Summary

I am a practising Artist, Arts facilitator and Creative Consultant with over twenty year’s professional experience. I have worked with many interdisciplinary teams on varied collaborative and participatory projects in the Arts, Arts in Health and design for the public realm enabling diverse groups quality access to the Arts as participants, audience and as valued design stakeholders.

 

The community groups and individuals I have facilitated and worked with have included people from marginalised or excluded communities and the professionals serving those communities. Through my work with Spotted Orchid and as an Arts in Health coordinator I have prior experience of delivering Arts projects with refugee and asylum seekers and their UK host communities.

 

I have experience of teaching formally to a curriculum and through informal workshops with  Early years children, through to Adult education and Graduate level. I have also worked with intergenerational groups.

 

In facilitating Art & Design workshops, I seek to provide a safe, supportive learning environment; provide varied, accessible, appealing resources and activities that are enjoyable, enable the development of skills and celebrate achievement.

 

I have been able to use my professional skills to both facilitate, record and monitor outcomes from projects with key stakeholders, statutory and funding bodies.

I have provided inputs to reports and public events/exhibitions that provide learning opportunities and creative/informal knowledge sharing for professionals and the public.

 

I am attracted to working within Arts Consultancy and Arts Participation projects, promoting outreach and cultural exchange by its sheer diversity and ability to bring about lasting benefits and insight for the individuals and agencies they engage.  

 

I am committed to empowering individuals with knowledge, understanding, skills, robustness and confidence to develop their creative potential, thus enabling them to pursue related careers and/or enjoy a life-long active engagement with the Arts.

 

Relevant Employment Experience

1996 to date:

Freelance Contacts & Employment as Arts Facilitator/Consultant, Educator and Creative Professional

 

Nov 2013 to date:

Visiting Scenic Design facilitator and visiting Art Tutor the Shrewsbury School

 

Aug 2012 to Oct 2013

Workshop facilitator resources development, Shropshire Bridges, Global Education

 

October 2009 to December 2010

Art for Health Consultant with Josie Aston, Arts and Health Consultants

• Mapping Arts for Mental Health projects and training in the UK and inputs on developing an initial strategic framework for Arts engagement for South Staffordshire and Shropshire healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

• Mapping Music in Health projects and training in the UK on behalf of a major UK Music Charity.

• Mapping ‘Dance 4 Health’ projects and training in the UK on behalf Shropshire County Council and Shropshire Primary Care Trust joint initiative and engaging community dance teachers within Shropshire as part of developing a ‘Dance on Prescription’ offer.

 

Sept 2007 to Aug 2009

Hospital Art coordinator for Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Commission management, workshop and design facilitation of a major Heritage Project permanent and aligned new Hospital estate launch event, involving local schools, elder care settings, staff and community groups.

• Commission management for design enhancements, artworks and facilitator for participation workshops for staff and patients for:  Outpatient services, The Neonatal and Children’s services, Elder care facilities, Adolescent services, The Drug Alcohol Action services and The Contraception and Sexual Health service and Child Protection Services suites – as part of Capital & Refurbishment, King’s Mill, Mansfield Community and Newark Hospitals.

 

May 2007 to Jan 2008

Art consultant for Skanska Integrated Projects

Providing the Arts integration and commissioning strategies, to DirectHealth for a new £200m acute hospital in Northern Ireland and to Architecture NGM for the £375m Southmead hospital in Bristol.

 

Jan 2006 to Oct 2007

Art coordinator with Central Nottinghamshire Hospital Plc

Providing design engagement and commissioning phase strategist framework for @£500k integrated art and design enhancements for King’s Mill, Mansfield Community and Newark Hospitals.  Including design engagement and artist led workshops/forums with local children through Young Notts for Health, the Hospital School and Play coordination team.

 

Aug to Dec 2005

Art Consultant with Workplace Art Consultancy, London; including:

Consultancy and stakeholder engagement to UCLH on Arts strategy and commissions programme for Paediatric Emergency Care Dept.

 

October 2004 to June 2005

Special Arts Projects Manager, ‘All About Eve’, Mary Ward Centre, London

Course leadership; Venue, stakeholder, teaching staff and resources coordination, lesson planning and workshop leader for an arts outreach projects with women’s groups, accessing social and mental health services in Camden and Islington.

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October 2003 to June 2004

Visiting Tutor & module coordinator, Industrial Design Engineering, RCA

Lead tutor for drawing techniques for design development and aesthetic surface treatments modules.

