Gwen Thomas was elected as a Director of the BCC at its meeting on the 14th March 2013.
For a second time Gwen has the BCC seat for a Director nominated by members representing artistic works. She is the Business and Legal Director of the Association of Photographers (AOP), having worked there since 1986 advising its members on copyright and contract matters, and campaigning for photographers’ rights in the UK and EU. Gwen is also Vice-Chairman of the British Photographic Council; General Manager of Pyramide Europe (a European Economic Interest Group for the visual arts); has a place on the Copyright Licensing Steering Group and on IPO’s Extended Collective Licensing and Orphan Works Working Groups. Gwen is also co-editor and contributing author of Beyond the Lens, the AOP’s definitive guide to rights, ethics and business practice and co-author of Whose Rights? a book examining restrictive contracts published by Pyramide Europe.
Gilane Tawadros of DACS, which nominated Gwen for the BCC directorship, said:-
“Over many years, Gwen has worked tirelessly on behalf of photographers and visual artists to protect and champion their rights. All the visual creator organisations who supported Gwen’s nomination to the BCC Board were unanimous in their praise and admiration for Gwen. We are delighted that she has been appointed to the BCC Board – she will be a huge asset to the BCC.”