Having started my career working with artists as a contemporary art curator organising exhibitions and producing commissions, I now support galleries and art museums to create deeper relationships with a wider range of audiences, and (thereby) to develop more resilient financial models. I am currently employed by Tate Liverpool on a year-long change programme which involves supporting a series of strategic reviews across the organisation, working closely with the gallery’s management team. The aims of the change programme are to ensure the gallery is operating as efficiently as possible while maintaining the impact of Tate Liverpool’s internationally-recognised programme by reviewing priorities, increasing flexibility and entrepreneurialism and by placing visitor experience at the heart of the organisation.
Previous roles include Projects Curator Yorkshire Sculpture Park; Head of Visual Arts, Arts Council London; Head of Arts, British Council France; Head of Sustainable Funding, National Council of Voluntary Organisations. The story of how I moved from artistic side of the business to the less glamourous but equally important managerial side is explored in one of my blog posts, if you’re interested. Since 2007 I have worked as an independent consultant on research, strategic and business planning, professional and organizational development. Recent clients include: The Hepworth Wakefield, VAGA, Artquest, Beaconsfield, British Council, Artquest and MMM. During 2009/10 I was NESTA Innovation Fellow on the Clore Leadership Programme.
Recent publications include research into joint leadership models in theatre and the visual arts, as co-author of MMM’s Capital Matters: How to build resilience in the UK’s arts and cultural sector (2011), a provocation about audience engagement in galleries and art museums commissioned by NESTA and Clore Leadership Programme and articles about leadership and non-profit business models in Arts Professional magazine.
I’m also a trustee of Autograph and vice-chair of governors at my local secondary Millthorpe School York.