Stella launched Lacuna in 2011 to realise visionary public art projects and events. Her established relationships with London’s business and arts communities enrich her curatorial and leadership roles and contribute to Lacuna’s growing success. Prior to Lacuna, Stella was founding Deputy Director of the London Festival of Architecture (2003–2007) and Client Director for the international luxury events agency, Profirst (2007–2009). 

Stella is Artistic Director of Sculpture in the City (since 2011), the UK’s largest annual urban sculpture park. She is former Culture Mile Outdoor Art Curator (2017–2019) and Creative Lead for Celebrate the City (2012), the Square Mile’s cultural programme for the London Olympics.

Stella is a Mayor of London and London Borough of Culture approved consultant, a trained architect and dancer, a liveryman member of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects and a member of the City Architecture Forum. Since 2017 Stella is also an advisor to the City of London’s Eastern City Cluster Area Strategy and in 2021 joined the Lord Mayor’s Culture and Commerce Task Force. She is a Liveryman Member and Court Assistant for the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects, Stella regularly lectures and sits on art juries in the UK and abroad.

stella@lacuna-projects.com

Alice Sandon is an arts and culture producer with successful projects in film, theatre, festivals, events and live art. She specialises in accessibility and strategic community engagement. Alice joined Lacuna in 2022 and alongside Lacuna’s Director, Stella Ioannou, has successfully delivered the 12th and 11th Editions of Sculpture in the City, Nocturnal Creatures 2022, Aldgate in Winter 2022, SculptureFest 2023 and London Sculpture Week 2023.

Prior to Lacuna, Alice was the Senior Participation Producer at SPILL Festival: an international festival of Performance, where in addition to events production, Alice was responsible for the festival’s strategic community engagement. Alice is a qualified Covid Compliance Officer and Designated Safeguarding Officer. She is also First Aid trained, DBS update service checked and qualified in British Sign Language (intermediate level).

alice@lacuna-projects.com

Rachel joined Lacuna as Studio Coordinator in late 2022 to support the expanding team and business. She is a creative industry manager with over 20 years of experience in working at art galleries and creative businesses in London. She has collaborated with many reputable artists, authors, illustrators and architects. A trained art historian (BA in Art History, University of Nottingham), Rachel brings a wealth of knowledge from her other posts in public relations and publishing. 

office@lacuna-projects.com

Jade Niklai is a trained art historian and curator with over 25 years of institutional, collaborative and independent practice. Her practice is underscored by compelling conversations and collaborations, ranging from the emerging to the established. Jade commissions and produces arts and culture projects with an interest in public discourse and urbanism, social politics and memory practices. She joined Lacuna as Associate Curator in 2020 to co-curate the Paddington Square Public Art Programme and supports all curatorial projects and spearheads communication.

Jade has held curatorial posts at Foster + Partners (London), The Architecture Foundation (London) and Ludwig Museum (Budapest/Aachen). She trained at the Sydney Biennale and The Museum of Modern Art (New York). Jade has also advised LVMH/Espace Louis Vuitton (München) and other corporate clients on public art, collection building and cultural communication strategies.

Jade holds a BA in Art History (Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London) and an MA in Art Curatorship (Melbourne University). She works in English, Hungarian, German and French. Jade lectures and writes regularly.

Mary Drake advises on Operations and Strategy at Lacuna. She has a business background and has worked internationally in manufacturing, consulting and financial services. Mary previously worked at Zurich Insurance where she held a number of global roles in Sydney, Hong Kong and Zurich.

Mary is also Director of Atelier of Being, where she works with creative and conscious businesses and leaders by combining best practice from the corporate landscape, the healing arts, somatics, energy mastery, executive coaching and the wisdom traditions. Passionate about art and culture, Mary is currently undertaking an MA in Curating and Commissioning Contemporary Public Art at The University of Gothenburg.