Our Leadership Team

Annabel Turpin
Chief Executive

Annabel comes from a highly successful 15-year stint at ARC Stockton Arts Centre – one of the North East’s largest arts venues.  She is also Co-Director of Future Arts Centres, a national network of 130+ arts centres, committed to championing their artistic and social contribution to the cultural and civic life of UK towns and cities. 

She is Deputy Chair and Strategic Lead for Creative Place for the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Business Board (LEP) and sits on a number of other boards and advisory groups. Her consultancy work includes organisational development for theatre companies, venues and local authorities, and mentoring and facilitation at both executive and board level. 

In 2020-21 she led the independent Tees Valley Creative & Visitor Economy Task Force, established by the Tees Valley Mayor, and currently co-chairs the Tees Valley Creative Place Advisory Group. 

She launched and chairs Venues North, a group of 45+ venues from across the greater North committed to helping artists get their work seen more widely. She has produced and toured work nationally by artists, writers and theatre-makers including Jonathan Coe, Daniel Bye, Patrick Gale, Jackie Kay and Luca Rutherford. 

Annabel joins Storyhouse at an exciting time, as it prepares to launch its new 3-year strategy and positions its charity for its next stage of development. Annabel’s broad and diverse leadership credentials will enable Storyhouse to maximise its offer to the widest range of audiences in its unique programme of work.  

Suzie Henderson
Creative Director

Suzie joined Storyhouse in January 2022.

As Creative Director, Suzie leads on our Artistic programme including our engagement and communities programmes, as well as leading our festivals and talent development programmes.

Suzie trained in Drama at the University of Bristol, after finding her way in to the arts as a teenager via her local youth theatre. Before joining Storyhouse, Suzie was the Head of Creative Development for Contact in Manchester. There, she led on the development of The Agency – a UK-wide social entrepreneurship programme in partnership with Battersea Arts Centre, People’s Palace Projects and Brazilian Artist and Cultural Leader Marcus Faustini.

As well as leading the development of socially engaged theatre pieces, focused on unheard and underrepresented voices, Suzie has worked extensively both nationally and internationally in youth governance and leadership, co-curation with young people, and with communities and arts for social change. Suzie has a particular interest in the civic role of arts organisations. She is also an expert in reality TV and gin-based cocktails.

Sharon Peake-Jones
Director of Finance and People

Sharon joined Storyhouse in March 2024.

As Director of Finance and People, Sharon has overall responsibility for the charity’s financial health and management of resources.  In an operational and strategic role for Finance, Legal, Governance and HR, Sharon is a key part of the leadership team to deliver the highest standards of service at Storyhouse.

Sharon qualified with ACCA whilst working at M&S Bank in Chester. Originally from North Wales and having spent her early career in Chester, Sharon then moved to the US with Bristol-Myers Squibb and over the last twenty years worked with International Pharmaceutical and Medical Device companies in a variety of Strategic Roles. Her time in the US has been split between the North East and the city of Savannah, GA where she was CFO for the Savannah Music Festival, a World of Music in one city. She still has ties with the city and the performing arts in the US and when not walking in the hills of Wales or enjoying the city of Chester, she can be found in Savannah or sailing somewhere not too far from there!

Megan Bennett
Marketing Director

Megan joined Storyhouse in 2025, bringing over 15 years’ experience leading strategic marketing in theatres, cultural venues and large-scale live events. Her career spans the West End, senior leadership roles in the subsidised sector and major music venues, where she has delivered dynamic campaigns and drove significant audience and revenue growth. Skilled across the full marketing mix from CRM strategy and digital to PR, media and corporate communications, Megan specialises in data-driven, insight-led approaches that keep creativity and audience connection at the heart of every decision.

Passionate about audience development, Megan has a track record of reaching new and under-represented audiences by making marketing accessible, removing barriers and working with communities to co-create campaigns. She is an empathetic leader who builds collaborative, creative teams and thrives on aligning messaging across complex programmes to ensure every audience member from first-time visitors to long-standing allies, feel welcome and part of the Storyhouse family.

Andrew Grimshaw
Operations Director

With over 30 years’ experience working in various operations roles, Andy joined Storyhouse in June 2025. He has worked in a range of diverse environments in the public, private and charitable sectors.

He was the operations lead for one of Europe’s largest private sector market operators for 9 years and worked extensively throughout Europe, delivering retail solutions and tourism-related events.

He left to take up the role of operations lead at one of the largest charities on Merseyside during a transformative period and led them through the first part of their current incarnation, catering for 25,000 members in a diverse, inclusive, multifunctional setting.

Most recently, he was part of the team that opened a brand new children’s visitor attraction, Eureka, Science and Discovery and later became the attraction’s Director. He took up the role at the completion of the base build and guided them through the first two years of operation.

Victoria Harrison
Development Director

Victoria joined Storyhouse in 2025, fresh from leading a successful £35m fundraising campaign to transform Tate Liverpool. A focus on partnerships and development at Storyhouse is a wonderful culmination of her tried and tested experience as Victoria brings with her expertise from working philanthropically in the arts, as well as in the health, housing and educational sectors.

Passionate about donor journeys and people who care about the causes and communities around them, Victoria is an enormous advocate for culture-led change and community initiatives. Benefitting personally from an international fundraising scholarship and inspiring mentorship, Victoria now actively coaches young people to help them progress professionally.