ISHANI O'CONNOR

During her career, Ishani has worked closely with communities delivering arts-based, socially focused projects to bring people together. Ishani is currently the Learning and Participation Manager for the Chineke! Foundation, Europe's first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra where she manages the Chineke! Junior Orchestra, nurturing the diverse talent of the future and taking Chineke! professional musicians into schools across the UK, to lead workshops in creative composition and orchestral performance.
In 2017, she was instrumental in founding a new charity for the residents of the Draper Estate in south London where she helped to raise funding and organise events such as cultural festivals, music workshops and theatre. She has a background in fundraising, events management and audience research.
In 2015, Ishani passed with distinction, a Masters degree in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths College, University of London. She has an NVQ in Community Research and has a BA from the University of Exeter in American and Commonwealth Arts. Also in 2015 she was the Development Placement for the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) an innovative and internationally renowned arts company.
Ishani has played piano and violin for over 35 years and is a violinist in Dulwich Symphony Orchestra (DSO) where she is also a Trustee.
In the past, Ishani has worked for BBC TV as a Researcher for Specialist Factual Arts, as a producer for an independent film company making educational films for schools and universities and as a voice-over artist.
Ishani has a deep belief in the power of mentorship, having had such a positive experience of music teaching and playing in youth orchestras growing up, she feels that developing support for young people in music and arts education is fundamental to our society. She is proud to be fulfilling this ambitious work with the Chineke! Foundation.