Megan Piper
Megan Piper is the inaugural Executive Director of Grand Arts CIC. She co-founded The Line, East London’s public art trail, with the late regeneration expert, Clive Dutton OBE, and served as its Director from 2015-2025. Prior to starting The Line, Megan was a gallerist and ran The Piper Gallery in Fitzrovia (2012-13) and a gallery space on Jermyn Street in St James’s (2016-17). She is a founding member of the Association of Women in the Arts and a former Governor of Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham.
Natalie Zari
Natalie Zari joined Grand Arts CIC in February 2026 to support operations, including the development and design of our digital transformation, systems, policies, and protocols to ensure the smooth running of the organisation. She has a wealth of experience spanning working as EA to Andy Street during and after his successful mayoral campaign in the West Midlands, to Operations & People Success Manager. More recently, she set up a successful Italian delicatessen / trattoria in Sandgate, Natalina’s, leading on design, branding, operations, staffing, marketing, and commercial strategy. She successfully sold the business in 2025.
Caitlin McCarthy
Caitlin McCarthy teaches yoga, barre, and dance fitness classes in and around Folkestone, including The Grand, VWell, Hotpod, Grace Hill, and The Loft. She launched Yoga at The Grand in September 2025 and is continuing to support the development of our wellness programme. A former professional dancer, Caitlin now balances her time between the studio and her career as an actress.
Harry Johnson
Harry Johnson is the Executive Chef at Keppels. He has a background in elevated French bistro cooking, progressive wine-led dining and international café-bar projects. Formerly working with Daniel Rose at La Bourse et La Vie in Paris, he was subsequently involved in the opening and development of Cafe Bar Universal in Bogotá and John Dory Wine in Sandgate. His approach integrates creative, produce-driven menus with considered wine offerings and relaxed, neighbourhood-focused hospitality.
Team
Giles Croft
Giles Croft was the Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse from 1999 to 2017. He has directed more than 60 productions and his work has played in London’s West End and on Broadway. During the lockdown of 2020, he directed an audio version of The Understudy by David Nicholls starring Stephen Fry and Russell Tovey; in 2022 his production of The Kite Runner played at The Hayes Theatre, New York; and in 2024 The Kite Runner toured in the UK & US. He is also a playwright and his work has been produced widely in the UK and Europe.
Grand Arts CIC’s vision is to reimagine The Grand as a landmark destination for arts, culture, community and hospitality to promote creativity, connection and wellbeing.
Board
Grenville Hancox
Grenville Hancox MBE is well known as a teacher, performer and conductor, initiating and researching music and health activities throughout his career. He founded Canterbury Cantata Trust, a charity developing a collection of singing groups, including Sing to Beat Parkinson’s, with all groups demonstrating the principle of caring through singing. He is both Emeritus Professor of Canterbury Christ Church University and Honorary Professor at Kent University, and was awarded the MBE for services to Music in 2005 and a Civic Award by Canterbury City Council for services to the community through music in 2006.
Aïcha Mehrez
Aïcha Mehrez is a freelance curator, writer and researcher. She graduated from the Courtauld Institute of Art in 2011 and from 2016-2021, was Assistant Curator of Contemporary British Art at Tate. Since 2021, Aïcha has been undertaking an AHRC funded PhD with Tate and the University of Leicester titled ‘How might curatorial methodologies centred in care and prevention of harm, help museums to ethically surface and address their colonial and imperial connections?’. Aïcha is also a lecturer on the MA Curating Apprenticeship at University of Teesside/MIMA, an editor for the University of Leicester’s Museological Review and was previously a trustee of Nottingham Contemporary.