Two members of The University of Nottingham have been recognised by The Queen in the New Year Honours.

Shona Powell, Director of Nottingham Lakeside Arts, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her work in the arts- most notably transforming The University of Nottingham’s arts centre and museum into a major national asset.

Kevin Bales, Professor of Contemporary Slavery in the School of Politics and International Relations, has been appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for his services to the ‘global antislavery movement’.

As a passionate advocate for the arts Shona has engaged with children and families, as well as hard to reach communities, and ensured the programme of activities around productions and exhibitions at Nottingham Lakeside Arts is underpinned by learning.

Her belief in the importance of the youth audience has led her to campaign artists to recognize that any work made for children should be made with the same rigour, commitment and passion shown when creating for an adult audience.

Shona said: “I am thrilled to receive this honour. However, no individual is solely responsible for the success of any arts initiative, and this also recognises the incredibly talented team – past and present – that I have been lucky to work with at Lakeside, my previous colleagues at The Lemon Tree, and all my colleagues and terrific artists across the regional and national initiatives of which we are part.”

There are more slaves alive today than in any point in human history. Around the world, 46 million people are forced to work for no pay. But a new anti-slavery movement has responded to this challenge and shown that a world without slavery is possible.

Professor Bales is a leading figure in the anti-slavery movement and has advised numerous governments and UN on trafficking and slavery policy. He has worked closely with public, private, and voluntary sectors to put forward specific policy recommendations, many of them tested in the field or enacted as law.

He said: “I am thrilled to be receiving this honour. I am especially thrilled that the global anti-slavery movement is getting this kind of recognition. This is not an honour for me alone, but for all the people who are working towards wiping out slavery.”

Read the full release on Shona’s OBE and comments from Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor.

Read the full release on Professor Bales’ honour and comments from Professor Sir David Greenaway and Professor Todd Landman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Social Sciences.