ALL OF US

We are people make it work. We work as associates, within a professional community with a shared commitment to support the cultural sector to change, develop and transform. We are established leaders, consultants, coaches and facilitators with track records, deep skills and a wonderful set of values… we are committed to the cultural and broader not for profit sector and guaranteed to go the extra mile when we are helping you deliver your plans.

Lilli Geisendorfer

Consultant and Facilitator

Lilli Geisendorfer

Consultant and Facilitator

Lilli is an independent consultant and facilitator, working at the intersections of culture, climate and change. She is currently p/t Director of Theatre Green Book, supporting the performing arts sector to transition to net zero, and works with a wide range of cultural and creative organisations and programmes towards a transformative future.

Lilli has extensive experience of developing strategic plans and programmes to support arts and culture to become more inclusive and equitable. She enjoys designing and facilitating sessions that help people find the right ways forward for themselves, and specialises in empowering teams to develop new ideas, have difficult conversations and support each other.

She is passionate about improving the quality of policy making across arts and culture, and developing policy to support transition to circular economies, green jobs and a sustainable future. She’s obsessed with approaches to decision making, and loves to share the secret power of using random selection to revolutionise selection processes, or bring everyone along through consensus decision making.

Current/recent work includes projects with British Fashion Council, Creative UK, West Midlands Combined Authority, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Before going freelance in summer 2024, Lilli was Deputy Director of the Creative Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC), where she delivered the first four State of the Nations reports, and Director of Jerwood Arts for five years, channelling £10 million of funding to over 1000 early-career artists from all art forms across the UK, as well as designing and delivering leadership programmes such as the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries.

She started her career in think tanks, before co-founding HighTide and becoming a theatre producer, including for the Almeida Theatre, and working for Arts Council England.

She is Co-Chair of Fuel Theatre, a Trustee of Projekt Europa and a mentor with Arts Emergenc.

Chris Gorry

Consultant & Coach

Kim Gowland

Coach. Consultant.

Kim Gowland

Coach. Consultant.

Hello, I’m Kim. I work with cultural leaders and managers to help them to help them bring about positive transformation in their careers and wider lives. Typically, the kind of issues we work on include strategic decision making, identifying and focusing on priorities, improving professional relationships, dealing with overwhelm and building confidence, influence and authority, team development and leadership skills, work-life balance and navigating career/role transition. I believe passionately in helping leaders and managers to be authentic, to fulfil their leadership potential, and to look after their own and others’ wellbeing. I love to work with clients who are thoughtful, creative, open-minded and have strong values.

During a 25 year career in the cultural sector, I held senior roles at Manchester Art Gallery, the Museum of Science and Industry and mima (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art). As an ILM7 qualified Executive and Leadership Coach, clients have included the Science Museum Group, Manchester Art Gallery, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Craft and Design Centre, Stoller Hall, Chester Zoo and English Heritage.

Nice things people have said about me and my work include: "My coaching sessions with Kim have changed how I lead my team and how I manage my workload. Kim is a staggering good listener. She can distil the key issues from a range of ideas, asks brilliant and insightful questions, which really get to the heart of the issue and make you think about something in a new way. Working with Kim has not only improved my work life, but also my home life and the balance between the two". "Working with Kim quite literally changed my life. When we met, I was exhausted and feeling completely out of control of my work / life balance. From the very first session it felt as though a fog was lifting and for the first time in years I could see more clearly and make better decisions". "Kim is supportive, warm and engaging and immediately puts you at ease".

My specialist areas include cultural leadership coaching and supporting clients to navigate periods of transition.

Jael Williams

Consultant.

Jael Williams

Consultant.

