Meet our trustees

FELICITY IRWIN DL, CHAIR

Felicity has many years experience within the community; in education as a Governor of Dumpton, Poole Grammar School and Bournemouth University, in media and the arts as Regional Executive of TVS (Television South), in commerce as Chairman of The Wessex Institute of Directors, in heritage as a Founding Director and fundraiser for The Vulcan to the Sky Restoration, in community as a JP and fundraiser and Chairman of a number of charities in Dorset most recently retiring after 20 years as Chairman of Care South and has been a Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset for 25 years. She believes that the preservation of the heritage of Poole and sharing it with its community is vital.  

PETER DOBSON

"I was born in Bournemouth and have lived in this area all my life. After prep school at Hailey and boarding school in Somerset I was accepted by Hamble, jointly owned by BEA and BOAC, for training as a pilot. Remember those airlines! After thirty-five years service, initially with BOAC and latterly British Airways, I retired as a  747-400 ‘Jumbo Jet’ Captain in 2001.

I have always taken a keen interest in the history of the local area. My interest in the museum was reignited when attending the unveiling of a Blue Plaque commemorating the founding of BOAC on 1st April 1940. The present museum was the original BOAC Operational Headquarters. 

I continue to take a keen interest in local events and if the National Lottery Heritage Funded project  comes to fruition a bright future beckons for our museum."

PROFESSOR EMMA HUNT

Professor Emma Hunt was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor at the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) in July 2013. AUB is a small university specialising in art, design, architecture, media and performance courses from pre degree through to post graduate.  Prior to AUB, Emma was Executive Dean of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield and has held previous posts at the University of Derby, University of the Arts London, and Winchester School of Art. Well known nationally and internationally she has been invited to talk about UK Creative Higher Education and the Creative Industries in Europe, America, Canada and China, and has been a Visiting Professor at Yunnan Arts University, China. Prior to her academic roles she worked for the Royal Photographic Society. 

Emma was awarded a Chair in Higher Education Art and Design in 2014, she has a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath where her research focused on Design Education and approaches to entrepreneurship. She holds a BA (Hons) in the History of Art and Design, a MA in Design History, and an MBA (Education). She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

Throughout her career, she has developed research interests in Higher Education Design Practice, Design Policy and the Creative Economy, and has become increasingly involved in the linkages between design, innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2017, she co-curated the highly acclaimed touring exhibition of the British designer Lucienne Day.  Active in Higher Education policy developments, Emma is a Teaching Excellence Framework panel member, and a Knowledge Exchange Concordat steering group member. She is a member of the British Academy skills project board, amongst other roles relating to local community interaction and place making, where she has a track record of significant grant capture. She has been Chair of the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD) and a founder member of the Parliamentary Design Commission.

TIMOTHY DARVILL OBE

Timothy Darvill OBE is Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at Bournemouth University. His research interests focus on the Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods in northwest Europe, and on managing cultural heritage. He has excavated sites in Germany, Russia, Malta, the Isle of Man, Wales, and England, and in 2008 directed excavations inside Stonehenge. Author of many books and papers, Tim is currently chairman of the board of trustees of Cotswold Archaeology and chairs the Poole Harbour Heritage Project.