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The Showroom announces new Managing Director: Seema Manchanda

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The Showroom's new Managing Director, Seema Manchanda, is making the jump from the world of planning and regeneration to the arts. She will be joining Director Elvira Dyangani Ose and her team at The Showroom from April 2020.

In 2014 Seema both embarked on a Fine Art Diploma from the Art Academy and set up Smart Urban Limited a planning consultancy services to the private, public and community sectors. Seema's art practice focuses on the transformation of cities, often London, starting with her own photographs which then form the basis of photographic collages, paintings or prints. She brings a wealth of management experience, social practice and love of art to her new role at The Showroom.

Prior to that, Seema was Assistant Director Planning and Environment at the London Borough of Wandsworth in a role leading on planning, transport, building control and environmental health. During this time Seema led on major planning schemes in Nine Elms, of course this includes the iconic Battersea Power Station, and across the borough. She helped secure new infrastructure including the Northern Line Extension and also represented Wandsworth Council throughout the Thames Tideway Tunnel Planning Inquiry. She has also previously been Assistant Director at the London Boroughs of Islington and Newham working on Kings Place, City Road Basin, Stratford Westfield, the expansion of London City Airport, Excel and supporting development of the Olympics. She set up Workplace, Newham's highly rated employment and training agency.

Seema holds a BA in Land Economy from Cambridge, an MPhil in Town Planning from UCL and Diploma in Fine Art from Art Academy London. She is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and chair of the Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG), a national race equality charity.