I love being part of the magic and creativity that happens when different people come together to solve shared challenges. I get a real buzz from empowering partnerships and teams to collectively realise their ideas and dreams through a clear sense of purpose, value and vision. And I’m passionate about connecting that with opportunities for young people and their communities to have a voice in making arts and culture relevant and inspiring for everyone. I love to work with organisations and people that embrace curiosity, creativity and reflective practice in order to reimagine, reinvigorate and renew their organisational aims, policies, spaces and practice. My favourite collaborations are with teams that want the inside of their organisation to be as happy, healthy and resilient as their external audiences and partners. I have been lucky enough to work with a huge range of organisations across the arts and cultural sector as consultant, facilitator, trainer, expert advisor and critical friend for the past 20 years. Some of the organisations I have worked with include: Arts Council England; Yorkshire Wildlife Trust; National Museums Wales; Keswick Museum & Gallery; Curious Minds; IVE; CapeUK; Barnsley Museums Service; The Wordsworth Trust; Thackray Medical Museum; Edinburgh Castle; Bradford Council; University of Leeds, School of Education; The Brotherton Library, University of Leeds; Green Howards Museum, The National Coal Mining Museum for England; Bolton Library & Museum Service; Museum Development North West. I’d really like to work with more organisations open to embracing difficult questions and to growing more exciting, innovative and transformational partnerships. I’m also interested in any opportunities to explore a more connected and creative use of outdoor spaces. People often say I bring energy, enthusiasm, empathy, humility and insightful clarity to their organizational challenges. Nice things people have said about me include: Jael provided us with a brilliant review and report which has driven both a new Community Engagement Policy and a review of our Public Engagement and Consultation Policy. We all enjoyed working with her and learnt a lot from her.” Jael carried out an excellent piece of research with some really useful conclusions and a clear way forward – just what we were hoping for.” Jael was very down to earth and very easy to talk to. She managed to organise our thoughts and translate them into meaningful concepts.” My specialist areas include: Museum and object based learning, Strategic review & development, Partnerships and relationship building, Producing & project management, Creative Facilitation & training, Coaching & mentoring, Research & evaluation, HLF Activity Planning, Creative learning & resource development.

Amber Massie-Blomfield

Consultant

Sarah Boiling

Consultant.

Lauren Clancy

Consultant

Ellen O’Hara

Consultant.

Ellen O’Hara

Consultant.

I love working with people and organisations that want to foster a more entrepreneurial approach to leadership and change. Projects and complex problems that benefit from a combination of coaching, startup methodology and design thinking techniques are what I enjoy the most. I particularly like working as part of an interdisciplinary team as this is how I think magic really happens. I love working with people who are ready to embrace change, take leap of faith and try new ways of working to achieve their goals. Enabling people to discover untapped potential, play to their strengths and bring more of the real them to their work what I find most satisfying. Connecting with clients that share my own values of curiosity, generosity, compassion, collaboration and community is also a big bonus! Organisations that I’ve worked with include Nesta, Creative Industry Finance, Business & Arts South Africa, Innovate UK, British Council, Clore Leadership Programme, National Arts Council Singapore, Little Earthquake Theatre, Bearspace Gallery, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. I’m keen to do more work that enables organisations to draw on the collective insight from their staff, volunteers, supporters, audiences and beneficiaries to create collaborative solutions to the challenges they are facing and discover more creative ways to deliver on their mission. I’d also like to work with more organisations and people to adopt a more entrepreneurial, experimental approach and support them through the journey of culture change that this often requires. “After 40 years of professional creative practice I found Ellen is the first business coach that I have worked with who really understands what motivates creative practitioners. She has a very easy effortless style underpinned by a wealth of experience, insight and coaching skill.” “Ellen is a very warm, well-prepared facilitator, who really listened to us. We were a group of dreamers …who now have the tools to make those dreams come true.” “Ellen used her deep domain knowledge to develop excellent content that covered critical areas such as defining a value proposition and understanding the business model for commercial success. She combined her experience and expertise with her organisational and communications skills to meet the needs of Innovate UK - leading to real commercial impact for the businesses that we support.” “Ellen is genuinely interested in the values and the vision which make you uniquely you, and sets about tracing the particular path which will help you make the most of who you are and what you do.” “Every single contact with Ellen results in tangible, direct actions — practical things that you’ll feel comfortable and capable of doing which will take you progressively nearer to the place you want to be. “ Specialist areas include business model and new venture design, access to finance, emergent strategy, coaching and facilitation. I’m thrilled to have joined the People Make It work family and am really looking forward to continued learning with the team and client base.

