Meet the people

Philip Millward

Founder and Trustee

Philip Millward

Founder and Trusee

Philip originally trained as a Chemical Engineer and studied for a PhD funded by NASA. He worked for a major engineering-construction company in California and subsequently represented them in Iran and Saudi Arabia. A journey through Pakistan in 1979 with his wife Jeannie, however, was life changing and they went on to found the SADACC Trust further developing their interest in the Arts & Crafts of S. Asia and adjacent countries. Philip is also the Founder and Director for the museum shop, Country and Eastern.

Jeannie Millward

Founder and Trustee

Jeannie Millward

Founder and Trustee

Jeannie has had a life-long interest in crafts and travel. Born in the Potteries (UK), studied at the London School of Furniture followed by establishing an antique shop in London. She has lived and travelled extensively in Iran, S. Arabia, Pakistan, India, China and S.E. Asia with her husband Philip. Jeannie is also the Founder and Director for the museum shop, Country and Eastern.

Mansi S. Rao

Collection Curator

Mansi S. Rao

Collection Curator

Mansi Sathyanarayan Rao is the Collection Curator at The South Asia Collection and the SADACC Trust, Norwich, UK. Previously, she was Senior Research Associate at the Design Innovation and Craft Resource Centre (DICRC), CEPT University, where she led a number of projects. She was one of the Principal Researchers on the Vernacular Furniture of North-West India project. On this project, she has worked on developing the methodology and managing the field research for all three phases. Mansi also volunteers with the Ena de Silva Foundation in Sri Lanka to develop projects and policies for preserving the legacy of the textile artist, Ena de Silva. She has previous experience of spatial design, heritage listing and documentation projects with INTACH, and conservation of the Ena de Silva House with architect Amila de Mel and the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, Sri Lanka. She has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and an MA in Museums, Heritage and Material Culture Studies from SOAS, University of London. She was awarded the Chevening Scholarship (2017–18) and the Charles Wallace India Trust and Simon Digby Charitable Trust Scholarship (2017–18) to study and conduct research in the UK. Her curatorial practice is focused on bridging gaps that exist in the study of material culture and their socio-cultural bearing within source communities.

Hannah Bentley

Collection Curator

Hannah Bentley

Collection Manager

Hannah has worked in the UK museum sector since 2001 following the completion of an MA in Museum Studies at the Textile Conservation Centre, then based in Winchester as part of the University of Southampton. She joined the South Asia Collection in 2015, having had previous experience in curatorial and collections management roles. In 2021, Hannah worked for the East of England museum development team (SHARE Museums East) before returning to the South Asia Collection in 2023.

Hannah has experience of supporting museums with all aspects of collections management and care and, in particular, working with independent museums leading on Museum Accreditation and policy development. She received her PhD from the University of East Anglia in 2022.

Trish Mercer-David

Graphics and Marketing Manager

Trish Mercer-David

Graphics and Marketing Manager

Trish is responsible for creating content and managing our social media platforms, as well as designing exhibition displays and day-to-day graphics. They collaborate closely with our museum team to share the collection with our growing multinational audience. Trish graduated from Norwich University of the Arts in 2021 with a BA (Hons) in Illustration and is a creative practitioner outside of their role at The South Asia Collection.

Philip Millward

Philip Millward

Jeannie Millward

Jeannie Millward

Mansi S. Rao

Mansi S. Rao

Hannah Bentley

Hannah Bentley

Trish Mercer-David

Trish Mercer-David

Amanda Grant-Parke

Bella Bigsby

Ben Daniels

Kenza Gray

Neil Penning

Ruth Bartlett

Sophie Duez

Prof. John Mack FBA

Prof. Clare Harris FBA

Sophia Wilson

Alec Cumming

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