Rose Aidin, Founder and Chief Executive

Rose Aidin founded Art History Link-Up in 2016, a registered charity offering access to the formal study of Art History, and qualifications, online and in galleries, free of charge to students in state education. She has undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Western and Asian Art History, a PGCE with QTS teaching qualification in Art and Art History, and extensive experience of teaching in the state-supported and independent sectors. Rose is a member of Art UK’s Learning and Engagement Panel.

Rose started her career in the commercial art world, at Sotheby’s and with Asian art dealers, then in journalism at The Art Newspaper, and as a freelance writer specialising in modern and contemporary art, and the art market. It was the Saatchi, Tate Modern and Young British Artist years and so Rose interviewed many of the artists whose work AHLU now teaches, for publications including The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Observer, Telegraph, Financial Times, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and so on.

She then started teaching Art History A Level at Lady Margaret School, Parson’s Green, then for several years was Head of Art History at the Camden School for Girls, both among the few state schools which offer Art History A Level. Rose then took on an education role for the Association for Art History, piloting an outreach scheme in two state schools to teach fast-track AS Art History. The next logical step was to take the scheme out of schools and base it at a central museum or gallery hub, so that as many state sixth form students as possible could benefit – fewer than eight state schools offer the A level – and be taught in front of the works of art themselves, as much as possible, on term-time Saturdays.

Rose studied Art History at school in London, visiting museums and galleries as part of her studies, and likewise at university; she has continued studying Art History in museums and galleries, and making them an integral part of her work, ever since. Rose is convinced that studying art history in front of the works of art is transformational and is keen to develop as many art history courses as possible for young people, based around learning in and from public collections.

Kate Bock, Charity Operations Manager

Kate Bock brings a decade of experience in the global secondary and tertiary education sectors to AHLU. She holds an MA in Art Business from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Inspired by her work with students, Kate’s postgraduate research concentrated on leveraging strategic partnerships to engage new audiences with the fine arts. Kate is a passionate advocate for ensuring equal access to education and expanding participation within the arts.

Amelia Poole, Charity Operations Officer

Amelia Poole graduated from the University of St Andrews with an MA in Art History. She has a keen interest in musical and poetic Ekphrasis from 1860-present day. After graduating, Amelia began her career at the Natural History Museum in the development department. She is passionate about widening access to the arts and is excited to work with AHLU towards this shared goal.

Isaac Nugent, Lead Teacher

Isaac is Lead Teacher on AHLU’s Art History for Everyone free Art History A Level and EPQ courses for state sixth form students, delivered at the Courtauld Institute of Art and / or online on term-time Saturdays. He studied Art and History of Art at the University of Edinburgh and completed an MA in Cultural, Intellectual and Visual History at the Warburg Institute in London in 2022. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Art History at the University of York on painted facade architecture in Early Modern Europe (1530-1650.) Isaac joined the AHLU teaching team in 2020 and has also been an AHLU Student Liaison Officer and EPQ mentor. He also works as a Gallery Educator at the National Gallery and has also taught History of Art at Collingham College and Wychwood School, Oxford.

Ludo Amory, Student Operations Officer

Ludo Amory graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA in History of Art and more recently from the Courtauld Institute with an MA in Conceptual Art. He is keenly interested in contemporary art, urban theory and palaeontology. He has helped with the curation of exhibitions in institutions such as Queer Britain as well as co-curating his own independent shows, and is a dinosaur consultant. Ludo has been teaching and working with AHLU since 2019. He is passionate about Art History Link-Up, having seen at first hand the ways in which the charity has been transformative for young peoples’ aspirations and opportunities. Ludo is a committee member of AHLU’s Young Patrons Circle.

Kate Macdonald, Development Coordinator

Kate Macdonald is a founder of Boisdale Restaurants and Bars which she set up with her husband in 1988.  For the past 15 years she has worked in Oxford as a teacher of children and young adults with Specific Learning Difficulties.  She has a keen interest in History of Art having studied the subject with Italian at Bristol University and is thrilled to have returned to the art world with Art History Link-Up. Kate has been supporting AHLU with development projects since 2019.

