Isle of Man Students Prize 2026

Adrienne Burnett, MBE is the former Head of Ballakermeen High School. She has a strong background in the arts, having trained in drama and education, and has taught drama in a range of schools. As a former member of the North West Arts Council and the Education Panel of the Duke’s Theatre, Lancaster, she helped to develop community arts and theatre in education programmes across the north west of England. Over the past three decades on the Isle of Man, Adrienne has continued to advocate for the arts, notably helping to create and promote the Studio Theatre at Ballakermeen as a community venue and introducing live streaming of major arts events to the Island. She served two terms on the Isle of Man Arts Council and is currently a director of Arts Aid. Adrienne is also a Fellow of Liverpool Hope University, the Chair of Governors of two schools, and a community governor of a third.

Phil Games is the Chief Executive Officer of Simcocks Advocates and one of the most prominent private client lawyers on the Isle of Man. He acts as a trustee and director on certain client structures and assists clients not only with legal issues but also with the strategic development of their businesses. He has considerable expertise in advising wealthy international families who want to restructure their personal and commercial interests as well as advising on estate planning, complex trust and probate matters. Simcocks was established over 75 years ago and is recognised by the Legal 500 as being one of the leading firms on the Island, providing skilled advice across most areas of law. Find out more about Phil and Simcocks at www.simcocks.com.

As an accountant by profession with a background in education, I’ve always believed in the power of learning and expression to shape futures. Whilst my day-to-day role is rooted in finance, my personal life is steeped in creativity. My family includes a lecturer at the Glasgow School of Art and a professor of contemporary art practice at Edinburgh University. Their passion has inspired my own quiet journey with watercolour and pottery, and I often describe myself as a “frustrated artist at heart.”

Supporting the Sovereign Art Foundation Prize (Isle of Man) is a natural extension of both my professional values and personal interests. The Arts are strongly supported by Standard Bank Group across the continent we call home, Africa, and at Standard Bank Offshore, we are committed to empowering the next generation locally too. This initiative beautifully combines youth development with artistic expression. It’s a privilege to help create opportunities for young people to explore their creativity, build confidence, and find their voice through art.

We believe that nurturing talent, whether in finance, education, or The Arts, building stronger, more vibrant communities. That’s why we’re proud to support the U16s prize and the incredible young artists it celebrates.

Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer KCB DSO MBE was educated at Marlborough College, Wiltshire and Pembroke College, University of Cambridge. He joined the British Army in 1981 and was commissioned into The Parachute Regiment. He served in all three regular Parachute Regiment battalions and commanded 3 PARA from 2000 to 2003. His service saw multiple operational deployments in Northern Ireland, Iraq, the broader Middle East and Afghanistan. 

At higher command, Sir John commanded 12th Mechanized Brigade in Iraq and Afghanistan and 3rd (United Kingdom) Division. He also completed a year-long tour in Kabul as Deputy Commander of the NATO force. He was Chief of Joint Operations from October 2014 until June 2017, commanding all of the UK Armed Forces global operations. His final military appointment was as Defence Senior Adviser Middle East and North Africa, a role he held for three years. 

Sir John was sworn in as the 31st Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man at Castle Rushen on 28 September 2021.  The tenure for the appointment is five years. Sir John is married to Philippa. They have three grown-up sons. His outside interests include most sports, especially rugby, skiing, walking and history. Sir John was appointed an Extra Equerry to His Majesty the King in 2023.

As an Army daughter, Lady Lorimer spent much of her childhood overseas – in Africa, Germany and Norway. She went to school in Dorset and then went on to read Natural Sciences at Durham University. In 1987, she was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals, serving in 30th Signal Regiment and deploying on operations in Namibia with the United Nations and in the Middle East during Gulf War 1. She left the Army after six years to pursue a career in the Defence industry, where she worked for various companies, including the Racal Electronics Group and Exensor UK ltd, selling and marketing specialist communications and security equipment to the Police, Ministry of Defence and other agencies.

From July 2017 – June 2022 Lady Lorimer was the Commanding Officer of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps) (FANY (PRVC)). The FANY is a thriving charity, whose all-female volunteers are an essential component of the United Kingdom’s emergency response capability. Members of the Corps are on call 24/7 to provide support to civil and military authorities at times of national crisis.

Lady Lorimer and her husband have three grown-up sons. Her interests include keeping fit, hill walking, cross-country and downhill skiing, and water sports. She is never happier than when exploring beaches and searching for interesting creatures in rock pools.

Jim Rawson, the Arts Development Manager of The Isle of Man Arts Council, originally trained in Fine Art in Exeter before returning to the Isle of Man to establish a creative career in marketing, publishing and UX design. Having worked for a number of well-known businesses including Manx Telecom and Santander, most recently Jim held the role of Head of Design at tech company PDMS, managing a team of six to deliver digital design and accessibility projects mostly in the UK public sector. During this period he also achieved a Certificate in Design Management and Innovation from the Technical University of Delft.

Jade Boylan is a Manx artist and designer, and the Arts Engagement Officer for the Isle of Man Arts Council. With more than 15 years of experience working across the creative industries and a background in art and design, her illustrations and products have sold to customers around the world. Her work can be found aboard the IOM Steam Packet vessel Manxman, on a public mural board in Ramsey, and in local shops including the Manx Museum, House of Manannan and Pink Seaweed Gallery. Jade is passionate about arts accessibility, committed to supporting young and emerging creatives across the Island and to helping creatives grow, connect, and thrive.