​Sophie Gilpin is a stage director working in both opera and theatre. She is Artistic Director of HeadFirst Productions and has directed productions for companies including Hampstead Garden Opera, Riverside Opera/Rose Theatre Kingston, Celebrate Voice, and Re:Sound Music Theatre/Oxford Lieder Festival, as well as working for Opera North, Opera up Close and Iford Arts.  

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Sophie is passionate about engendering more inclusive working practices where women in senior leadership positions are no longer the exception to the rule.

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Madeleine Pierard (soprano) was a Jette Parker Young Artist with The Royal Opera, where she has sung numerous roles and recitals. A native New Zealander, she studied at the RCM and the National Opera Studio, garnering numerous awards and now performs worldwide in a huge variety of roles. Recent Highlights include Lady Macbeth for ETO, Rufus Wainwright's 'Prima Donna' and performances of Britten's Rape of Lucretia with Muhai Tang in Tianjin.

Madeleine has always been passionate about championing accessibility for women and parents in this beloved industry.

Kitty Whately (mezzo soprano) trained at the RCM and GSMD. She was winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award and the Royal Overseas League, and a BBC New Generation Artist. She performs regularly for the main opera companies and recital festivals in the UK and abroad. She has been a mother for her entire professional career, and feels that there are a great many opportunities for positive change within the opera industry.

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Kitty is keen to explore ways in which the opera world could be more inclusive of women, and accessible to people with dependants.

Hannah Sandison studied at RCM and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has since sung for companies such as ETO, Théâtre du Chatelet, Mid Wales Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. In concert, she has performed in the UK and internationally. Recently, Hannah commissioned  and produced Green Spaces: A Celebration in Song; in which she performed the world premiere of Of Nature’s Light by Mark-Anthony Turnage.

Hannah is completing a MSc in Performance Psychology and is mother to her three year old daughter.  Hannah is passionate about the mental well-being of performing artists with particular interest in supporting women and parents within the industry.