What a month it’s been! April brought us not only a glimpse of summer but also a whirlwind of exciting developments here at Collective Wisdom. It was International Sculpture Day on 26th April and it has been International Sculpture Month for us, with openings in Bradford and Warsaw. The VE Day anniversary is around the corner and our client Joshua Levine has been busy writing and commentating on what it means for us.
On top of all that, we are thrilled to welcome five new experts, from an experienced marketer to a TikTok storyteller to the Collective Wisdom team. Now let’s meet them…
Rachel Collins is a creative marketing strategist with over 20 years’ experience designing audience-focused campaigns for the cultural sector. As the marketing lead at Wellcome Collection she drove its launch, brand evolution and audience growth. She has directed hundreds of campaigns for exhibitions, events and festivals, plus the Gold award-winning Curious Journey brand campaign and other strategic campaigns that have transformed audience engagement. Rachel specialises in inclusive campaigns, brand strategy, audience engagement and audience segmentation. She champions data-driven, human-centred approaches that ensure cultural spaces are welcoming for all.
Priyanka Moorjani is a storyteller who has executed campaigns for international and UK audiences at Penguin Random House UK with a focus on BookTok led activations. As a spoken word poet, she is an alumna of Apples and Snakes’ Words a Stage programme, a Roundhouse Poetry Slam finalist and has performed at literary festivals across the country. Previously Stonewall’s Senior Digital Content Officer where she managed Instagram and TikTok communities of 130K+ followers while building her own online community of fellow BIPOC readers, poets and ‘nerds’ across TikTok and YouTube, Priyanka is incredibly passionate about using her expertise in content creation to uplift and amplify marginalised voices.
Benjamin Ward has 20 years’ experience in strategic communications and reputation management across the culture, media, and charity sectors. He began his career agency-side at Brunswick Arts before running press office teams at WWF-UK and Channel 4 – the latter during its award-winning broadcast of the 2012 Paralympic Games. As an independent consultant, he has led projects for an eclectic range of clients – from positioning capital developments such as London’s East Bank to launching mission driven initiatives such as Museum for the United Nations – UN Live. He specialises in helping brands and organisations tell compelling stories and manage how complex partnerships are communicated.
Ryan Thompson is an experienced brand and design director with over two decades of expertise in visual identity, publication design, exhibitions, and online projects. His work emphasizes creating cohesive and visually striking systems, and he has collaborated with organisations of all shapes and sizes including the BBC, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and Virgin Trains. Ryan lectures at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee, is a member of the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD), a former event organiser for the graphic design events series LongLunch, and a firm believer in the potential that meaningful design possesses as a catalyst for progress.
Lily O’Brien-Mead has joined the team as Network and Campaigns Manager, helping to ensure that everything runs efficiently and supporting on a range of campaigns. She has established herself as a valued team member, delivering impactful media coverage, crafting meaningful narratives, and managing end-to-end campaigns. In her previous role at Four Agency, Lily collaborated with high-profile clients including London Borough of Culture, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Cambridge Literary Festival, AIDS Memory UK, Whitefox Publishing and Art Fund.
Bradford raised sculptor Saad Qureshi’s unveiled his Tower of Now, as part of Bradford’s 2025 UK City of Culture. Standing 49 ft tall in Norfolk Gardens, the sculpture blends architectural styles from across the globe, symbolising the shared histories and rich diversity of Bradford and the UK. Saad’s unveiling included a live interview on BBC Radio Leeds, which aired across West, North, and South Yorkshire. The event also received coverage from local outlets like The Yorkshire Post, Telegraph & Argus, and BBC Look North, alongside national media such as BBC News and a photo feature in The Times.
In Poland, the TOP CHARITY Art exhibitions opened in The Orangery of the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów. Organised annually by OmenaArt Foundation, this year’s exhibition features the Foundation’s African Art Collection, the ARTIST ARUNDO Spotlight exhibition and silent auction, a Sculpture Park in the Palace grounds, and the TOP CHARITY Auction. Acclaimed Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama was guest of honour at the opening of the exhibitions. Other African artists on display include veteran Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, featured in the 2023 Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people, and South African photographer Zanele Muholi, who had a solo show at Tate Modern. For further reading on the sculpture park, click here.
ALSO25 Festival has announced an additional 130+ events and experiences to the already dynamic programme. Claudia Hammond, Patrick Galbraith, Mike Berners-Lee, and more join the line-up, with live music from Molotov Jukebox, Smag På Dig Selv, and Juliet Russell, and DJ Greg Wilson will headline the Disco Bunker. Additional unique experiences like a Love and Horror Banquet and a Sound Bath on a Stand-up Paddleboard have been added. Set in the beautiful Warwickshire countryside, ALSO Festival was recommended as the go to place for Gen-Z festival goers in The Telegraph’s guide to the social season.
To tie in with the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, author and social historian, Joshua Levine’s book The Secret History of the Blitz has been reissued. His book explores the social and political changes in one of the most tumultuous periods in modern British history and the reissue features a new cover design and a foreword from British film director Steve McQueen who he collaborated with as a historical advisor for the film Blitz. Joshua discusses both VE Day and The Blitz in numerous articles in the Sunday Express and is appearing at Hay Festival alongside Hallie Rubenhold, to talk with historian David Olusoga about writing history for the screen.