Dr Hilary Palmer

Director of Care and Support

Dr Hilary Palmer

Director of Care and Support

Hello, I’m Hilary. As a consultant systemic psychotherapist, I love working collaboratively to create and accomplish agendas for change. I pay close attention to diversity and culture, and aim to harness the richness and resourcefulness inherent, but sometimes hidden, within teams. As understanding is gained, organisational objectives can be realised, new thinking emerges and ideas develop to become action. I love curious clients: clients who are willing to shake up their sense of the world, and look through a different lens to experiment with different ways of being, seeing and operating. I value and admire not only an organisation’s creative endeavours, but the creativity of every team member, and enjoy helping or-ganisations embrace this creativity in the pursuit of positive change and difference. I have worked within the NHS for twenty-five years and I am currently a lead consultant in Surrey. I have also worked in various higher education establishments and am a consultant at the Tavistock Centre where I lecture and supervise on the integrated professional doctoral programme. I would love to bring my broad experience of the arts and organisations to en-rich your team’s potential and help facilitate positive change. My style is one of warmth, wisdom and humour. Clients frequently remark upon my energy, commitment and passion. My work incorporating arts into the systemic field has been described as ‘ground-breaking’ and my recent publication has been critically reviewed as ‘outstanding’ and ‘a great development for the systemic community’. I have a doctorate in systemic psychotherapy and my research explored how change can be embedded in organisations. This included cultural and personal challenges in promoting innovation within teams, how we might identify and respond to individual, group and organisational default positions, and what is needed to be in place for change to be realised and sustained. As a musician, I am aware that some things can be communicated more fully without words. I am keen to help organi-sations also find these unspoken narratives and include them in their thinking.

Sandeep Mahal

Director of Sector Change

Graham Sheffield

Consultant.

Karenjeet Kaur Bains

Consultant, speaker

Karenjeet Kaur Bains

Consultant, speaker

I am hugely passionate about inspiring and motivating people to excel with both their professional and personal ambitions and goals. This is why I love motivational and guest speaking be it face to face or engaging with an audience on a virtual level. I thoroughly enjoy being able to draw upon my own knowledge from both a professional standpoint as an ACA Chartered Accountant with 6 years’ experience at KPMG, and as a sportswoman as a Great Britain Powerlifter who is the reigning Commonwealth Champion and the First British Sikh Female to represent Great Britain at the World and European Championships placing in the Top 10. I embrace the chance to be able to work with individuals, teams and organisations to help transform their ways of working, truly understand the importance of having a healthy work life balance, and to be able to ignite a spark of hope to encourage the pursuit of your dreams. I thoroughly love working with clients that take the time to invest in their employees and are keen to ensure both the physical and mental wellbeing of their staff. I have learnt from working in an intense corporate environment the importance of having a healthy work life balance, and certain practices I have adopted myself centre around knowledge I would love to share. I am especially keen to work with organisations that are enthusiastic towards promoting female empowerment, as well as those championing individuals from diverse and minority backgrounds to excel in the world of work being a young, female, South Asian myself. I am extremely passionate about working with clients that value education and helping the next generation, being an individual who came from humble beginnings as a state-school student who rose up the ranks through sheer hard work and determination. I have grown up with core values of both education and sport instilled into me whereby working with schools and universities as a positive role model is a cause I hold dear to my heart. I have seasoned experience working at KPMG for 6 years working my way up to Assistant Manager level. I have demonstrated success of delivering high profile audits within set time frames and budgets for industry leaders in Telecommunications, Engineering, Advertising, and Business Process Outsourcing. I was the Senior Auditor in charge of a portfolio of clients including the UK and South Africa Division for NTT (the 4^th largest telecommunications company in the world with operating revenue of $111.18 billion). As well as accumulated significant technical knowledge and end to end audit delivery for clients such as Virgin Atlantic, Capita, BBDO, ITV and Channel 4. During my time at KPMG, I was nominated as one of the Faces of KPMG and was a leading face for the 150^th Anniversary Campaign that was presented to Her Majesty the Queen. I also refined my talent as a motivational speaker for the KPMG Sikh Network, where I gave speeches to business leaders and founders of charitable organisations such as Khalsa Aid due to my sporting and professional achievements. I am currently an ambassador for charities including the Sikh Games and the Sikh Assembly. I have been featured in two of Malala Fund’s campaigns as one of the Faces of the 2020 Game Changers series, as well as a contributing author as one of 25 girls in Malala’s upcoming anthology due to be published by HarperCollins India in April 2022. I am keen to inspire the next generation through my work, and have seized opportunities including being an upcoming Children’s Book Narrator for IM1313 aiming to bring the message of Sikhism universally with the ambition of becoming one of the mainstream children’s books. I am a strong advocate for gender equality between males and females; being one of the leading Faces of the VatikaUK Campaign promoting the importance of strong female role models such as Sportswomen. I would love to work on projects which are keen to explore innovative, out of the box approaches to thriving in the workplace. Any organisations that are eager to invest in their employees physical, and mental wellbeing who would be interested in learning more about my approach towards life coaching in a professional sphere, but also learning about my mindset as an athlete. I would be very excited to work with organisations who are geared towards breaking barriers, societal stigmas, and are advocates of female empowerment. At the same time I enjoy giving back to the community, as a Sikh I believe in the act of “Seva” which is selfless service so would thrive working with charitable organisations, as well as being a role model to young people giving motivational talks at colleges, schools and universities. I believe I am a dynamic, multi-faceted individual who would be adaptable and be able to mould into various campaigns championing change i.e. the Black Lives Matter movement being a woman of colour myself. I received some excellent feedback on my first engagement with People make it work having being invited as a motivational speaker whom is also an Athlete for the Coventry City of Culture Event. It was truly heartwarming to hear from Richard himself that I had a brilliant impact during this virtual conference, where the difference could be seen in people’s face to what I had to say. He mentioned how I had made a difference to so many people that day attending the call by sharing my story, whilst also being myself in such a powerful way. The lovely Zara Rush also reached out to me commending me on my performance stating that my contribution to the event was incredible, and that I was a true inspiration whom the City of Culture staff loved hearing from! These were some of the most incredible comments I had received throughout my professional career and was one of the reasons I have jumped at the chance to freelance and collaborate with such an amazing organization! My specialist areas include public speaking/virtual conferences drawing upon my experience as both an elite athlete as the reigning Commonwealth Powerlifting Champion and the First British Sikh Female to represent Great Britain in Powerlifting; and my professional experience as a qualified ACA Chartered Accountant with 6 years experience at a Big 4 Accounting Firm. I have an ability to run successful workshops drawing upon my approach towards hard work, discipline and determination in both my sporting and professional career available for schools, universities and the corporate world. I am also able to offer tailored guest speaking providing an insight into what my competitive experience has been like as an elite athlete juggling a demanding professional career; including PowerPoint presentations showcasing videos of my performance representing Great Britain specific to each event. As well as that key skill sets I have include project management of both an onshore and offshore team, ability to work under pressured situations whilst remaining calm and composed, strong interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to work proactively and effectively in a team, leadership skills, time management as well as a professional demeanour when communicating with clients building strong rapport for long lasting fulfilling relationships. Professionally I am a qualified ACA Chartered Accountant with significant experience working with a range of small and large organisations in the Consumer and Leisure sector. I would also be able to draw upon this knowledge to provide professional input to clients from a financial standpoint.

