Vanessa Branson
Encyclopedia
Vanessa Branson was born in Surrey 1959. She is the sister of Richard Branson
and with her husband Robert Devereux is the owner of Eilean Shona
. She is also a founder of the Marrakech Biennale.
Prior to this, between 1999 and 2004, she was co-founding curator with Prue O'Day of the Wonderful Fund Collection. This involved 15 people investing in the fund with which Prue and Vanessa purchased works of contemporary art to reflect the pulse of the times. The idea was that ownership would be shared but that the purchasing would be done by Branson and O'Day. Over the next five years, the pair visited artists' studios, galleries, degree shows and art fairs in Britain, America and Europe looking for as broad a spectrum of work as possible. It was then exhibited at the first Marrakech Biennale at the Museum of Marrackech.. The Wonderful Fund Collection was also exhibited at the newly refurbished Pallant House Gallery, Chichester in 2006.
Her other cultural projects have included the establishment and co-direction – along with Prue O’Day and Anatol Orient – of the Portobello Arts Festivals in 1987, 1988 and 1989.
Active as an entrepreneur, she founded the Vanessa Devereux Gallery (1986–91) in London, where she showed a number of emerging artists including William Kentridge
’s UK debut exhibition.
In 2002, along with her business partner Howell James CBE, she developed an ancient crumbling palace in the centre of Marrakech into a beautiful boutique hotel - Riad El Fenn.
With her partner she owns and runs Eilean Shona
, a tidal island
on the west coast of Scotland at the entrance to Loch Moidart
where J M Barrie wrote the screenplay for Peter Pan
.
She is a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and Virgin Unite
, and on the board of trustees of Global Diversity Foundation.
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
and with her husband Robert Devereux is the owner of Eilean Shona
Eilean Shona
Eilean Shona is a tidal island in Loch Moidart, Scotland. The earlier Gaelic names was Arthraigh, meaning 'foreshore island', similar to the derivation of Erraid....
. She is also a founder of the Marrakech Biennale.
Biography
Vanessa Branson is a champion of global cultural and ecological initiatives. As President and Founder of the Marrakech Biennale ( (formerly AIM Biennale) she is responsible for North Africa’s only trilingual arts festival, an event now entering its 4th edition – comprising visual art, literature and film programs featuring acclaimed international and Moroccan artists.Prior to this, between 1999 and 2004, she was co-founding curator with Prue O'Day of the Wonderful Fund Collection. This involved 15 people investing in the fund with which Prue and Vanessa purchased works of contemporary art to reflect the pulse of the times. The idea was that ownership would be shared but that the purchasing would be done by Branson and O'Day. Over the next five years, the pair visited artists' studios, galleries, degree shows and art fairs in Britain, America and Europe looking for as broad a spectrum of work as possible. It was then exhibited at the first Marrakech Biennale at the Museum of Marrackech.. The Wonderful Fund Collection was also exhibited at the newly refurbished Pallant House Gallery, Chichester in 2006.
Her other cultural projects have included the establishment and co-direction – along with Prue O’Day and Anatol Orient – of the Portobello Arts Festivals in 1987, 1988 and 1989.
Active as an entrepreneur, she founded the Vanessa Devereux Gallery (1986–91) in London, where she showed a number of emerging artists including William Kentridge
William Kentridge
William Kentridge is a South African artist best known for his prints, drawings, and animated films. These are constructed by filming a drawing, making erasures and changes, and filming it again. He continues this process meticulously, giving each change to the drawing a quarter of a second to two...
’s UK debut exhibition.
In 2002, along with her business partner Howell James CBE, she developed an ancient crumbling palace in the centre of Marrakech into a beautiful boutique hotel - Riad El Fenn.
With her partner she owns and runs Eilean Shona
Eilean Shona
Eilean Shona is a tidal island in Loch Moidart, Scotland. The earlier Gaelic names was Arthraigh, meaning 'foreshore island', similar to the derivation of Erraid....
, a tidal island
Tidal island
A tidal island is a piece of land that is connected to the mainland by a natural or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide. Because of the mystique surrounding tidal islands many of them have been sites of religious worship, such as Mont Saint Michel with its...
on the west coast of Scotland at the entrance to Loch Moidart
Moidart
Moidart is a district in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland.Moidart lies to the west of Fort William and is very remote. Loch Shiel cuts off the south-east boundary of the district. Moidart includes the townships of Dorlin, Mingarry, Kinlochmoidart and Glenuig. At Dorlin is located the ancient fortress...
where J M Barrie wrote the screenplay for Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
.
She is a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and Virgin Unite
Virgin Unite
Virgin Unite is the working name of The Virgin Foundation, the independent charitable arm of the Virgin Group. Created by Richard Branson and Virgin employees in September 2004, Virgin Unite pools volunteering efforts from across the Virgin Group and its hundreds of subsidiaries and associated...
, and on the board of trustees of Global Diversity Foundation.