creativity in early years
I am passionate about supporting creativity from the earliest age and have developed a series of projects that bring artists, early years professionals and cultural organisations together to collaborate and learn from each other and to develop creative work for under 5's. Beginning in 2005 with projects in West Sussex which brought professional artists, dancers and musicians into early years settings, the work has developed into a series of Open Sesame projects that have been delivered across Sussex and Surrey since 2010 with Culture Shift and Octopus Inc and have been funded by Arts Council England, Creative Partnerships Sussex and Surrey, West Sussex County Council, East Sussex County Council, local cultural sector partners and early years settings.
Creative Learning
As Head of Learning at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne I led a programme for schools and families including
the successful Annual Schools Exhibition and holiday workshops for children, as well as managing a range of
creative learning projects for young people excluded from school, adults in recovery from mental health issues,
people with dementia and young people with disabilities.
I worked as a Creative Agent for Creative Partnerships brokering the delivery of the Change School and Enquiry
School programmes and have secured funding for projects for artists and schools to work together in West
Sussex including artist in residence programmes with individual schools and school clusters. I have been an
Artsmark Assessor for Arts Council England and delivered Arts Award at a range of levels, including Gold.
the successful Annual Schools Exhibition and holiday workshops for children, as well as managing a range of
creative learning projects for young people excluded from school, adults in recovery from mental health issues,
people with dementia and young people with disabilities.
I worked as a Creative Agent for Creative Partnerships brokering the delivery of the Change School and Enquiry
School programmes and have secured funding for projects for artists and schools to work together in West
Sussex including artist in residence programmes with individual schools and school clusters. I have been an
Artsmark Assessor for Arts Council England and delivered Arts Award at a range of levels, including Gold.
Creative Careers
I developed the Creative Café project with Culture Shift and secured funding to deliver a series of these informal, high energy, student-led events across Sussex and Surrey, and commission a dedicated website. Young people, teachers and course leaders meet with a range of creative industry professionals to share creative ideas and stories about themselves leading to improved understanding and raised aspirations about careers in the creative industries.
Art in the built environment
From 2012-13 I was employed with a colleague by Winchester City Council and Havant Borough Council to develop a public Art Strategy and deliver a series of art commissions and community engagement activities at a new housing development in Waterlooville. Events for families and the wider community all took place outdoors and included poetry, parcour, extreme table tennis and a hog roast.
Previously I have worked on a series of art in architecture projects in schools between 2003 and 2011 in West Sussex including raising funds and commissioning artists, delivering projects and producing best practice publications.
Previously I have worked on a series of art in architecture projects in schools between 2003 and 2011 in West Sussex including raising funds and commissioning artists, delivering projects and producing best practice publications.
Arts practitioner
I have devised and performed work for children and young people including shadow theatre shows with The Great Little Theatre Company which toured schools and nurseries across Brighton and Hove (1999-2002) and created work combining digital projection and live performance with Antik Theatre for Brighton Fringe Festival and White Night in 2011. With Octopus Inc I have co-devised performances for children aged 0-2 and 2-5 which have been presented at Brighton Dome and at community settings across Sussex and Surrey.
Working with heritage and the wider community
The main aim of the national Big Draw every October is to get everyone to draw! Working with artists, schools, community organisations, heritage sites and cultural sector partners, I developed the Big Draw in West Sussex from a handful of events in 2003 to a big opportunity for participation for all ages across the county by 2010.
In 2007 a Big Heritage Draw project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and five artists were commissioned to work with fifteen heritage sites across West Sussex, winning two Drawing Inspiration awards from the Campaign for Drawing and in 2010 a Big Draw project called Flying Books gained an Inspire Mark for 2012.
In 2007 a Big Heritage Draw project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and five artists were commissioned to work with fifteen heritage sites across West Sussex, winning two Drawing Inspiration awards from the Campaign for Drawing and in 2010 a Big Draw project called Flying Books gained an Inspire Mark for 2012.