Our Team

Africa Nile Mazula-Krobo-Edusei is a curator, artist, and producer whose creative journey began as a child actor, starring as Young Simba in The Lion King and touring nationally with Young Voices. This early foundation in performance became the springboard for a 20-year career in the arts. He is currently the Community Venue Network Producer with Havering London and Learning & Participation Manager with Brixton Chamber Orchestra, producing large-scale participatory programmes with communities and young musicians. He has worked with the Roundhouse (Camden), Wac Arts College, Royal College of Art, Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, Blueprint for All, Battersea Arts Centre, Southbank Centre, Rugby Portobello Trust, and World Heart Beat Music Academy. Africa is excited to lead the Community Venue Network, bringing creativity, connection, and collaboration to build sustainable cultural pathways that empower Havering residents.

Get in touch at africa@haveringlondon.com

Aldo is a London-based curator and producer with over 20 years’ experience commissioning artworks in the public realm. He has delivered more than 50 projects across the UK, working independently since 2017. Known for his experimental approach, he focuses on commissioning outside traditional gallery spaces, often at the intersection of art, architecture, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. His recent projects include Idris Khan’s 65,000 Photographs, The Modernist Glade for Milton Keynes Station Square, and the award-winning Peveril Gardens.

Get in touch at aldo@haveringlondon.com

Alyssa is a heritage researcher with a background in academia and grant-making. Her previous work at The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Cambridge Heritage Research Centre exposed her to a variety of tangible and intangible heritages, different methods of preserving these pasts, and debates on what should be brought into the future.

Alyssa has particular interest in community-led heritage and how public voices inform institutional ideas of heritage. She’s excited to work with Havering London and Havering Council in collaborating with Havering’s communities. As Heritage Projects Officer, her role is to listen to local communities to highlight, uncover, map, preserve, and maintain the borough’s rich culture. She’s eager to hear from all perspectives on what makes Havering home. Please reach out if you’d like to chat! 

Get in touch at alyssa@haveringlondon.com

Charlotte is passionate about connecting people and communities through meaningful engagement. With a background in arts marketing and audience development at theatres including Theatre Royal Stratford East, Lyric Hammersmith, and the Barbican, her love of working with communities naturally led her to the voluntary and community sector. After over a decade at Volunteer Centre Hackney, supporting local organisations and leading volunteering across the borough, Charlotte is thrilled to be working in her home borough of Havering, fostering collaboration and creating lasting impact through the work of Havering London.

Get in touch at charlotte@haveringlondon.com

David Shearing is Director of Havering London and Artistic Director of Variable Matter, currently producing World Kiosk, New Beginning, and Liberty Café. A multi-award-winning artist, he co-authored Havering’s cultural strategy A Good Life and has helped secure £1.8m of new investment for the borough. His design-led practice embeds social justice, technology, and the environment through co-creation with communities, shaping projects across the UK and internationally. He is also Senior Lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and co-chairs the Performance + Design Working Group for Performance Studies international (PSi).

Get in touch at david@haveringlondon.com

Jordan is a designer, workshop facilitator, and creative producer working across arts, culture, and community engagement, primarily in East London. He came to this work by following his greatest passions: community work and diverse artforms.

Jordan has worked on projects with organisations such as the Barbican, UCL East, Blackhorse Workshop, and West End theatres. In these roles, he has designed and delivered workshops, exhibitions, and community-led events that centre co-design, accessibility, and participatory art.

Mathew Russell is Director of Havering London and Executive Director of Variable Matter, currently producing World Kiosk and New Beginning. He co-authored Havering’s cultural strategy A Good Life, helped secure the £1.8m of new investment to date, and co-chaired the borough’s London Borough of Culture bid. He led Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch for seven years, delivering its first capital redevelopment and increasing Arts Council England NPO funding by 77%. He founded Havering Changing, chaired its consortium for six years, developed new strategic partnerships including Fuse and Creative Health Havering and has fundraised for Havering Libraries capital works. His practice and passion continues to help shape Havering’s cultural ecology.

Get in touch at mathew@haveringlondon.com

Nom is a photojournalist, public historian, and founder of Mabuza Studio, an Afrocentric photography practice dedicated to documenting and preserving African heritage. Through the lens of public history, she illuminates the rich tapestry of African ethnic groups and their diaspora, weaving together stories that capture our essence—past, present, and future.

This work connects naturally with Havering London’s mission to create a cultural ecology for everyone. Drawing on her expertise in representation and engaging with racialised communities, she’s excited to collaborate with communities across Havering to unearth the borough’s hidden histories and ensure diverse voices are preserved and celebrated for future generations.

Get in touch at nom@haveringlondon.com