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Meet Dr Toni James
For over a decade, Dr Toni James has played a central role shaping arts, education and community development, in leadership roles for cultural organisations, Universities, festivals, government and charities in the U.K., U.S. and Channel Islands.
Toni was introduced to a TV audience as a seventeen-year-old keyboard finalist in the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year Competition. Her world-class performing career spans over two decades and despite busy leadership roles, she continues to perform.
She led major educational initiatives for the San Diego Symphony Orchestra followed by four years as Managing Director of San Diego Guitar Festival. She was Development and Operations Manager for the charity Music in Action and in 2022, she was appointed to interim leadership of Jersey Opera House and Arts and Culture Manager for the Government of Jersey.
She is an award-winning performer, recording artist and multi-disciplinary arts producer. Reverberate, co-directed with Blythe Barton Dance Company won 'Best Production' at the 2015 San Diego Fringe Festival.
Toni is known for her voluntary work leading initiatives that support access and development within the arts for underprivileged and marginalised communities. This includes her tenure as Chair of Create Paisley, working in collaboration with local groups to deepen the impact of the organisation and support its launch of two new programmes in Johnstone and Linwood, Scotland.
She drives investment in community wellbeing across physical, occupational, social, intellectual and environmental dimensions. She recently led the development of programmes and partnerships for Glasgow City Centre's Renfield Centre, increasing its efficacy supporting and improving outcomes for charities and community organisations across a range of areas.
Managing Charitable Investment
Toni has nuanced experience working with people, groups and communities, along with in-depth knowledge of funding, income generation, service delivery, staff development, project management and impact measurement.
She led the strategy which secured the bid to refurbish Jersey Opera House. The transformed theatre complex, is a new £11.5 million hub serving constituents across Jersey’s diverse communities and creative sector, Jersey’s most significant cultural investment for 100 years.
She has mobilised innovative collaborations between private, public and charitable sectors to deliver major capital projects, including the plan to transform the exterior of Glasgow’s Renfield Centre into a dynamic outdoor city space and urban garden.
A prolific fundraiser, she has managed philanthropy on behalf of donors and companies in the financial, legal, business and construction industries, leading partnerships that deliver education, wellbeing, community, arts, heritage, sports, environmental and social programmes.
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Grant maker, grant writer and over a decade working with private and corporate donors to maximise impact and deliver programmes in partnership including
“Exceptional delivery of performances, events, festivals and conferences in national theatres and regional venues, as well as knowledge, communication, collaboration and consultation with Government and stakeholders across Arts and Education”
“Exceptional delivery of performances, events, festivals and conferences in national theatres and regional venues, as well as knowledge, communication, collaboration and consultation with Government and stakeholders across Arts and Education”