Community Ambassadors

Barbara Grant-Bennett has over three decades of experience of working with Leicester’s diverse communities, developing projects and programmes to benefit particularly those most vulnerable and in need.

A double Alumnus of Leicester’s flagship University, DMU, with BA (Hons) in Performing Arts and subsequently MA in Community Education (with Professional Qualification), Barbara currently works as a Community Engagement Officer for the Charitable Incorporated Organisation, St Matthew’s Big Local, which is having a significant impact on local people’s lives.

Barbara has recently joined Curve’s Community Ambassador Team. Her intention is to reach out to and galvanise support from Leicester’s ethnically diverse communities, particularly first-time theatre goers.

Stacey McCarthy is dancer choreographer, movement director and practitioner from Leicester, who is also a qualified Registered Sign Language Interpreter (RSLI) and provides access to the Performing Arts for the Deaf community and audiences. She regularly collaborates with and teaches young people. Stacey takes inspiration from art forms inspired by Black culture including contemporary and commercial styles of dance. She is currently working on some exciting shows, developing various projects of her own and is looking to further collaborate with Deaf and hearing creatives to bring more opportunities to the Midlands.

Stacey is also a Curve Resident Creative.

Farhana Shaikh is a writer and publisher born in Leicester. She is the founding editor of The Asian Writer, an online magazine championing Asian literature. She established Dahlia Publishing to publish regional and diverse writing and the Leicester Writes Festival to celebrate local writing talent. In 2017 she won the Penguin/Travelex Next Great Travel Writer competition.  She has been longlisted for the Thresholds International Short Fiction Feature Writing Competition and the Spread the Word Life Writing Prize. She is the author of From Imposter to Impact: Arts Leadership in the 21st Century, a book she wrote during her time on the Curve Cultural Leadership programme. Her first short play, Risk was developed by Kali Theatre and a staged at Curve.

Farhana lives in Leicester but can be found on Twitter talking about books and publishing @farhanashaikh.

Donna Elliott is a dedicated community advocate and the recipient of the High Sheriff Award 2024, recognised for her impactful work as chairperson of the New Parks Community Mission Food Bank and Support Services, where she manages projects to support diverse individuals.

She also runs the online forum “Don’t Be a Punk, Recycle Your Junk,” promoting environmental awareness and sustainable practices. With thirteen years of experience as a childminder and four years leading the New Parks Community Mission, Donna prioritises inclusivity and accessibility. Living on the borders of Braunstone and the Western Ward, she has established a collaborative network with stakeholders, schools, and community organisations to address isolation in lower socio-economic groups.

As a partially deaf and registered disabled individual, Donna brings a unique perspective and empathy to her work, believing in the power of collaboration and community engagement to create positive change and uplift lives.