Co-creation
I’m passionate about co-creation because, in my experience, it can bring out the best in partnerships between communities and galleries, libraries, archives and museums. It has the capacity to transform the systems and structures of arts organisations and cultural and historical institutions if done with care, commitment and consistency.
Ipswich Museum and I worked together to build a co-creation framework that was an essential part of their capital project ambitions. I co-designed a framework to promote equitable interactions by collaborating with community organisations, museum staff and project designers. The framework will be used by the £8.7 million renovated museum, which is scheduled to be finished in 2025, to support the diversification of decision-making and integrate cultural democracy.
I can assist you in achieving your co-creation goals, no matter how big or small they may be, and I'll make sure your organisation has the best chance possible of engaging in fruitful and significant collaborations.
Consultation
I've managed a variety of initiatives as a consultant to assist arts, cultural and heritage organisations in enhancing, streamlining, or expanding their operations. I provide customised solutions in collaboration with staff, stakeholders and supporters that are intended to encourage change, growth and socially engaged practice.
I created and delivered a five-month intensive piece of consultation that included interviews, workshops and summary reports in order to help the War and Conflict Subject Specialist Network realise its goal of deepening engagement with the histories and legacies of the British Empire and conflict in the 20th and 21st centuries. My research and recommendations provided the network with a solid foundation upon which to carry out this important work.
If your organisation is going through a period of change and you need help reflecting on your current position, processes or practice, get in touch.
Facilitation
I'm a skilled facilitator who has worked with a diverse range of cultural and higher education organisations and consultancies to not only deliver pre-planned programmes and workshops but also to support and guide their development, both online and in person. As a facilitator, my top priority is always making sure that participants are comfortable, their needs are met and that partners achieve their aims.
The Transatlantic Slavery and Legacies in Museums Forum and I have collaborated on several occasions to plan and facilitate online sharing events that have drawn attendance from up to one hundred members from across the UK. In keeping with my practice, I applied an empathetic and inclusive facilitation style to ensure that members felt safe, secure and able to engage in a manner that best suited them, as well as drafting an overview report that documented each event.
Get in touch if you need an experienced facilitator or if you’re looking for help with the creation of an event, programme or workshop.
Ideation
One of the most motivating components of my practice is working with arts, culture and heritage organisations of all sizes to realise their ideas. An aspiration, concept, or vision can develop and bloom during the ideation process, eventually becoming a strategic reality. In my experience, embracing ideation leads to the emergence of some of the most exciting and interesting processes and projects.
I created and led a number of workshops in collaboration with the Harris Museum, Art Gallery, and Library to give collections staff a creative environment in which to evaluate and explore their goals for the renovation of the second-floor galleries. The Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation are providing funding for the £450,000 gallery renovation, which is a part of the larger £10.02 million Harris Your Place capital project that will modernise the institution and be finished in 2024.
Let's talk if you need assistance igniting the creative fires within your organisation or an unbiased assessment of a project that is already under way.
Curation
Name a type of collection and I’ve most probably worked with it during my time as a curator and an Arts Council England museum mentor; from archery to contemporary art and most things in between. Improving access to all kinds of collections for communities is something that I care deeply about.
On behalf of Manchester Museum I led the unconditional repatriation of 43 secret, sacred and ceremonial cultural heritage items to the Aranda people of Central Australia, Gangalidda Garawa peoples of northwest Queensland, Nyamal people of the Pilbara and Yawuru people of Broome in partnership with Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). This was the first time a UK museum had unconditionally repatriated cultural heritage items to Australia's First Nation peoples.
If your organisation has cultural heritage collections and you want to democratise their care and increase community access, I can help.
In late 2023, I had the pleasure of leading my museum co-production workshop for delegates attending the Petrie Museum's skills exchange programme. The programme brought together Egyptian and UK practitioners working on ancient Egypt-based co-production and education issues in museums.
Photo courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese, Archaeology, University College London.