Cardboard Citizens has announced the appointment of four new Trustees who will join the organisation later this month, alongside two newly elected Member Representatives.
The new Trustees are Alexandra Casson, Vicky Featherstone, Kiko Itasaka and Anoushka Warden. They will join the Board as the charity continues to expand its artistic programme and national influence.
Barry Callaghan and Oriana White have been elected as Member Representatives by the charity’s 150-strong Membership, each of whom has lived experience of homelessness or poverty.
For more than three decades, Cardboard Citizens has placed people with lived experience of homelessness and poverty at the centre of its work. The newly appointed Trustees bring expertise across journalism, playwriting, theatre-making, digital strategy and innovation to support the charity’s mission.
Introducing the new Trustees, Alexandra Casson is Head of Digital Strategy and Operations at BBC Studios Productions. She has more than 20 years’ experience across television, film and global entertainment.
Vicky Featherstone is an acclaimed theatre director and artistic leader, known for her decade at the Royal Court and her work at the National Theatre of Scotland and Paines Plough.
Kiko Itasaka is a three-time Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist for NBC News whose reporting has covered major global stories over the last three decades.
Writer Anoushka Warden works across theatre, television, film and fiction. Her plays include My Mum’s A Twat and My Dad’s a C*nt, and her debut novel was published in 2024.
On the Trustee appointments, Anna Williams, Chair of Cardboard Citizens, said: “I am delighted to welcome Alexandra Casson, Vicky Featherstone, Kiko Itasaka and Anoushka Warden to the Board of Cardboard Citizens, and Barry Callaghan and Oriana White as Member Representatives. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to bolster Citz’s brilliant Board of Trustees. I look forward to working alongside and learning from our new colleagues as we work together to tell stories through great art, develop artists and raise awareness of the impact of homelessness and extreme poverty on people’s lives.”
Lisa Briscoe, Executive Director and Joint CEO, added: “This is a perfect moment to welcome fresh perspectives to the Board at Cardboard Citizens as we continue to grow our influence and reach new audiences. Their expertise and experience will be invaluable as we deepen our impact for people with lived experience of homelessness and poverty. With a strengthened Board and Member Representatives drawn from our community, we are taking another step towards our vision of becoming a nationally influential theatre company where artistic excellence and social impact stand side by side. We’re excited about what comes next, creating outstanding work within the mainstream cultural sector, opening meaningful routes for people to develop as artists and leaders, and changing the story society tells about homelessness.”
New Trustee Alexandra Casson said: “Cardboard Citizens deliver extraordinary work in making theatre, arts and storytelling accessible to people who are affected by homelessness. They centre varied, vital stories of being unhoused with dignity, honesty and humour, while challenging the troubling erosion of what should be an inalienable human right: safety and shelter. I know first-hand how transformative access to the arts can be and I’m honoured to support Cardboard Citizens as they continue to create bold, community-led work that not only entertains and inspires but drives meaningful social change. Arts for All. Homes for All.”
Anoushka Warden added: “Cardboard Citizens is a bold and necessary presence in our cultural landscape. Their work places creativity, dignity and lived experience at the heart of social change. I’m proud to be joining as a Trustee to support that mission.”
The two new Member Representatives bring their own creative and lived experience to the roles. Barry Callaghan has been a Member for just over a year, and recently launched a podcast amplifying overlooked voices. He said: “I decided to stand for Member Representative because I wanted to be involved in such a great organisation with talented people. I’m extremely happy to have been given this opportunity by the Members themselves and the staff. I’m truly honoured.”
Actor and writer Oriana White has engaged with Cardboard Citizens since she was a teenager and continues to develop work inspired by her lived experience. She added: “I feel so grateful to have been voted in as one of the new Member Representatives. Thank you – it’s an honour. I look forward to taking on new challenges and going on new adventures with you all. We all have so many gifts to share, and I’m excited for us all to connect, create and make new memories together.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
