Parents & Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA) has announced the appointment of Sarah Jackson OBE as the new Chair of its Board.

PiPA is an organisation committed to research, campaigning and the promotion and implementation of best practice within the performing arts industry in support of the needs of the parent and carer workforce.

Sarah Jackson OBE is one of the UK's leading experts on work-life balance and family friendly working in the UK. She led the work-life charity Working Families for twenty four years, was appointed OBE for services to quality of life issues in 2007, and is also currently Deputy Chair of the Insuring Women's Futures flexible working workstream for the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Her fresh thinking about the UK's work-life challenges has included the creation of Go Home On Time Day, the Happy to Talk Flexible Working recruitment initiative, and the high profile employer campaign Family Friendly Working Scotland.

Sarah said, "I whole-heartedly share PiPA's vision. We really can achieve a performing arts sector which is truly inclusive of its working parents and carers. This is not optional - PiPA has already shown the huge loss to the sector as talented parents and carers find it impossible to combine their careers with their caring responsibilities. We have a huge opportunity to reset our thinking about how the sector works, to the benefit of its organisations and all people who work in it."

PiPA Co-Founder Cassie Raine, said: "We are delighted to welcome Sarah Jackson OBE as our new Chair. Her experience of the challenges facing carers and parents in the workplace is unparalleled, combined with a working knowledge of the needs of employers, makes her a perfect fit for PiPA as we embark on the next exciting phase of our development, working with Dance, Music and Opera organisations as well as Commercial Theatre.

It is with a debt of gratitude that we thank Amanda Parker, PiPA's outgoing Chair, for her leadership and guidance which has significantly contributed to the growth and development of PiPA."

PiPA has also appointed Hannah Young, former Finance Director of Rambert, as Treasurer and Vick Bain former CEO of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) as a Board member. Vick recently stepped down as CEO of BASCA to focus on other ambitions, including further research investigating why women leave the Music industry. In recognition of her work Vick, particularly for campaigning on equality and diversity in the music industry, was inducted onto the Music Week's Women in Music Roll of Honour in 2017 and featured in the BBC Radio 4 2018 Woman's Hour 'Power List'.