John Sheeran

As Curator of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London during the 1980s, John Sheeran was responsible for one of the world's finest collections of 17th and 18th century Old Master paintings. He also helped to establish the gallery's first exhibition and education programmes. After a period working in the north of England curating collections of 19th and 20th century art and advising contemporary artists, he set up the independent art consultancy Sheeran Lock in 1990.

Since 1990 John has focused on using art and creativity to communicate across cultural and economic boundaries. He has organised numerous exhibitions in Britain and abroad, notably Travels with the Prince, the 50th Birthday Art Exhibition of HRH The Prince of Wales at Hampton Court Palace,1998-9; Our World in the Year 2000, the United Nations Millennium Art Exhibition, which was opened by Kofi Annan at UN Headquarters, New York; Celebrate! Nigerian Art for The Commonwealth, the official art exhibition for The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria, which was attended by HM The Queen; and Young Brits at Art marking the 30th anniversary of the Commission for Racial Equality and shown at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

John is currently busy preparing and delivering an ambitious series of 80 public art lectures – Discover the Great Painters: From Giotto to Picasso – which will take over 2½ years to complete. He continues to advise professional artists, many of whom have gone on to develop successful national and international careers.

Imogen Lock

Following a successful career in the public sector specialising in arts public relations and media communications, at first for the National Portrait Gallery, London and later for Manchester Art Galleries, Imogen Lock set up Sheeran Lock in 1990 with the art curator, John Sheeran.

Many of the company’s most successful projects have drawn upon Imogen’s communications expertise, which has been used to originate powerful cause-related art exhibitions, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and creative education programmes for young people, supported by leading companies. These have included groundbreaking arts and health exhibitions, notably The Gift of Life 1991-4 and A Picture of Health 1995-6; innovative arts education programmes including Drawing Together 2000, Partners in Art 2004-6, and Creative Futures 2005; and Pride of Place – an enterprise education programme for Secondary schools, which was widely praised by the UK education sector.  Imogen continues to develop new and imaginative ways in which art and creativity can stimulate self-confidence, aspiration and enterprise in young people.

Imogen has written speeches and texts for senior national and international figures in politics, business and the arts, and has contributed to, and edited many publications.