 

April 2003 to May 2004

Visiting tutor and assessment juror, Architecture Association

Emergent structures group on self-organising phenomena; natural structures; sustainable architectural for sustainable communities and cross-disciplinary collaborative practise.

 

April 2000 to December 2006

Project Development with The Spotted Orchid Project (NPO)

Coordination and facilitation of varied participation based and community interest Arts projects for people affected by HIV/AIDS in the UK and Africa. Projects include:

• Pilot projects and input to UK Positive Health programme for adults with HIV/AIDS

• Children’s Creative Workshops with HIV peer support groups in North and West London, leading UNICEF exhibition at RCA, London.

• Creative investment and community outreach policy for Light from Africa Foundation, Cape Town, SA.

 

May 2001 –September 2004

Principle Collaborative Arts Projects Manager with B Consultants Ltd, London

Project management and creative consultancy within a multi- disciplinary team specialised in material /technology advice and support to Arts and design projects in the public realm. Projects include:

• Artist led pupil design participation for Mulberry School, PFI redevelopment with Miller Construction

• V/SpaceLAB Collaborative Arts Initiative; workshops, seminars and digital tools to enable 3D real-time virtual interactive environments using QUAKE III games engine source code.

 

October 1996 to June 1999

Part-time Lecturer Decorative and Applied Arts, City and Guild of London Schools

Devising, teaching and assessing projects; Personal Tutor and Internal Assessor; Assisting with public art/gallery proposals and Higher education/funding applications; Supervision of hazardous materials and equipment; Liaison with staff to revise course content/assessment in accordance with new BA validation criteria.

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Education 

2011 - 2012       Robert Owen Group, Bromyard.         

                            PGCE (level 7), SCITE Early years & Primary QTS – Good with outstanding features.

1999 - 2000       Westminster College, London.           

                            NCFE Intermediate. Multimedia, CITC Web publishing

1993 - 1996       Royal Academy Schools, London

                            PG.Dip. Painting - Distinction

1991                   Univesite de Marseilles, Luminy

                            Erasmus Exchange

1990 - 1993       University of the West of England

                            BA (hons) Fine Arts – 1:1

1989 - 1990       Northbrook College ADT

                            BTEC/ON.Dip. Art and Design – Distinction

1985 - 1989       St Wilfrid’s RC, Senior High School

                            3 ‘A’ levels and ‘9’ O levels

 

Relevant Short Courses

June to Jul 2003         Refugee Council short courses:

                                     Cultural Awareness,

                                     Refugee mental well-being,

                                     Conflict Resolution (access course)

Sept 2003                   RDI Summer School

April 2014                   Paediatric & Adult First Aid

 

Awards

2016                 2016 Dyslexia Awards, Amazing Artist Award - Finalist

2009                 Shortlisted, Building Better Health Care Awards:

                          Story of King’s Mill, Heritage Project

2004                 BAFTA, Digital Art - Award winner

                          House of Bin Laden, with Langlands and Bell

2002                 Hartlepool Council - Winning design

                          Blocksands Sculptural Play Park,

2001                 SciArt 2001 award winner. (Artificial Rockpools)

                          Honorarium, Jubilee Arts. (Respond, c/PLEX.).

2000                 Northern Arts Visual Arts Development award. (Artificial Rockpools)

1996                 M&G Young Artist of the Year

 

Relevant Volunteer and Probono Experience

Dec 2017- current                       Studio Artist, Participate CIC, Shrewsbury.

March 2014 – March 2015         Gallery and Special Exhibitions Interpretation, Shrewsbury Museum.

Sept 2012 – Feb 2012                 Coleham Primary School, Shrewsbury, Facilitating Art Projects.

May 2010 to 2011                       Oakmeadow Primary School, Shrewsbury, Facilitation of Design Enhancement and Engagement with staff and pupils for school                                                                 merger and subsequent major school re-build.

Oct 2010 – current                      Madcow Productions, Company Artist

Oct 2010                                       Hillside House Pre-School & Day Nursery, Shrewsbury, Art & Craft workshops with FS1 & FS2 children.

Apr 2004 - Aug 2005                   The Robert Grace Trust, Facilitation of Arts Workshops, peer to peer learning and skills exchange groups and Coordination of

                                                       Art and Crafts events supporting projects in Ongata Rongai and Karen Kenya and Johannesburg, Belfast and Cape Town, SA

April 2003 to April 2007             Trustee and Volunteer, Light form African Foundation, Approaches to Drawing for 2d and 3D design. Creative exploration                                                                           workshops for women and children in Nordhoek, Khayelitsha and Langa, near Cape Town, SA

 

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