Lauren Blake

Specialising in the art and architecture of Byzantium, Lauren Blake recently completed her MA at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She previously studied Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University where she found her primary interest in the intersection of religious arts and phenomenology. Lauren cares deeply about widening access to Art History and, so, regularly volunteers with the Sir John Soane’s Museum learning team and has recently joined the Kids in Museums Youth Panel to deliver projects which uplift and celebrate young people’s involvement in the cultural sector.

Emma Bowen

Emma Bowen is Head of History of Art and Deputy Head of Sixth Form (Enrichment) at Wycombe Abbey School where she loves introducing young minds to such a fascinating subject. Having completed her undergraduate degree in History at the University of Oxford she quickly realised her real passion was for Art History and so after a few years of teaching she studied for her MA, specialising in Mannerism. Emma led and taught our Art History for Everyone A level and EPQ course at the National Gallery in 2018-19, and is an occasional teacher. Emma was a trustee of Art History Link-Up between 2020 and 2023.

Jack Dunleavy

Jack Dunleavy is an Art History Educator based in London, and AHLU’s Lead Teaching Assistant. Jack has worked with AHLU since 2017 and has taught each one of AHLU’s students since the charity was founded. Jack went to a comprehensive school in London, where took History of Art A level, before studying English and History of Art at the University of York. He is currently a postgraduate student at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Stephanie Farmer

Stephanie Farmer is Head of Art History at Notting Hill & Ealing High School, having taught Art and Art History at Townley Grammar School. She worked as a teacher for the Association for Art History’s outreach scheme and believes in bringing art history to a wider young audience. She was Artist-in-Residence at Eltham College. She has an MA in Art History, specialising in the early twentieth century, and a BFA in Fine Art. She has also worked for arts organisations, including the British Council. Stephanie has been teaching with AHLU since 2019, and her roles have included Student Officer, EPQ Manager and Mentor, in addition to teaching Introduction to Art History classes for KS3 and 4 student, and A level Art History. Stephanie joined the AHLU team in 2020.

Matilda Fleming

Matilda Fleming studied English and History of Art at the University of Glasgow before completing an MA at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She specialised in American art from the Sixties and particularly loves photography and performance art. Since graduating, Matilda had worked in educational roles in a variety of museums and galleries. Matilda joined the AHLU teaching team in 2021.

Dr Roz Hayes

Roz Hayes first became interested in Art History during her Foundation in Art and Design at Plymouth College of Art, and went on to study a combined honours in History and History of Art at the University of York. She recently received a PhD from the History of Art department at UCL, where she researched animals, art, and nineteenth-century Britain. Roz has been teaching with AHLU since 2019.

Nicola Hepworth

Nicola Hepworth has a degree in Fine Art (History of Art and Art) from the University of Edinburgh and a PGCE from the Institute of Education in London. She currently teaches History of Art at The West London Free School and Art at Walthamstow School for Girls. Nicola is a practising painter and is endlessly fascinated in how and why pictures have been made. She has been teaching with AHLU since 2021 and her role has included teaching Introduction to Art History classes for KS3 and 4 students in addition to A level Art History. She has also mentored and moderated student EPQ projects. In 2022 she was awarded the AHLU x Christie’s Education Scholarship Award prize of an Art Business Masterclass Certificate Course for her film on Mark Gertler’s ‘Merry Go Round’. Find out more and watch Nicola’s film here.

Katerina Mesterovic

Katerina Mesterovic studied History of Art and Ancient History at the University of Sydney before completing her MA at the Courtauld Institute of Art, specialising in the relationship between music and visual art. She is interested in how audiences engage with art, particularly how museums can use learning programmes to make their collections accessible to a wide range of visitors. Having worked with the National Gallery of Australia as a member of their Youth Council to develop youth engagement strategies, she is passionate about connecting young audiences with art. Katerina joined the AHLU team as a teaching assistant in 2023.

