Adah Parris – Chair

Adah Parris is a Nowist, Artist and Activist. She is also Chair of Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA UK) and a Fellow of The Royal Society of the Arts.
An enthusiastic curator of people, patterns and stories, her work sits at the intersection of ecology, technology, innovation and art. Adah focuses on changing how we experience the world by asking, “What type of Ancestor do you want to be?”
In 2020, Adah was long-listed as one of the Most Influential Women in UK Technology. In 2019, she was recognised as one of TED Talks Global Emerging Innovators. In 2018, she was recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Leaders in Technology.
Related news

Photo by Håkon Grimstad on Unsplash
News
Taking the courage to pause
Looking in from the outside, it may appear that 2025 has been a quiet year for the Centre for Cultural ...

Consensus Gentium in Leeds. Crossover Labs.
News
Lessons of touring immersive work beyond arts venues
How can immersive art reshape cultural access, foster resilience, and position young people not just as audiences but as co-creators ...

Mafwa Theatre - Community Garden Event
News
Understanding and measuring cultural vitality in the UK
Where culture plays such a pivotal role in shaping place identity, fostering social cohesion, and improving well-being, why is measuring ...

University of Leeds. Photo by Susannah Ireland.
News
Transforming knowledge into practical outcomes
The Centre for Cultural Value is connecting with international academic colleagues as part of a new COST Action: Connecting Critical ...

Image credit: Leeds Playhouse
News
Child of the North report highlights the value of creativity in education
A new report published by the N8 Research Partnership and the Centre for Young Lives calls for a new era ...

Walk This Way. Photo by Rob Eagle.
News
“What’s the point of it?” Art, community, and the challenges of cultural value
In a northern market town, a light and sound installation simultaneously sparks a wealth of community interactions and highlights the ...