Karla Barnacle-Best

Karla Barnacle-Best serves as a part-time Lecturer in the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE) at Goldsmiths, University of London, bringing over 30 years of professional experience in arts leadership across theatre, live art, visual art, and literature sectors. Her career spans prominent organizations including Discover Children's Story Centre, London Bubble Theatre Company, motiroti, and Impact Consortium (based at 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning), where community-based practice forms the core methodology for producing compelling artistic work.

Her research and professional focus centers on Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, emphasizing how community engagement drives innovation in arts management. With deep expertise in Theatre and Visual Arts administration, she integrates practical insights from her frontline experience with knowledge of the English funding system gained during her tenure at Arts Council England. This unique perspective informs her teaching on sustainable cultural enterprise models and audience development strategies.

Karla actively contributes to sector development as a trustee of the Family Arts Campaign, a national organization dedicated to fostering family engagement in creative activities. Her work bridges academic theory and real-world arts management challenges, drawing extensively on three decades of hands-on experience to educate emerging cultural entrepreneurs at Goldsmiths.