Governance
Leadership and accountability
How the Trust is governed
Digswell Arts Trust is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees whose professional, creative and community experience supports the Trust’s work.
The Trustees oversee the Trust’s strategy, finances and charitable responsibilities. They also support the Fellowship, participate in the selection of new Fellows and maintain links with artists working at The Forge.
Registered charity
Company limited by guarantee
Volunteer-led
Trustee Board
Chairman – Mike Shaw MA
Mike Shaw is a solicitor and partner with international law firm GunnerCooke LLP. He obtained an MA in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford and has thirty years’ experience in real estate law. He was a founder member of the Commercial Real Estate Legal Association and was its Chairman between 2017 and 2024. Mike became a Trustee in 2013 and Chairman in 2020.
Treasurer – Richard Bensted FCCA (retd.)
Richard held various posts as a Financial Accountant at several small to medium sized companies which were involved in the ‘Drinks Industry’,’Furniture’,’heavy machinery’ and ‘rail contracting’.
Whilst being very interested in art he has yet to be fully engaged in the production of it!
Steve Rogers, BA (Hons) ACMA (retd.), Trustee
Steve Rogers has a background in financial management with a large multinational, ending his career as Chief Financial Officer of Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific. He is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He also obtained a First Class Honours Degree in Fine Art from the University of Hertfordshire, and was a Digswell Fellow from 2005 to 2010. Steve is a passionate believer in the importance of the Trust’s activities and of art in the community.
Anton Psak MA, Trustee
Anton has an MA in Fine Arts from The University of Hertfordshire. He has been building his reputation as an artist in the UK and Europe over the last two decades and has a strong track record in digital marketing, servicing clients in both the private and public sectors. He was offered a Fellowship at Digswell Arts in 2013, becoming a Fellow of the Farmhouse. He was made a Trustee in 2018 and was given the responsibility of managing Digswell Arts’ online presence.
Anton continues his studio practice at Parndon Mill.
Sue Pilborough, Trustee
Sue is a retired community health visitor, complementary therapist and creative.
Completing a BA Hons in Contemporary Art at Minerva Art Academy in the Netherlands in 2018 she then became a DAT Fellow in 2019- 2024. Sue is passionate about promoting the arts in the community and supporting emerging artists.
Cathy Watson, Trustee
Cathy Watson is a retired mental health professional and currently serves as a borough councillor with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and a town councillor with Hatfield Town Council. Her interest in the arts began through lessons in Welwyn Garden City with Kimberley Bevan, a former Digswell Arts Fellow, and she continues to enjoy online sessions with friends she met through those classes. This connection inspired her to join Digswell Arts Trust as a trustee. Cathy aims to use her councillor roles to help link the Trust with projects in the wider community.
Donna Hepburn BA, Trustee
Donna Hepburn BA is a dual citizen of the USA and the UK, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Fine Arts (Painting and Drawing) from San Diego State University. She has lived in Digswell for 21 years.
Semi-retired, Donna remains active as a certified Executive Coaching Consultant. Her work has focused primarily on developing people and supporting them to achieve meaningful growth in their careers and personal lives, as well as helping to resolve internal conflicts within businesses. She has also worked as a visiting lecturer and cross-cultural coach.
Having lived in Tokyo, Hong Kong, the UK, and various locations across the USA, Donna has practised and developed an appreciation for a wide range of art forms in each place. She is active with the St Albans Art Society and continues her lifelong passion for art, working primarily in drawing and watercolour. She is particularly interested in artists’ development, growth, and wellbeing, and in helping them find a fulfilling path that supports their goals for lifelong creative expression.
Paul Davey, Trustee
Paul Davey is an arts professional with over a decade of experience in the cultural sector. He holds an MA in Curating and Collections from the University of the Arts London. Paul has worked extensively within the gallery and museum sector, including roles at the V&A Museum, UH Arts + Galleries, and Departure Lounge Contemporary Art. He currently works for the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, where he runs the Broadway Gallery.
Paul is committed to supporting artists, engaging with local communities, and cycling.
Faye Munroe, Trustee
Faye Munroe is a Ceramic Artist, who was drawn to clay while studying on a Visual and Creative Studies course and was seduced by the possibilities of clay to express her love of form and texture. She went on to study on a Foundation Degree in Three-Dimensional Design to continue her exploration with clay, before completing a Contemporary Applied Arts degree specialising in ceramics in 2013. Faye became a fellow at Digswell Arts that same year until 2019 and is now currently on the Board of Trustees.
For two years Faye taught Level 4 Core Design skills in Ceramics on the BA Hons Design Crafts course and is currently teaching on the Step Up programme for Lambeth Adult Learning Art & Design course. Faye is co-founder of 2Arts, a not-for profit creative arts organisation delivering projects and workshops for the Luton Community and LUGUS CERAMICS C.I.C, which focuses on facilitating ceramic workshops and projects in the community for Wellbeing and Mental Health, making ceramics accessible for all. She has exhibited at ‘Art in Clay’ Hatfield, an internationally renowned ceramic show and her work is now being sold and stocked at the Flux Gallery in Bristol. She recently had her ceramic artwork exhibited in the Caste: The Origins of Caste exhibition at the Leicester Museum and Gallery.
Charitable purpose
Ensuring that the Trust’s activities support its charitable purpose and continue to create meaningful opportunities for artists.
Responsible stewardship
Overseeing the Trust’s finances, resources and legal responsibilities carefully, transparently and in its long-term interests.
Supporting artists
Helping to maintain a supportive Fellowship and providing artists with the time, space and opportunities needed to develop their practice.
