Katherine Pearson

Katherine Pearson

Managing Director

Katherine has over 20 years’ experience working in the cultural sector as a creative producer and senior executive. Since establishing Flo-culture in 2012, she has grown the company’s expertise in digital technologies Improving engagement experiences by uniting real world experiences with digital content now sits at the heart of the companies work. She is responsible the company’s strategic development and operations, and leads on cultural and heritage partnerships.

Katherine Pearson was born in St Andrews, Scotland  and qualified from Glasgow School of Art in 1987 before completing an MA in Fine Art at Minnesota State University, Moorhead, USA in 1989. In 2002 she successful completed an MBA with the Open University, and in 2006 was awarded a NESTA International Cultural Leadership Fellowship Award. In 2015 She was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts in 2015 for her work using technology in the arts and heritage sector.

Her previous jobs include: Director, Centre for Creativity & Learning, University of Sunderland; Chief Executive, National Glass Centre; Programme Director (Creative Partnerships), Arts Council England; Head of Arts Development and Public Art Officer, Sunderland City Council. She also worked as an artist and arts commissioner in Glasgow before moving to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1993.

In these roles she raised over £10 million in public sector capital and revenue funding; successfully led and managed organisations with £2 million plus annual turnover and teams of up to 40 people. She has also led numerous research studies and change programmes focused on strategic development and leadership in the cultural sector.

She has held non-executive Board Member positions for Forma Arts & Media, Tyne & Wear Area Tourism Partnership and Northern Cultural Skills Partnership, and was a Special Advisor and Committee Member for the Scottish Arts Council.