Audra Gill

Head of Creative Industries

Arts and Humanities Research Council

Speaker Biography

Audra is the Head of Creative Industries at the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, where she leads a dynamic team responsible for driving innovative research and development investments across the UK’s creative sectors. She is an active champion of collaboration and is a passionate advocate for the role of creativity in addressing complex societal challenges.

Her portfolio includes major funding programmes that bridge academia, industry, and communities—ensuring that research in the creative economy delivers real-world impact while developing a more inclusive and responsive research environment.

Her career has been somewhat squiggly, encompassing a variety of sectors including waste and water management, managing an online community for Tesco’s global agricultural producers and a placement with the British Embassy in The Hague as a member of the European Science and Innovation Network.

Outside of work, Audra enjoys creating bold interior design environments in her home and is a ‘craft-a-holic’, with cross-stitch, pottery and tiny drawing/doodling being current firm favourites!

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