Marjotte Miles

Marjotte Miles studied Art History as an undergraduate at The Courtauld Institute of Art before completing her Masters at Oxford University. During her degrees, Marjotte has noticed how her growing love for art history was partly due to the incredible teaching she had received and is therefore thrilled to be teaching with AHLU. Marjotte is an A level Art History script examiner for Edexcel Pearson. Marjotte is taking an ESRC funded PhD in History with the Museums of Liverpool on imperial violence and technology in museum collections. She was awarded the 2021 Sir Denis Mahon Essay Prize for her paper on ‘The Invisibility of the Old Woman Artist: Van Dyck’s Portrait of Sofonisba Anguissola‘. Marjotte joined the AHLU team in 2019.

Dr Tilly Scantlebury

Tilly Scantlebury gained a PhD at The Courtauld Institute of Art in 2021 after receiving an MA from the Courtauld in 2016 and a BA from UCL in 2015. Tilly’s academic research focuses on queer American art from 1990 to the present, ranging from sculpture, photography, and graphic novels. Tilly has taught feminist art history on MA and BA courses, and currently delivers accessible arts workshops to schools, colleges and adults across the UK as a Public Programmes Educator. As well as this, Tilly is a Visiting Practitioner at UAL, focussing on the Illustration and Visual Media undergraduate course. Tilly loves teaching art history, and is excited by the way that art helps us to reimagine the world. Tilly was AHLU’s first teaching assistant, in the 2016-17, and is thrilled to have re-joined the AHLU teaching team at the Courtauld in 2022.

Sanyukta Shrestha 

Sanyukta Shrestha is an art historian with a particular focus on non-western and religious artworks. With a 2019 book on Nepalese artefacts in the UK, and a chapter contributed to a 2022 book relating art with ethnography, Sanyukta’s investigations into art and culture are widely published in Nepal’s leading daily newspaper, The Kathmandu Post. While he has recently completed his MA in Buddhist Art History and Conservation from the Courtauld Institute of Art, he also has an MSc in Multimedia Systems and has worked as a software developer for two decades in London. He is an award-winning artist and is also a filmmaker who directed the first animated movie in the Nepalese language in 2016. Sanyukta joined AHLU as a teaching assistant in 2023.

Jo Selman-Smith

Jo Selman-Smith joined the AHLU team as a Teaching Assistant in October 2022. She holds an undergraduate degree in English and Comparative Literature from Goldsmiths University, during which time she often went to explore The Courtauld’s Impressionist collection. With a new-found interest in studying art history, Jo switched disciplines and completed The Courtauld’s Graduate Diploma in History of Art in 2020, followed by the MA in 2022; the latter marrying her academic background with a specialisation in word-image interaction. Alongside working with Art History Link-Up, Jo works with a youth arts charity delivering creative workshops in schools and galleries to at-risk children and care leavers in London. Her personal experience and late encounter with art history has made her incredibly passionate about making it more accessible for all.

Henry Tudor Pole

Henry Tudor Pole completed an MA in History of Art at UCL in 2022, writing his dissertation on Carlo Crivelli. He took a foundation year at the Royal Drawing School, studied for a BA in History of Art at the University of Oxford and spent a year at the Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa. He has taught art history extensively on gap-year courses in Italy and France, and in the UK as a tutor, and currently at Harris Westminster Academy. He pursues a practice in critical and creative writing. Henry has been teaching with AHLU since 2022.

Meitao Qu

Meitao Qu studied Fine Art and Art History at Goldsmiths College before specialising in contemporary Chinese art at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She graduated from the MFA program at the Ruskin School of Art in 2021 and is currently pursuing a visual art practice alongside teaching roles in Art and Art History. Meitao has been teaching with AHLU since 2021.

