Lesley Patrick, Culture Forum North

As Director of Higher Education Partnerships at Opera North, Lesley co-led the creation of Culture Forum North, a network of partnerships between higher education and the cultural sector across the North. She has significant experience of developing multi-faceted partnerships with universities including the long-standing DARE partnership between Opera North and the University of Leeds.

She is particularly interested in how collaboration between organisations can create new opportunities and inspire new ways of thinking and operating in the cultural sector, delivering otherwise inaccessible internal and external benefits.