Our Team
Meet the Magic Lantern team.
Caroline Rae
Director
Peta McRedmond
Development Manager
Workshop Leaders
We are a team of experienced communicators with expert Art History knowledge and backgrounds in education and museum learning.
All Magic Lantern workshop leaders hold current enhanced DBS checks.
Helen Anderson
London, Kent & Surrey
bio
Helen studied English at Oxford University and then trained as an actor.
She joined the original Magic Lantern team in 1994 and was subsequently inspired to do a degree in History of Art at Birkbeck College (University of London) and an MA in Museum & Gallery Education at the Institute of Education (UCL).
Helen delivers workshops primarily in the London boroughs of Lewisham and Greenwich but also happily travels out to schools in Kent and Surrey.
Alongside her work with Magic Lantern, she continues to work in theatre, television, film and voice.
Briony Brickell
Dorset, Somerset & Wiltshire
bio
Briony studied History of Art at the University of York and has a MA in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art.
She has worked in educational roles in galleries including as Associate Director of Learning, Europe for Hauser & Wirth and the Head of Education at the Roche Court Educational Trust. She was Director of Magic Lantern between 2023-2026 and is now Head of History of Art at Bryanston School.
Briony delivers workshops in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire to both school and adult audiences.
Hugo Cook
London
bio
Hugo is an Egyptologist with degrees in Egyptology from Oxford and Cambridge, the largest online following of any UK-based Egyptologist, an award-winning book published by Macmillan Publishers, reading fluency in six ancient languages and a strong history of work in museums and education.
Hugo studied History of Art at A-Level and led the 2025 Association for Art History CPD event on how to use art history in the primary classroom.
Hugo is currently studying for his PhD at Oxford and delivers workshops in London.
Daisy Fitzpatrick
Northumberland
bio
Daisy completed her first degree in Costume Design at UAL: Wimbledon College of Art and then gained a Masters in Creative and Cultural Industries Management, specialising in creative pedagogy and arts education. She has a PGCE from the University of Northumbria and has worked in primary schools as the Art Lead.
Daisy currently works in multiple roles within education and creativity including Educational Facilitator at Seven Stories and Supply Teaching.
Since 2020 she has been delivering Magic Lantern workshops across Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland.
Emily Gopaul
London & Reading
bio
Emily has over 20 years of experience in art education, having worked across national initiatives, cultural organisations, and schools.
She is a published author with specialist knowledge in anti-racist and inclusive curriculum design.
Emily is currently Art and Design Lead at Oak National Academy. She joined Magic Lantern in 2026 having first met the charity when they visited one of the schools in which she was teaching.
Emily delivers workshops in London and Reading.
Caroline Rae
London
bio
Caroline is the Director of Magic Lantern.
She completed an undergraduate degree in Fine Art before taking a PhD, jointly hosted by the Courtauld and the National Portrait Gallery, as part of the Making Art In Tudor Britain project.
Caroline has taught in History of Art departments at the University of Glasgow, the Courtauld, UCL and the Open University. She has contributed extensively to art historical literature and public scholarship.
Caroline delivers workshops in North London.
Lizzy Rowe
Oxfordshire
bio
Lizzy has a degree in Classics from the University of Oxford and an MA in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art.
Before joining Magic Lantern in 2016, Lizzy worked in publishing and, whilst at Phaidon Press, edited The Photography Book. Lizzy is particularly interested in
British art of the early twentieth century.
She delivers workshops for both schools and adults in Oxford and Oxfordshire and further afield.
Frances Rustin
London
bio
Frances has been a workshop leader for Magic Lantern since the late 1990s.
She has an MA in History of Art from University College London. Prior to Magic Lantern, Frances had a career in law reporting at the Royal Courts of Justice in London and acted as a magistrate.
Frances works with schools in North Norfolk and North London.
Felicity Stainthorpe
East Sussex & West Sussex
bio
Flick studied Three Dimensional Design: Stage and Costume Design at The University of Central England. Flick is a decorative artist specialising in murals.
Following a PGCE at Brighton University, Flick has taught art in secondary schools for 20 years. She is interested in the History of Fashion and the Italian Renaissance.
Flick has been working with Magic Lantern since 2025 and delivers workshops in schools in East and West Sussex.
Alison Young
London
bio
Alison read English Language and Literature at Manchester University, followed by Law at the College of Law, Chester.
She practised as a solicitor for 20 years before joining Magic Lantern in 2016.
Alison has a particular interest in Music Hall entertainment, researching the area and presenting talks on the subject.
She delivers workshops in the London Boroughs of Southwark and Tower Hamlets.
Recruitment
Are you a dynamic communicator with a passion for art history? Do you enjoy engaging children in fun and exciting ways? Do you believe in making art accessible to all? If so, we would love to hear from you!
Trustees
Rosalind Godber
bio
A senior brand and marketing leader, Ros has spent her career working across media, hospitality and consumer lifestyle brands, most recently at the Jamie Oliver Group. There, Ros was responsible for driving brand and audience growth and commercial revenue through integrated global marketing strategies.
Previously, Ros held senior roles at ITV and Channel 4, delivering award-winning campaigns and culturally-relevant moments such as the Channel 4 rebrand and BritBox’s UK launch. She brings strong expertise in combining strategic and creative thinking to deliver meaningful social impact through brand storytelling, drive engagement with a broader range of diverse audiences, and unlock growth on new platforms.
