Sidney Cooper Arts Trust: mission, people and supporters
The Sidney Cooper Arts Trust (Charity Number 1215959) was formed in November 2025. It was set up by a group of local residents looking to celebrate the legacy of Cooper to Canterbury and to find a way to reopen the original Sidney Cooper building as an arts centre for the city.
The Trust evolved out of the Sidney Cooper Research Group (SCRG) originally formed in 2023 and the legacy of the SCRG work is now part of the Trust’s assets.
Our Mission
The mission of the Trust is to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Sidney Cooper to the city of his birth, in particular his support for young artists through the founding of the Sidney Cooper School of Art in 1868.
Our future plans are to support arts projects that help young people, support community arts programmes and work to secure the historic Sidney Cooper School of Art building, currently closed, as an arts centre for the people of Canterbury.
Founding aims of the Trust
The founding aims of the Trust are:
- To work with partners locally, nationally and internationally including Canterbury City Council, national funding bodies, education and private sector partners to raise funds to regenerate the Sidney Cooper gallery as a new Arts Centre, offering flexible art spaces for a mix of artistic activity, underpinned by a professional Board and Management team.
- To use the building and its activities to catalyse a new arts dividend for Canterbury, a city with a rich arts heritage in part spurred by Thomas Sidney Cooper himself, broadening the city’s cultural offer, helping create an innovative visitor attraction, boosting economic growth and enriching the community.
- To fund educational projects to support young aspiring artists, echoing the aims of the original art school established in the gallery in 1868.
- To support ventures that help celebrate the legacy of Thomas Sidney Cooper to Canterbury and landscape painting.
- To use the story of Thomas Sidney Cooper and his support of underprivileged artists to drive a mixed-use programme of the creative arts with a strong focus on inspiring young artists and supporting those who would not have otherwise have access to the arts.
Who we are
The Trust founding members are Sandra Matthews-Marsh MBE (Chair), Robyn Griffith-Jones, Alison Coles and Carole Wells. The Board Executive Assistant is James Benjafield.
This group will be supported by additional Trustees drawn from Canterbury’s business and art community.
Our retained professional advisors are Girlings (legal), Burgess Hodgson (financial) and Pillory Barn (communications).
The Trust is grateful to its Advisory Group of experts and community stakeholders drawn from: local artists and makers; Canterbury businesses; Lilford Gallery; local universities Canterbury Christ Church and the University for the Creative Arts; Canterbury Academy; the Canterbury Society of Arts; the Canterbury Festival; ICCI at Kent University; The Marlowe Theatre; Hollaway Studio; the Canterbury BID; and businesses neighbouring the Sidney Cooper building The Pound, Westgate Hall and the Curzon.
The Trust is particularly grateful to its founding sponsors whose substantial donation will enable us to seek additional matching funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, Foundations and other private donors in support of our projects and the reopening of the Sidney Cooper building as an arts centre.
We are delighted that the work of the Trust to secure the legacy of Thomas Sidney Cooper is supported by direct descendants Cordelia Uys and Veronica Pilcher and their children, and by Rosie Duffield MP.
Our Trustees
Sandra has had a 35-year career in the public and private sector specialising in the visitor economy, destination management, heritage and creating and developing public/private sector partnerships. She began her career in local government, then for Tourism South East and then went on to lead the team at Leeds Castle. After Leeds Castle she led the award-winning destination management organisation Visit Kent; a partnership spanning 200 large businesses and 3000 SMES. She served as a Trustee of The Historic Dockyard Chatham for 10 years, leading on safeguarding, Arts Council projects, tourism and marketing.
She was awarded the MBE in 2015 and an Honorary PhD from Canterbury Christchurch University in 2017. She has experience in oversight and budget build for budgets between £2m and £8m in not for profit and Charity settings, contracting consultancies for marketing, PR, legal, arts, finance (accounting and audit) small scale capital projects. Sandra lives in Canterbury.
Robyn has a 35-year career in communications, marketing management and policy development. She began her career as a journalist with Reed International and The Economist Group before moving into senior marketing roles with British Airways, Cunard Line, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the English Tourist Board. Establishing her own consultancy in destination marketing and leisure planning, she delivered contracts and campaigns for clients such as the Environment Agency and the London Development Agency, and developing particular expertise in accessible tourism with clients such as Visit England and Visit Scotland.
Robyn was also a Senior Lecturer in Tourism Marketing at London South Bank University Business School and, following her recent move to Canterbury, was lecturing part time at Canterbury Christ Church University Business School. Robyn is a Trustee of the national charity Tourism for All working to improve accessibility in the tourism and travel industry.
Alison has had a 30-year career in information management and development. She began her career in children’s libraries, before moving into the private sector to run an information department for a pharmaceutical company and to manage a marketing and PR department for General Electric Capital.
Following the birth of her children she moved out of London to become the Director of St Albans Museums & Galleries where she managed the Verulamium Museum Trust, developed the exhibition strategy and oversaw over 1,000 school visits a year across all 4 sites. She moved on to work in Higher Education as Director of Development first for the University of Hertfordshire and finally for the University of Kent as a senior manager leading on fundraising for the Colyer-Fergusson Concert Hall and organising external events and graduation ceremonies in Kent and world-wide.
She has been responsible for departments of over 30 people, expenditure budgets of £1m and £2m, multi-million fundraising campaigns, and is experienced with data systems and the deployment of market intelligence. Alison lives in Canterbury.
Carole has worked in the public and private sectors and brings skills in social enterprise and marketing. She has experience of setting up and running small businesses involved in hospitality, recruitment, training and careers guidance. Prior to moving to Canterbury, she set up the first Community Interest Company (CIC) in the London Borough of Bromley and for over 15 years has been actively involved in the volunteering, community and social enterprise sectors, including four years as a Trustee with Community Links Bromley.
She is a Trustee of the Canterbury Society, works at the Canterbury Volunteer Centre and takes a strong interest in green issues.
Get in touch
Contact us to find out more or tell us what you’d like to see in the new Arts Centre.