We are pleased to name award-winning creative director, musician and technology entrepreneur Manon Dave as our inaugural Honorary Vice President. This new role reflects our longstanding commitment to artistic excellence, creative technology and widening participation, as well as our established programme of collaboration with industry.
Manon, who leads Future World Design at BBC Research & Development, will bring his vision, experience and expertise to the continuing development of Trinity Laban’s training and industry partnerships. Working with the our leadership and academic teams, he will help create further real-world opportunities for students and graduates to thrive in an increasingly digital creative world.
Manon Dave, Honorary Vice President of Trinity Laban, said: “Trinity Laban has a powerful combination of artistic ambition, openness to new ideas and a deep commitment to opportunity. Through the Maia Dave Scholarship, Trusha and I have seen that commitment first-hand.
“I’m proud to build on that relationship as Honorary Vice President. I look forward to contributing my experience and connections to help shape what comes next, bringing the conservatoire even closer to the people and ideas changing the creative industries and opening up further opportunities for its students.”
Professor Anthony Bowne, Principal of Trinity Laban, said: “Creative experimentation and collaboration with industry are already integral to the education we offer. Manon’s extraordinary thinking and breadth of experience will help us take that work further, connecting our training even more deeply with developments in technology and artistic practice. His insight will help shape the opportunities we create for students, while his relationships across the creative industries will build on our existing partnerships and open doors to new ones.”
A. R. Rahman, Honorary President of Trinity Laban, said: “Manon brings an artist’s imagination and a technologist’s understanding of what is becoming possible. What excites me is his passion for sharing that vision with young people, encouraging them to experiment and discover new ways to express themselves. He understands that the next generation must have a voice in shaping the future of the arts. At Trinity Laban, he will help young artists create their own roadmap into that future, and I am delighted to welcome him as Honorary Vice President.”
Alan Davey, Chair of Trinity Laban, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Manon as our inaugural Honorary Vice President. His outstanding career and personal commitment to widening access to creative achievement reflect the values that run deeply through Trinity Laban. Alongside Honorary President A. R. Rahman, he strengthens our growing network of creative leaders and builds on a terrific track record of connecting artistic excellence with opportunity.”
Manon brings more than 20 years of experience across entertainment and education technology. His career spans music production and collaborations with will.i.am and Idris Elba, alongside the development of creative tools for companies including ROLI and Native Instruments. His work has received recognition including CES Best of Innovation and iF Design awards.
Building on the programme of creative and digital activity already in place, Manon will help Trinity Laban further develop our role as a bridge between specialist artistic training and industry. His contribution will support our continuing exploration of AI and other emerging technologies across music, dance and musical theatre, with artistic ambition, informed creative choices and respect for artists’ rights guiding that work. Equality of access and the democratisation of these new technologies will be at the heart of this work.
Through his expertise and networks, he will help extend opportunities for students and graduates to develop their ideas with artists, researchers and technology businesses. These relationships will also give industry access to fresh creative thinking and talent, creating possibilities for collaboration and enterprise that contribute to sustainable artistic careers.
The role builds on his existing support for Trinity Laban. The Maia Dave Scholarship Fund, which he established with his wife Trusha in memory of their daughter, supports women in music, and this year awarded its first Trinity Laban scholarship to singer-songwriter and producer Bee Bran. The scholarship helps remove financial barriers to specialist training, putting the couple’s commitment to widening opportunity into practice.
Manon also worked with TYX Studios Managing Director Jack Freegard to develop Trinity Laban’s studio access partnership, announced in September 2026. Through the scheme, students on the BA (Hons) Music Performance and Industry programme receive four hours of complimentary studio time each month at TYX Studios in London’s Tileyard creative community, alongside discounted rates for additional bookings. Access to live performances and industry networking events also helps students build connections with artists, producers and other creative professionals, bringing together practical resources and relationships to support their careers.