Lynne O’Neil

Coach and Consultant.

Caroline Marcus

Consultant.

Miki Lentin

Consultant

Miki Lentin

Consultant

Hi there, My name is Miki, and I love taking an innovative and entrepreneurial idea and running with it. I love developing creative ideas together with colleagues so that they become inspired and more active in their work. I love writing and using words to portray the heart of an organization, and I love leading teams, giving everyone a voice. Clients who are open, innovative, willing to have honest, thought provoking conversations and who live their values are ones that I really enjoy working with. Some of the organisations I have worked with include, British Library as Head of Corporate Affairs for 10 years, more recently consultancy work for the Houses of Parliament and the Imperial War Museum. Created and designed London’s Knowledge Quarter. In the future, I’d love to establish more innovation districts and Knowledge Quarters in cities and towns that see the value of partnership, community engagement strategies that meaningfully support local and underrepresented audiences, supporting organizations in realizing their strategic potential and creative communications campaigns that create impact. Some of the nice things clients have said about me include; “It was a pleasure to work with Miki on a number of projects over several years. He's engaging, an excellent communicator, politically astute and insightful, creative and full of great ideas. He is also an exceptionally nice person, and a great colleague. I'd love the opportunity to work with him again in the future” Katie Matthews – Director, Katie Matthews Consulting “Miki is a great manager and a genuine pleasure to work with. His quick thinking, good judgment, attentive listening and sense of humour made a lasting impression on me, and I will always be grateful for his commitment to the personal and professional growth of his team.” Tom Johnson, Senior Policy Advisor at LCBO “In a thirty-year career in publishing and libraries, I have worked with a fair few Comms specialists. For the six or so years that I worked with Miki at the British Library, I have to say he is hands down the best. Creative, proactive, unflappable. I loved working with Miki on a variety of campaigns.” Simon Bell, Associate Publisher John Wiley & Sons. I’d say my specialist areas are; strategic communications, helping organizations with strategic vision and purpose, corporate leadership, brand development and community engagement. And finally - I am a very values-led person. I do a lot of voluntary work and believe strongly in supporting society and those who are underrepresented where I can. I also believe that the culture and the creative sector can play a vital role in supporting social change.

