocal dialogue about the needs of future leaders.

Designed to support six to eight emerging cultural leaders annually, the Fellowship does not impose an upper age limit, signalling a commitment to diverse talent across the sector.