Team Changes at Raw Material

It’s all change at Raw Material…. firstly, we will be saying goodbye to the brilliant Tamara Kohler on March 1st who has been with Raw since we reopened our doors in September 2020 as our Programme Director. Tamara’s vision, energy, joy and leadership in the role has helped us to shape Raw’s programme to become exciting, dynamic, member-led and inclusive and she leaves it in great shape as she moves onto her new and exciting challenge as CEO of new NPO Contemporary Music Making for All (COMA).  

Following our recent recruitment campaign, we are delighted to share the news of our two newest team members:

Sasha Leacock

New Programme Director

Specialising in creative and community project management, Sasha has 20+ years’ experience of developing and managing grassroots arts, cultural and education projects, programmes and events, helping to widen access and participation, increase opportunity and inclusion, improve wellbeing, and benefitting and delivering value for local people and communities.

Sasha’s experience includes roles as Project Manager at Soundmix, a music charity supporting the social inclusion, wellbeing and musical education of young refugees and asylum seekers;  the strategic lead of Forest Hill School’s Community Arts Programme, developing specialist music, dance and drama partnerships and projects; and Arts Development Officer at Lewisham Council, where she developed youth arts, and arts and cultural provision across the borough, and managed large-scale community and equalities festivals.

Sasha was formerly Chair of Lewisham Education Arts Network (LEAN), a charity which champions creative learning and arts education for children and young people, and a panel member of the Crystal Palace Park Community Projects Fund which increased funding and support for the involvement and participation of underrepresented groups in the design and delivery of community activities, projects and initiatives within the Park.

Sasha believes passionately in the transformative power of the arts to enrich and change lives and is delighted to be joining the Raw Material team at such an exciting time in the organisation’s evolution.

Oliver McKenzie

New Marketing Coordinator

Ollie’s longtime interest in culture, the arts, and education led him first of all to pursue a masters degree in Cultural Studies, before he began work as an English teacher upon graduating. In addition, he served as co-founder and head of electronic music platform, Wax Collective, leading the organisation’s photography and marketing initiatives, and contributing towards building its regional presence. Since then, photography and artistic direction have continued to figure in his life and career, as he now operates his own practice working with individuals and companies on a range of commercial and artistic projects. Ollie first became aware of Raw Material when he was looking for educational opportunities in photography, and sought to lead his own programme called “Positive Ways of Seeing” which would encourage young people to develop a better relationship with their environment by seeing it through a camera. Now at the organisation, Ollie currently works in a part-time capacity at the intersection of content creation and business development, leading our public communications as well our overall marketing strategy.

“I'm excited to be able to use my skills to support Raw in the incredible work it does in our community.”