Anamaria Wills

Consultant

Anamaria Wills

Consultant

Hello, I am Anamaria. I’m lucky enough to work alongside artistic directors, helping to shape and strategise; I work with CEOs and executive directors, helping to look with fresh eyes at their organisations, encouraging resilience and risk; and I coach and mentor independents and startups, making sense of the business jungle, nurturing courage, confidence and competence. When I think about characteristics I love to find in a client I suppose I love to see a client’s driving passion – coupled with a hunger to learn. I love humour – coupled with irrepressible tenacity. And I love generosity of spirit, underpinning an intelligent approach to the work. I’ve worked with organisations including London’s Horniman Museum, Hales Gallery and Leeds’ RJC Dance; from Rosetta Arts to West Yorkshire Playhouse; and, in non-arts organisations, from Silicon Valley’s EDG Inc to Myanmar’s Human Rights Defenders. In addition, I’ve worked extensively for The Arts Council, The British Council, various Governments including Singapore, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Chile, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, the Commonwealth Heads of Govt and across much of Europe, all focused on growing and strengthening their respective creative sector organisations. I love helping to make things happen – on both the large and the small scale – so it would be great to continue helping people realise their own dreams, through innovation, strategizing, building resilience and good old creative entrepreneurship! I’m also on several boards and am generally fascinated by the role and usefulness of Trustees. When I think about the things people say about me, probably the most frequent nice words about me have generously included “visionary, stimulating, challenging, inspirational” etc. “Meeting Anamaria Wills and benefiting from her enthusiasm, outlook, contacts and wisdom as mentor was the best thing.” “I loved the atmosphere we created between us, very early on when we met up and started working together.” “Anamaria’s coaching gave us real insight into how to make our vision a reality. We gained confidence to be imaginative in developing solutions that were right for us as a small cultural organisation with a unique mission. The principles we have learned are now embedded into our organisation's working practices.” So what are my specialist areas, well, it’s down to strategy, innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship – making things happen!

Charles Beckett

Consultant.

Charles Beckett

Consultant.

Hello, I am Charles. I love to help cultural organisations think about their strategy and work through major changes and transformations so that they can make their work more effective and achieve greater impact. In particular, I like to help leaders think about the whole model of their organization and their businesses, to make sure that they can deliver the most important elements of their mission as effectively as possible. I have a long background in public funding or the arts and culture, both in the UK and internationally, so I am able to offer specific advice about fundraising from public sources and aligning organizational strategy with funders’ requirements. I have also worked on several large digital projects in the cultural sector and advised several organisations on digital strategy and digital projects. And I am always hapy to give advice about how to design and develop digital projects and look at organization-wide digital strategy. I have a particular interest in literature and publishing, and a very good knowledge of the issues affecting organisations working in this sector as well as current trends, business models and reader development, and I love to work on literature projects. Some of the characteristics I love to find in a client include; • openness to new ideas; • clear strategic thinking; • friendly and inclusive teams; • positive and inquisitive approach to change; • interest in understanding audiences and audience behavior; Some of the organisations I have worked with include; BBC; Nesta; The Poetry Society; European Cultural Foundation; Centre for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona and Literature Wales … In terms of work I’d like to do more of in the future, I’d like to help more cultural organisations make the most of digital opportunities, strengthen relationships with their existing audiences and connect with new ones, and focus on the things that they do best so that they can achieve their goals and overcome organizational issues which prevent them from being as effective as possible. Some of the nice things clients have said abvout me in the past include; • ‘exceptional service’ • ‘consistently high standard [of work]’ • ‘reliable and very professional’ • ‘your help has been invaluable’ If I have to describe my specialist areas, I’d say they are; • public funding; • literature and publishing; • digital technology and strategy; • international working And finally…. I am always interested in working with new organisations, getting to know new teams and discussing new challenges or objectives. I feel that I have a range of knowledge and expertise which can offer insights across a number of different fields and I am always ready to discuss potential solutions or signpost other sources of support and advice when I am not able to provide answers myself.

Adam Cooper

Consultant.