Nick Walker (Chair)
bio
Nick is a digital transformation and change specialist with over 16 years’ experience leading major change programmes across public and private sector roles. He currently works in the Civil Service, where he focuses on technology transformation and strategy.
Nick studied History of Art and Anthropology at university, with a focus on the late medieval period in East England. He is particularly interested in the intersection between the heritage, arts and education sectors.
Nick is also a trustee of the Hackney Historic Buildings Trust, and is an Ambassador the Tate Patrons Programme.
Josepha Sanna
bio
Josepha Sanna is Articulation Project Manager at the National Gallery, London. The Articulation Prize is the National Gallery’s annual public speaking competition for 16-19 year olds, challenging them to deliver a 10-minute presentation on any work of art, architecture, or artefact, fostering confidence, critical thinking, and research skills in visual culture.
Originally pursuing a practice in Fine Art, specialising in Sculpture, she subsequently gained an MA in History of Art at Sussex University. With over 15 years’ experience in the arts sector, she is passionate about supporting young people find their voice and enhancing accessibility in arts education.
Matthew Sanders
bio
Matthew Sanders heads up global film communications for Fremantle and over a three-decade career, he has worked closely with a wide range of filmmakers – including Sofia Coppola, David Cronenberg, Walter Salles, Sally Potter, Luca Guadagnino and Pedro Almodóvar.
Before joining the board of Magic Lantern, Matthew spent 13 years running the charity and, across 17 years from 2006, personally delivered more than 2,000 workshops.
He holds a BA in History of Art from the University of Warwick and is a member of BAFTA and the European Film Academy.
Allison Murdoch
bio
After her first degree from Georgetown University with a double major in the History of Art and French Literature, Allison completed an MA in the History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, University of London. She held curatorial positions at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Phillips Collection in Washington DC and worked in the education department at the Norton Simon Museum of Art for seven years where she became interested in the contrasting and complementary methods of teaching in the art gallery and the classroom.
In her current position as the art coordinator in a state school in Thanet, Allison works to motivate teachers to view the visual arts as a pedagogically essential link into other core curriculum subjects.
As an extension to her classroom-based teaching role, Allison also acts as educational consultant to museums creating resources and lesson plans linking museum collections to school curricula in teacher-friendly formats.
Claire Benjamin
bio
Claire Benjamin is the Head of Learning & Participation at National Museums Liverpool. She heads up the Learning and Participation department that creates and delivers a vibrant and inclusive programme of enrichment and engagement for all visitors across National Museums Liverpool’s seven museums and galleries. Her team are shaping new practice around decolonising museum and art gallery learning programmes and trauma informed practice.
Claire has recently managed change within NML moving to an audience focused and more participatory approach to achieve organisational goals around inclusion and diversity.
Claire is a Fellow of the Museums Association and has worked in museums since 1998.
Namitha Aravind
bio
Namitha Aravind is a Senior Associate at the Financial Conduct Authority, currently seconded to HM Treasury.
A former journalist with by‑lines in The Times and The Independent, she previously served as a non‑executive director at the award‑winning YouthPolitics UK.
She is passionate about widening access to the arts, and The Courtauld remains her favourite gallery in London, ever since she first visited it when she came down to the city for university.
Patrons
James Mayhew
bio
James Mayhew is an English illustrator and authors of children’s books, storyteller, artist and concert presenter.
James has published over 50 books including the series of Katie picture books about a girl who explores paintings by climbing inside them! There are currently 14 titles in the series, including Katie and the Mona Lisa, Katie and the Waterlily Pond and Katie and the Starry Night.
James is an adviser to the charity Action for Children’s Arts, and has served as a committee member for the Children’s Writers and Illustrator’s Group for the Society of Authors, and is active in campaigning for better opportunities for children and children’s authors.
James has been a patron of Magic Lantern since 2014.
Bill Murray
bio
Bill Murray is an American actor and comedian. He has several accolades including a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as a nomination for an Academy Award.
In 2014 Murray stared in the 2014 film ‘The Monuments Men’, which highlights the rescue of stolen art during World War II.
Bill Murray has been a patron of Magic Lantern since 2019.
Janina Ramirez
bio
Janina Ramirez is a a cultural historian, broadcaster and author based at the University of Oxford with a passion for communicating ideas about the past.
As a lecturer and course director, she wants to share ideas, information and inspiration with every student and also open up the subject to anyone and everyone who cares to listen, through the wide reach of television, radio, publications and new media.
Her research began with a degree in English literature at Oxford, followed by an MA and PhD at the Centre for Medieval Studies in York on the art, literature and culture of Anglo-Saxon England. Her interests, however, have constantly branched outwards in all directions as she has taught more broadly on everything from classical architecture to the work of Tracey Emin.
Janina has been a patron since 2020.
Will Vaughan
bio
William Vaughan is a British art historian and has been emeritus professor of history of art at Birkbeck College, University of London since 2003. The main area of his research is Romanticism, particularly British and German art around the start of the nineteenth century.
Prior to joining Birkbeck he was a Reader at UCL and an Assistant Keeper at the Tate.
He is also a print maker, and regularly exhibits in London and Bristol under the name of Will Vaughan. He is Chair of the Bruton Art Society.