Freelance Portfolio highlights                             

 

Since going freelance in March 2020, I've worked with some really brilliant people and projects, Highlights have included:

 

• Working as Interim Director for Culture Counts, where I'm responsible for advocacy and representation for the arts, heritage and cultural industries in Scotland. My work is focused on to promoting the public benefit of the sector, protecting the ecosystem of these industries, and demystifying the operations of Government and Parliament. 

• Being appointed Programme Lead for Creative Scotland's Culture Collective - nurturing a network of 26 community-rooted projects to explore participatory, creative approaches in response to Covid-19.

• Assessing grant applications with representatives from all four UK Arts Councils and German partners, for the Cultural Bridge exchange programme.

• Being appointed Associate with evaluation specialists TIALT (There Is An Alternative), working on an evaluation of Creative Scotland's Create:Inclusion Project. 

• Working with creative practitioners across Create Ireland's Creative Places programme, sharing knowledge to produce a handbook of lessons learned and best practice. 

• Researching and writing a series of case studies for Arts Council England's Creative People and Places programme, telling the stories of how communities have responded to the Covid-19 crisis.

• Project Managing The Action Project for The David Hume Institute, aiming to identify the actions which can enable Scotland to achieve a prosperous, sustainable, inclusive and fair future. 

• Supporting Cultured Mongrel Dance Theatre as Company Manager, looking to the strategic development of the organisation, securing funding for new projects, and leading There Are No Stupid Questions.

• Working with Luminate Scotland to evaluate and share learning from Creative Ageing in the Pandemic - a project matching artists with care homes and organisations working with older people to deliver live, remote arts activities. The report is available here, and we recorded this series of podcasts along the way, too.

• Designing and leading a conversation-led evaluation for the first online edition of This Way Up, the UK's conference for innovation in film exhibition.

• Writing this gorgeous report capturing the work and impact of Creative People & Places Hounslow (beautiful design all courtesy of ArtJar).

• Speaking at events and leading workshops with Creative Scotland (‘From Participation to Co-Creation’), Creative Entrepreneurs Club (‘Cracking on and getting shit done’), Eden Project Communities and SHIFT - Summer School collaboration between The Glasgow School of Art , the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Queen Margaret University (‘Planning for Action’).

• Working on my own creative practice, which this year has included a nature-themed book trail for Book Week Scotland, creating Linlithgow's Canal Trail, and nurturing a community garden (with pop-up poetry installation by Skye Loneragan). 

 

In 2017, I researched and wrote Innovation in Fundraising, a two-year Creative Scotland-funded research project, bringing together expertise and learning from across the sector for the benefit of all. 

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Employment highlights

 

• Macrobert Arts Centre: Operations Director ( 2018 – 2020), Development Manager (2015 – 2017)

• Voluntary Arts Scotland: Director (2017 - 2018)

• Venture Trust: Funding and Communications Manager (2010 – 2014)

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Awards, memberships and accreditations

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• The Stage UK Awards: Community Project (Culture Collective, 2024)

• Scottish Charity Awards: Community Project of the Year (Stirling Soup, 2017)

• Clore Social: Fellowship (2017)

• Memberships: Applied Arts Scotland, The 93% Club

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Board and Advisory Group roles

 

Bechdel Theatre (2024 - ), Fun Palaces (2024), Cultural Bridge (2023), Impact Funding Partners (2019-2021), Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre (2015-2016).

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Voluntary roles

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Linlithgow women’s history group, Porty Pride, West Lothian Foodbank, New Town Roller Derby, Linlithgow Ladies Choir, Big Lunch, Stirling SOUP.