Dr Caroline Murphy

Consultant and coach

Dr Caroline Murphy

Consultant and coach

Hi there, I am Caroline. I am fascinated by what makes organisations and teams tick, and I love working in contexts that focus on how to get organisational mission, vision, culture and objectives aligned in ways that really explore the potential of teams and individuals to be their best, think differently and make positive change. I like to be hands on, get under the skin of organisations, and work collaboratively and creatively to find new ways of navigating the inevitable challenges and bumps on the road that all organisations face. This often means developing strategic planning, creating impact frameworks, mentoring and coaching individuals and teams, and thinking about key areas of focus such as resilience, inclusivity and diversity, or how to make a genuine difference for individuals and communities. When I think about the characteristics I love in a client, I suppose I get a buzz out of working with organisations who have a really clear sense of their creative and cultural mission, and who are just as motivated by the social impact their work creates. I love working with organisations who are interested in how their strategy and mission contribute to bigger vision – such as place-making, sector development and civic role. I value honesty, integrity, warmth and humour and try to bring these qualities to all of my professional relationships. I have worked in and with cultural organisations for over 25 years, both as a consultant and in leadership roles. Organisations I’ve worked with recently include Northumbria University, Theatre Hullabaloo, Leeds 2023, Stephen Joseph Theatre, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Northumberland County Council, TIN Arts, Arts Council Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council. I suppose my specialist areas are strategic and business planning, leading cultural change, arts and social impact, and partnership development.

Becca Pelly-Fry

Consultant.

Lawrence Becko

Consultant.

Ben Walmsley

Consultant

Laura Twemlow

Head of Belonging

Jeanie Scott

Consultant.

Hannah Corneck

Coach and Consultant.

Dr Ernest Taylor

Consultant, researcher

Dr Ernest Taylor

Consultant, researcher

Hello, I am Ernest. Writing/storytelling tasks stir my passion. This skillset has been honed over an extensive journalism career and undertaking doctoral research using ethnographic methodology. They now allow me to privilege the voices of others, particularly those that are representative of marginalised groups or communities, or those who, for whatever reason, are less able to do so. My versatility is in grasping the strange or unfamiliar rendering them in the narrative of the embodied. Words, the tool of my trade, are primary carrier of norms and values – culture – can be powerful and transformative. Typically, I have a penchant for tasks, which challenge the status quo. From a standpoint of multiple realities, I remain open to and accepting of new concepts, ways of doing and seeing. In various roles as journalist, academic/social researcher or lecturer, I have sought to work co-creatively to promote the objectives of the client, group or organisation. A critical feature of my work is its public awareness underpinning, which stems from my experiences as a journalist and knowing what is newsworthy. I have worked as a Senior Reporter with the Coventry Evening Telegraph, served as Features Editor of The Voice and contributed various freelance features to The Guardian, Independent and other publications. I have lectured in tourism and human geography for both Coventry University and the University of Worcester. I led the research, writing and editing of the report: ‘Structures for Community and Territorial Cohesion’ for RICHES (Renewal, Innovation and Change: Heritage and European Society), a multi-million dollar research project involving ten European Union partners and Turkey. The study examined new ways of engaging with heritage in the digital age. I also wrote think papers such as: ‘Cultural Heritage Festivals: belonging, sense of place and identity’ and ‘Digital Heritage: intellectual rights, democracy and commoditisation of cultural heritage places’ and the policy brief: ‘European Minorities and Identity: strengthening relationships for a sense of belonging in the digital era’. As the aforementioned indicates, my specialist areas of interests are imbued in notions of belonging, sense of place, identity and social cohesion. In my doctoral thesis, ‘Culture, tourism and sustainability: an ethnographic study of rural community development in Jamaica’, I interrogated some of these themes, as well as concepts relating to culture economy, indigenous and rural knowledge and spirituality. My work is seen as ‘novel’ and ‘excellent’ examples of thematic writing. I welcome the opportunity to draw on my array of skills in co-creating outputs that are engaging, privileging voices, generating awareness and empowering organisations or individuals.

Lucy Davies

Consultant

Lucy Davies

Consultant

The types of work I love doing are across the sweep of cultural leadership: enabling ambitious ideas, carrying teams through big visions and projects; thought leadership and critical thinking; dreaming big and inspiring people. I have worked as an Executive Director and Executive Producer in flagship cultural organisations and buildings for 15 years and have tried to do so with flair and equity. I’m interested in power, and what we do with ours and I have an emerging specialism in climate strategies for cultural organisations (winning a Creative Green Champion Award in 2020).