Fania Weatherby

Fania Weatherby graduated from the University of Oxford (BA Hons, History of Art) and the Courtauld Institute of Art (MA), where she specialised in nineteenth century painting. She has led Art History programmes in major museums across Europe, delivers regular workshops in UK schools, including The Harris Federation Trust and Cambridgeshire Primary Schools, and, since 2019, was an Art History at Wycombe Abbey School. Fania is passionate about widening access to the benefits of Art History, and joined the AHLU teaching team as Lead Teacher for the academic year 2022-3; she currently teaches for AHLU alongside other education projects.

Dr Penny Wickson

Penny Wickson began teaching History of Art as a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant in the History of Art Department of the University of Birmingham in 1998 where she completed her MPhil and PhD. She is currently Head of History of Art at St Mary’s, Calne. She has also taught History of Art in a Pupil Referral Unit and worked for many years as an examiner and Team Leader for AQA. When Pearson launched the new A Level in Global Art History she was employed as Scrutineer, ensuring the feasibility and accessibility of the first year of the new papers. She has been Chair of the Schools Subcommittee of the Association For Art History and continues to carry out research in to 19th/20th century Italian art and fashion. She is a radio DJ/presenter on Kane FM and Imperial Voice Radio, and has a monthly residency with the AAJA music project and radio station that is based in South London. Penny has been teaching with AHLU since 2021.

Teaching Team:

Ed Hands

Ed Hands is a recent graduate of Critical Practice from the Royal College of Art. Alongside offering volunteer technical support and photography to Art History Link-Up, Ed is Director of Studies at Art History Abroad and is a Visiting Lecturer on the Foundation in Art and Design programme at the University of Westminster.

Chantal Gilou

Chantal Gilou is Head of Extended Project Qualification at James Allen’s Girls’ School where she also teaches Fine Art. She is a practising artist who is passionate about research and visual arts.

Young Patrons Founding Committee Members:

Taymoor Atighetchi, Founding Committee Member:

Born in London, British-Iranian Taymoor Atigetchi grew up on Portobello Road where he was the market’s youngest antique dealer. Taymoor went on to study History of Art at The University of Cambridge and whilst there, co-founded ‘The Tab.’ In 2015, he saw a gap in the market, which led to Papier being born, a category-defining stationery brand for paper people all over the world. Taymoor is CEO of Papier and attributes much of his success to his background in art history and visual culture. He is passionate about widening access to the arts and associated careers for all. Taymoor became a Trustee of AHLU in May 2023.

Emma Mansell, Founding Committee Member:

Emma Mansell was Managing Director of The Modern House and Inigo – the UK’s leading estate agencies for design-led homes – where she inaugurated their innovative partnership with AHLU. Emma is currrently Head of London Design District. She believes in the positive impact of thoughtfullydesigned spaces. Emma’s interest in art and design stems from her time spent at The University of Oxford, studying Art History at the Arne Jacobsen-designed St Catherine’s College. She also has a master’s degree in the subject from The Courtauld Institute of Art.

Elle McPherson-Yoon, Founding Committee Co-Chair:

Elle McPherson-Yoon is an arts administration and operations specialist. She has a master’s degree from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York, and has worked with industry leaders Christie’s and AXA Art before becoming involved with  joining the team of staff at Art History Link-Up. Born in Canada of Korean and Scottish descent, Elle applies her passion for culture and multilingual skill set to her philanthropic endeavours.

Flora Vesterberg Founding Committee Co-Chair:

Flora Vesterberg is an art historian and broadcaster. She has a master’s degree from The Courtauld Institute of Art. As an ambassador of the Victoria & Albert Museum, Flora is committed to education. She also contributes to Vogue and lectures at Sotheby’s Institute of Art amongst other leading institutions.

