Off to the Ballet

Marverine Cole

Birmingham Press Club member Marverine Cole, who is Director of the BA (Hons) Journalism Course at Birmingham City University, has been appointed by Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) as one of three new board members.

Marverine (pictured), who is also part of the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, said: ‘It is a real honour to join BRB. I remember the buzz that was around when they first arrived in Birmingham in 1990, and how that made me feel even more proud to be Brummie.

“As a lover of the arts, theatre and classical music, I have also enjoyed several BRB shows over the years and knowing there are more incredible ideas to come from director, Carlos Acosta, makes it all the more exciting to be joining BRB,” she added.

The other new appointments are that of actor, presenter and songwriter Shireenah Ingram and experienced banking professional Christine Ondimu, who is a Diversity & Inclusion Manager at HSBC UK Network leading 6,000-plus colleagues on diversity and inclusion.

David Normington, who is chair of the board at BRB, said: “These brilliant new appointments complete the work we have been doing over the last two years to rebuild the skills and knowledge of the Birmingham Royal Ballet board to support the transformation of this great ballet company.

“Marverine, Christine and Shireenah further strengthen our links with business and media; increase our understanding of how the creative arts can change young lives; and bring us closer to the diverse communities of Birmingham. We are all looking forward to working with them.”

In 2019, Marverine was named as Journalist of the Year in the 2019 BUPA MIND Media Awards for her BBC Radio 4 documentary, Black Girls Don’t Cry, which recognised the mental health challenges faced by black women in Britain today. The programme also highlighted worrying NHS data which showed that women of African-Caribbean heritage are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, panic disorder and OCD.