Characteristics I love to find in a client are taking responsibility for the power you hold and how it manifests; ambition; clear and knotty questions; original thinking and a hunger to evolve.

Some of the organisations I have worked with and at are the Donmar Warehouse, The National Theatre (Head of Studio), National Theatre Wales (founding Executive Producer), the Royal Court Theatre (Executive Producer) and in 2022 the Young Vic (Executive Director). As a trustee: Clod Ensemble, Brighton Dome & Festival, Society of London Theatre, Soho Theatre Walthamstow. I have also worked with Julie’s Bicycle, UK Theatre & the Theatre’s Trust, the Theatre Green Book, and many partner theatres across the UK and the world. I have extensive mentoring experience of emerging leaders and I founded the MOBO LTC Executive Fellowships.

In the future I’d love to centre my climate practice more concretely and to develop consulting work alongside my leadership. I am interested in writing more about ethical leadership and ethical power.

Nice things clients have said about you: “You’ve changed how I am in the world.”

My specialist areas: Executive leadership; theatre; change management; ambitious cultural projects; climate justice and strategy work; social justice and inclusion work; talent development.

Joanne Launder

Coach and Consultant

Joanne Launder

Coach and Consultant

Hi there, I'm Joanne. I really enjoy supporting people and organisations to identify their needs and aspirations and to deliver at their best. That could be through supporting them in the organisational changes and transformations that they are trying to make or supporting leaders to optimise their individual impact and performance. I love supporting problem solving, analytical thinking and looking at things with a real attention to detail. As a consultant and freelancer I am led by my motivation and commitment to working with people and organisations that are looking to make a positive lasting impact and a real difference to people’s lives, supporting them to deliver at their best. I love organisations and people that display openness, integrity and transparency. I have worked strategically with Arts Council England, British Library, Carnegie UK Trust, Libraries Unlimited, Libraries Connected, Wellcome Trust, WOW festival & Southbank Centre, Local Authorities and a range of public library services across the UK, Exeter Cultural Partnership and the Higher Education sector. I’d love to do more talent nurturing, supporting organisations to build leaders at every level and enabling leaders to thrive. I really enjoy mentoring, employee engagement, managing people, performance and relationships. My specialist areas include; working within the arts, culture, libraries and charities sectors. Leadership, organisational change and development, running a charity, governance and sector change. I love working with communities and in partnership. My background is as a qualified and chartered librarian, but over the past 10 years I have worked in senior management roles in the library and charity sector with a focus on creating sustainable organisa-tions which make a real difference to communities and individuals. I’m an empathetic, innovative and resilient leader with a strong track record in organisational delivery, operations and development within the culture sector. I’m experienced in leading cultural change within a large, growing organisation, engaging with staff, communities and strategic partners to deliver lasting transformational changes.

Laura Drane

Consultant.

Sam Allen

Consultant, Facilitator...

Nyasha Daley

Consultant

Nyasha Daley

Consultant

Hey there, I’m Nyasha Daley! I’m all about people and prose; I’m also fascinated by the idea of identity and how that impacts on our various communities, connections, and communications. I spent more than 15 years’ at senior and C-Suite level, both in-agency and in-house supporting B2B, B2C and public-sector marketing communications and brand development. I got to work with some fabulous brands including Assay Office Birmingham, Butlins, National Express, English Heritage, Land Securities, The London Taxi Company (now LEVC), and Marston’s. Alongside my role with people make it work, I’m also now partner in a consultancy, Varyah Ltd, supporting clients across a range of marketing, training, arts production and Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion disciplines including facilitating safe spaces for challenging conversations that allow room for honest ideas exchange and breaking down belief systems to produce positive provocations and systemic change. I’m passionate, very direct, resilient, curious, results-focused and (sometimes brutally) honest too… so, I enjoy clients who can resonate. I’m also hilarious, so I tend to attract clients who have an excellent sense of humour! I’ve had the privilege to work with some excellent arts organisations including the Belgrade Theatre, Compton Verney Art Gallery, Goldsmiths Centre, TRG Arts, UpSwing, Papaya.fp and Coventry City of Culture Trust. I’m keen to work with clients who are looking for strategies to make life better for us all; those ready to do the hard work, who need either someone with my skill set or perhaps, someone with a similar skill set to their own, who can ask the hard questions that they might feel that they can’t ask themselves. Clients note my strong communication skillset, including being able to articulate challenging or novel ideas to diverse audiences. They appreciate my ability to deal with difficult concepts and characters with respect, determination and perseverance. I’ve been commended for my perceptive, innovative and action-oriented approach. And as mentioned, clients with an excellent sense of humour find me hilarious too. My specialist areas are strategic marketing communication, project management, workshop creation and facilitation, and relationship building. I am also an Association of Coaching Executive Coach and Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner. And I’m a creative myself, so if I can weave in poetry, spoken word, acting, creative play or music/song into my consultancy, I absolutely will do!

