ABOUT
LEADERSHIP AND EXPERIENCE
Since 2015 in Australia and beyond
As the MCA's Director of Audience Engagement 2015 - 2023, my responsibilities included Creative Learning, Public Programs, Research, Marketing and Visitor Experience.
In my role with the MCA Leadership Executive team, I offered strategic thinking, innovation across learning, creativity, access and thought leadership, as well as managing a team of 129 staff, with 8 direct reports.
Key deliverables were:
Bringing cultural empowerment: building people’s confidence with and understanding of artists, contemporary art, and the museum;
Overseeing public and learning programs: creativity and wellbeing, audience development;
Supporting visitors and stakeholders: interpretation strategy, resources;
Embedding the MCA as a leader with its approach to access and inclusion, along with a focus on research and evaluation;
Integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives; actively supporting the MCA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and delivering on its ten objectives;
Developing partnerships with Universities and other cultural organisations in order to generate new knowledge;
Speaking at local, national and international seminars and conferences
In October 2016, I was the Australian representative at a two-day International Council of Museums (ICOM) thinktank in Barcelona, looking at the role of social justice with other museums across the world. This experience really crystallised my thinking and since then, my agenda has focussed on developing new ways for cultural organisations to be more inclusive.
In 2019 I was granted a Distinguished Talent visa to enable me to continue to work within Australia. I became an Australian citizen in July 2023.
Throughout all the programs and projects we ran, I always focussed on research and evaluation. Being able to measure and articulate the value of the work is essential for the health of the organisation and shoring up its ability to continue to make a contribution.
Image: Matthew Vasilescu
Work from 2011 - 2015 in the UK
Before I moved to Australia to take up my role at the MCA, I ran my own consultancy called lightsgoingon. My mission was to make contemporary art accessible for as many people as possible.
This happened through a range of workshops, training, projects, events and courses; providing knowledge, skills and increased confidence for individuals, businesses, community groups, teachers and the gallery and museum sector. During this time I worked with the National Trust, Tate St Ives, Arts Council UK, and many more cultural organisations.
LIFE EXPERIENCE
I started out as an artist, studying printmaking and then making sculptural objects.
I found out I had a generic hearing loss when I was in my mid-thirties. I began making a series of work about this, and about my body – its internal workings; and then went back to University of Leeds as a mature student to study for an MA in Feminism and Visual Arts; to try to make more sense of the work I was making during this period in 90’s Britain.
I have worn hearing aids for nearly 30 years now. With this lived experience I am aware of the barriers for many people identifying with disability; of navigating spaces and exhibitions that appear inaccessible on a number of levels.
VALUES
My values are creativity, kindness, integrity, rigour, communication, and collaboration.
These principles determine how I think and act:
I am a creative thinker and also a researcher.
I am kind and have integrity.
I approach everything I do with rigour and respect.
I value good communication in everything – until we know what is happening, we can’t act – communication enables movement and understanding.
Collaboration is at the heart of all I do.
I've been fortunate to be able to collaborate with the wonderful Morwenna Collett as part of her consultancy team to deliver:
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an Arts and Disability Needs Analysis and Audit for Australia Council for the Arts in 2023, responsible for the Desktop Review.
A summary of this including consultation with the sector undertaken by Morwenna is available here. -
evaluation of the Artful program for Achieve Australia. The evaluation reviewed the program’s impact and opportunities for future improvements.
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access support for the new Creative Australia Creative Leadership cohort during their first residential.
2023 AND BEYOND
What now?
I left the MCA in May 2023, to set up my own business to support the cultural sector across Australia, offering training and consulting in contemporary art, visitor experience, interpretation, access and inclusion, audience engagement and development, and creativity and wellbeing.
My approach is one of care, kindness, empathy and respect.
I live in the Blue Mountains on Darug and Gundungurra land, where I work and do yoga and go bushwalking and enjoy my garden and my friends - many of whom are artists.
I'VE WORKED WITH
in the UK:
Arnolfini, Bristol
Artes Mundi, Cardiff
Arts Council England
Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth
ArtsMatrix
Bath Spa University / University of Chichester
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN)
Creative Partnerships UK
East Devon District Council
ENGAGE (national association for gallery education)
FACT, Liverpool
Folkestone Triennial
Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
Hampshire Country Council
Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
Mead Gallery, University of Warwick
Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham
National Trust
New Art Exchange, Nottingham
New Art Gallery, Walsall
Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange
Norwich School of Art
Plymouth Arts Centre
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter
Shropshire County Council
Spike Island / Spike Print Studio, Bristol
Take A Part, Plymouth
Tate St Ives / Tate Liverpool
The Collection Lincoln
in Australia /
New Zealand / Singapore:
Australia / New Zealand / Singapore:
Achieve Australia (with Morwenna Collett)
Centre for Contemporary Art, Christchurch, NZ
Creative Australia (with Morwenna Collett)
HORIZONS: Creative Industries Career Launchpad
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
Mandurah Council
National Gallery Singapore
Orange Regional Gallery
Viacom
I look forward to working with museums, galleries, people working in the health sector and creative industries - anyone who wants to experience the benefits that a deep encounter with art and artists can make.
As ever, if you want to have a free 30-minute chat with me about anything arts and audiences,
please get in touch.
