The Team
Simon Beckmann is co-founder and curator of Joya: arte + ecología / AiR. He is a researcher, activist, artist and designer. He grew up in the small industrial town of Glossop in Derbyshire, on the edge of the Peak District National Park in England. He studied Fine Art at Manchester Polytechnic, received his MFA at The Royal Academy Schools in London. Simon regularly gives lectures in Spain and the UK, and continues his own practice through the Joya: arte + ecología programme.
Donna Beckmann is co-founder and director of Joya: arte + ecología / AiR. Donna grew up on a fruit farm in the south east of England. She studied Illustration at Bristol School of Art, specialising in food and travel. These interests led her to New Zealand, Australia and south east Asia before settling in India for two years exploring and painting the diverse recipes and food culture of the continent. She now creates info graphic diagrams and grids depicting contour strip cropping, water resources, forgeable food, aromatics and local recipes. She is deeply connected to local, seasonal, sustainable and slow food.