Dr Xavier Bray, Director, The Wallace Collection
Dr Caroline Campbell, Director, The National Gallery of Ireland
Professor Craig Clunas, Professor Emeritus of the History of Art, the University of Oxford
Dr Carlo Corsato, Lecturer, Morley College
Dr Thomas Dalla Costa, Harry M. Weinrebe Curatorial Fellow, The National Gallery
Dr Lucy Davis, Curator of Flemish and British Paintings, Miniatures and Works on Paper, The Wallace Collection
Dr Joost Joustra, The Howard and Roberta Ahmanson Fellow in Art and Religion, The National Gallery
Dr Thomas Marks, Associate Fellow, The Warburg Institute, University of London
Habda Rashid, Senior Curator, Space London
Puneeta Sharma, Assistant Paper Conservator, Royal Collection Trust
Dr Neil Shasore, Departmental Lecturer, Department of the History of Art, the University of Oxford
Dr John Taylor, Chief Examiner of the Edexcel Project Qualification
Dr Imogen Tedbury, Simon Sainsbury Curatorial Fellow, The National Gallery
Felix Zorzo, Curatorial Assistant, The Wallace Collection

Verity Babbs, Founder, Art Laughs
Kitty Becher, Art Liaison, Southern and Partners
William Brock, Sales Advisor, Inigo
Corinne Chalaby, PhD Candidate in History of Art, University College London
Sofia Chung, BSc Archaeology Graduate, UCL
Rosie Clement-Hennion, MA History of Art Graduate, The Courtauld Institute of Art
Theo Dingwall-Main, Sales Team Coordinator, Inigo
Jack Dunleavy, Lead Teaching Assistant, Art History Link-Up
Dr Alastair Dunn, Designated Safeguarding and History Teacher, Ampleforth College
Dr Mark Elliot, Assistant Master, Shrewsbury School
Nathan Geyer, MPhil Candidate in Film and Screen Studies, University of Cambridge
Susan Ghosh PhD History of Art Candidate, The Courtauld Institute of Art
Clementine Harvey, Viewings Coordinator, The Modern House
Dr Rosalind Hayes, PhD Graduate, UCL and Postdoctoral Researcher
Nicola Hepworth, Art Teacher, Walthamstow School for Girls and Teaching Assistant, Art History Link-Up
Angela Inglese, Head of History of Art, Senior Tutor, St Dominic’s Sixth Form College
Dr Alice Insley, Curator, Tate Britain
Dr Judith Jammers, Head of Art History, Highgate School
Katy Landles, Graduate Trainee, Christie’s
Emily Lashford, BA History of Art Candidate, The Courtauld Institute of Art
Grant Lewis, Associated Academic, Department of Prints and Drawings, British Museum
Thomas MacKinnon, MA Candidate in Art History, Curatorship and Renaissance Culture, The Warburg Institute
Wilhemina Madeley, Appraisals Specialist, The Modern House
Dr Thomas Marks, Associate Fellow, The Warburg Institute, University of London
Andrew Mee, Head of Art History and English Teacher, University College School
Bethany Moran, Viewing Coordinator, The Modern House
Isaac Nugent, Curatorial Assistant, Modern and Contemporary Programme, The National Gallery
Tom Parsons, History of Art and English Teacher, St Mary’s School Ascot
Hannah Phillips, Production Coordinator in the Editorial Team, The Modern House
Sadie Pitcher, Junior Cataloguer, Rooke Books
Morgan Pollard, Photography Co-ordination, The Modern House
Meitao Qu, Artist and Teaching Assistant, Art History Link-Up
Annabelle Ruvigny, BA History of Art, The Courtauld Institute of Art
Clara Storgaard Petersen, Programme Assistant, Early Years and Families, Tate
Aaron Shaw, Sales Advisor, The Modern House
Dr Joe Spence, Master, Dulwich College
Dr Harriette Peel, PhD Graduate, The Courtauld Institute of Art
Henry Tudor Pole, MA History of Art Graduate, University College, and Art Critic
Fania Weatherby, Lead Teacher, Art History Link-Up
Dr Penny Wickson, Head of History of Art, St Mary’s Calne
Lydia Willford, BA Graduate, University of Cambridge
Dr Jane Williams, History of Art Teacher, Wynchwood School
Baylee Woodley, MPhil/PhD Candidate History of Art, University College London