Music in Prisons - The Irene Taylor Trust

About Us / Our Team

Sara Lee, Artistic Director

Sara is a talented musician who has delivered the majority of the Trust’s projects to date and is responsible for developing new project ideas and managing the Trust’s workload from the office.

Victoria Samuel, Director of Fundraising & PR

Victoria joined the Trust in May 2010. An experienced fundraiser, Victoria is responsible for all fundraising and PR initiatives.

Luke Bowyer, Projects Manager

Luke works part time in the Trust's office, providing project management support and overseeing the general administration of Music in Prisons.

Nick Hayes, Project Leader

Project leader Nick is employed by Music in Prisons on a freelance basis and has led nearly all of the Trust’s projects since its inauguration. Nick is a composer, performer and improviser with a wealth of skills for leading creative music projects in secure settings.

Rex Horan, Project Leader

Project leader Rex has worked for Music in Prisons on a freelance basis since 2003. Rex is a versatile musician currently working in rock and Latin circles, who also takes responsibility for recording, mixing and producing all of Music in Prisons’ work.

Nev Clay, Project Leader

Nev has facilitated music-making workshops with young offenders at The Sage Gateshead, run music and song-writing workshops at HMP Frankland for five years and was an Activity Worker in a Medium Secure Unit for offenders with severe personality disorders from 2006 to 2010. He is now training to become a registered mental health nurse. He regularly performs on the local music/poetry scene in Newcastle, and has co-written a collection of songs with Mercury Prize-nominated Kathryn Williams. Nev's been working with Music in Prisons since 2007.

Glyn Hill, Project Leader

Glyn is a talented saxophonist and has worked with the Trust since 2006. A tutor for the Guildhall school of Music and Drama, he is experienced in leading projects in a variety of settings, with a broad range of instrumental skills in addition to his abilities as a composer and improviser.

Charles Stuart, Project Leader

Charles is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who works in a diverse range of styles from Soul to Rock. An extremely experienced community musician, he specialises in running song-writing workshops and working closely with singers on vocal technique.

James Dey, Project Leader

James is a singer-songwriter and drummer and has been teaching and workshop leading in a range of settings since 2001. He now specialises in prison based work, where he gives instrumental lessons, leads creative ensemble workshops and hosts open mic sessions

Sarah Atter, Project Leader

Sarah is a freelance flautist and an experienced music leader. A versatile musician, Sarah delivers projects in a wide variety of settings encompassing musical styles from classical to contemporary and has worked for the Trust since 2009.

Rachel Harland, Project Leader

Rachel is a freelance classical singer and versatile musician, who performs and teaches in a wide range of styles from opera to R&B. She is an experienced community workshop leader, vocal tutor, language coach and accompanist.

Stephen Wrigley, Project Leader

Stephen is a composer, performer and educator in most styles of music but with a particular leaning towards the guitar. He’s worked for nearly 30 years on music-based projects for, among others, the Prince’s Trust and Rockschool; and he currently wields a squonkaphone with Stomp’s Lost and Found Orchestra.

Emma Williams, Project Leader

Emma is a singer/songwriter and electronic musician. Based in London, she works as a freelance music leader and performs regularly with a number of ensembles, largely in popular and urban music styles. She has worked with Music In Prisons for a year.