Three new Trustees join PiPA Board

Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA) is delighted to announce the appointment of new members to our Board, strengthening our charity’s mission to build a performing arts industry where care and career can thrive together. 

Bringing expertise from across the cultural and creative sectors, the new board members join PiPA at a pivotal moment for the organisation and the wider industry.  

As we celebrate 10 years of progress, we are now shaping the next decade with a renewed strategic focus — expanding our work, deepening our partnerships, and accelerating our impact, particularly across the music sector. 

This next chapter marks a deliberate evolution for PiPA as we build on a decade of evidence, advocacy and sector change to drive an even more inclusive and sustainable future for parents and carers in the performing arts.

Meet our new Trustees 

Emma Armitage is a producer and access consultant based in Dorset. Emma works across finance, operations and development for Disability Arts Online, a disabled-led National Portfolio Organisation. 

“I am delighted to be joining PiPA as a trustee. My appointment is an exciting opportunity to bring together many years of working in the performing arts with my determination to champion the rights, representation, and inclusion of people with caring responsibilities. PiPA’s work is vital in creating a more equitable and sustainable sector, and I’m proud to be contributing to an organisation that is helping to shape a performing arts landscape in which parents and carers can flourish.

I look forward to working with my fellow trustees and the PiPA team, and I hope to bring my lived experience and professional practice to support PiPA’s continued impact across the industry.” 

 

 

 

Noriko Tsuzaki is a Freelance orchestral violinist and teacher. 

“It is an honour to be joining the PiPA as a trustee, and I am excited to see the future developments in how parents and carers can be supported in the creative sector.  

As a carer, there have been many questions raised in my mind over the last few years regarding how work and caring responsibilities can be balanced. Having discovered that a number of my fellow working musicians were also going through similar things, this made me more eager to find out about PiPA’s work and how I could be a part of that.  

I am also involved in several Musicians’ Union committees to continue lobbying to improve the lives of working musicians, and being able to be a part of PiPA’s board is a great way for me to help encourage more orchestras to engage and support orchestral musicians by creating a more inclusive and understanding environment for all.” 

 

Thomas Bagnall is Head of Programmes at Generator, the North’s leading music development agency, and has worked in the north east creative sector for over two decades.   

“I am delighted to be joining the PiPA board and look forward to playing an active role in supporting its outstanding work, helping to safeguard its future, and contributing to its continued growth.

I first became aware of PiPA during my time as General Manager at balletLORENT, and I have admired its mission ever since. As a music professional and the father of two young children, I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by parents and carers working in the creative sector.

As a board member and as an employee of Generator, I am keen to help champion PiPA’s work across the music industry. I hope to encourage more music organisations to engage with and support PiPA’s mission, helping to create a more inclusive and sustainable sector for parents and carers working in the creative industries.”

 

 

PiPA are also delighted to announce that Generator have joined us as a Pledge Programme Partner.
Mick Ross, Generator CEO said:  

“Generator is proud to become a PiPA Pledge Partner and support the important work they do to champion parents and carers across the performing arts. As the proud parent of two young children, and as a leader working across the music sector, I understand how vital it is to create a culture where people can build sustainable creative careers alongside family life. 

Supporting artists, freelancers and the teams across the wider music ecosystem means building an industry that is more inclusive, compassionate and sustainable. By empowering everyone – from emerging talent to the professionals working behind the scenes, we can help shape a healthier, more diverse and resilient future for the sector.”