Meet our new Trustee

DASH are pleased to welcome Lou Mensah (she/her) to our Board of Trustees this month.

Lou is a photographer and writer whose practice spans criticism, audio, and education. As a lecturer at Central Saint Martins, she has worked to centre access within arts education, bringing disabled and Global Majority perspectives into spaces that have historically excluded them. Lou is committed to education and advocacy as foundations of a fairer arts sector. She brings to the DASH board grounded institutional knowledge, a track record in communications and partnership-building, and the lived experience of navigating the barriers DASH works to remove.

"DASH's work speaks directly to everything I care about in the arts: access, equity, and disabled artists having the conditions to build sustainable careers. I have spent three decades navigating the sector without the right conditions or infrastructure. I know what that costs, and what a difference it makes when the sector gets it right.

I bring experience from working with organisations across the arts — from charitable foundations and education spaces to major institutions and arts organisations, including Tate, the British Council, Hauser & Wirth, Frieze, and ActionSpace — alongside the ability to broker partnerships, build audiences, and make complex ideas accessible. I want to bring those skills to a board whose mission I believe in deeply, and to advocate for the artists who deserve the conditions and inspiration DASH works to create. " Lou Mensah

DASH's Chair, Craig Ashley said:

“I'm delighted to welcome Lou Mensah to the DASH Board. She joins a committed group of Trustees at a moment of real opportunity and renewed focus for the organisation.

Lou brings a powerful combination of creative insight, critical perspective and cultural leadership, which strongly aligns with our mission to centre Disabled, D/deaf and Neurodivergent artists in contemporary visual arts. Her appointment strengthens our commitment to representative governance and to working collaboratively in support of DASH’s ambitious vision.

We look forward to the contribution she will make as we continue to deepen our impact, broaden our reach, and champion artistic and curatorial practices that challenge and reshape the cultural landscape.”