Jenny Stewart

Consultant.

Andrew Marcus

Consultant

Azieb Pool

Director of Creative Ambition

Azieb Pool

Director of Creative Ambition

Hi there, I’m Azieb, I’m a senior creative leader, arts strategist and writer, passionate about the power of culture to connect people, unlock hidden stories, and spark radical change. From 2019–2025, I led the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham, north London, helping it become a nationally recognised home for bold, Black-led creativity. During that time, I secured Arts Council England National Portfolio status for the first time in BGAC’s history, founded the Tottenham Literature Festival and BGAC Windrush Festival, rebuilt relationships with the Local Authority, and built exciting partnerships with brilliant organisations like Talawa, Dance Umbrella, LIFT, Greater London Authority, National Youth Theatre, Punchdrunk, and major funders including Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Freelands Foundation and Barings Foundation.

Before BGAC, I was Senior Programmer at Southbank Centre, London, where I led Africa Utopia, an annual festival highlighting African and diaspora arts and ideas. I also played a key role in growing and expanding the Women of the World festival (WOW), including internationally to Somaliland, Nigeria, and Baltimore, USA. I’ve also been a trustee of LIFT, an Artistic Advisor to Manchester International Festival, a patron of the SI Leeds Prize, and a member of the Mayor of London’s Black Cultural Events Advisory Group.

I began my career as a journalist, writing for The Guardian for over a decade and contributing to The Times, Stylist, and Vogue UK. I’m also the editor of Fashion Cities Africa and the author of My Fathers’ Daughter — reprinted in 2022 as part of Bernardine Evaristo and Penguin’s Black Britain Writing Back series. I believe that for work to be truly ambitious, it must be inclusive and collaborative. My specialist areas are; creative ambition, vision, artistic strategy, artistic development, racial and gender equity within the arts and embedding diverse practices. I’m also a Hamilton superfan, but we’ll get into that another time.

Alex Rinsler

Consultant.

Alex Rinsler

Consultant.

I love working with people to find creative ways through challenging times. Formally with organisations, informally over cake, whatever it takes. The best clients for me care about their audiences and champion their teams. They are open to working together in partnership to deliver what they need. I have 15 years’ experience in the UK with the likes of Southbank Centre, Tate and Cancer Research UK, HOME and the Whitworth in Manchester and most recently as Creative Lead for Blackpool Illuminations, shaping the creative vision for a £2.4million regeneration programme. Internationally, I have made projects in Argentina, China, Australia, South Africa, the US and Finland, as artist and producer. I am a former Director of Impact Hub London and have started two creative companies, working with commercial music festivals to build stages and set them on fire. These days I’m working more with towns and cities to align cultural strategy with assets and opportunities, and coaching team leaders in arts, health and education. I think a lot about what kind of leadership we need in today’s changing and challenging world, and my artistic practice creates spectacular imagery that encourages people to believe that a better world is possible. Things people have said about me: "Alex develops an exciting vision and can deliver it in reality bringing people with different skills together. He's a diplomat and team player and most importantly you can have fun developing ideas collectively." "Alex has helped me reground, refocus and directly increase my personal impact as well as the impact of several organizations I work with. Sensitive, deeply caring, self-effacing, and wise.” “He has brought out the best in me and those I am working with.” I specialize in coaching, strategy and programme development: my knowledge base is in festivals, social engagement and working with artists. I know a thing or two about pyrotechnics if things have gotten really bad. I look forward to working with you.

Emma Wilcox

Consultant

Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu

Director of Empowerment

Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu

Director of Empowerment

Hello! I’m Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu.

The types of work I love doing is collaborating with people and organisations who are ready to step outside of their comfort zones and explore possibilities and opportunities they do not think are available to them. They are ready for real change, willing to have meaningful conversations (including the difficult ones), understand the importance of their team and can trust the journey even while hitting temporary bumps along the way. This can be done through 1-2-1 coaching and group facilitation.

Characteristics I love to find in a client are those who are open to doing things differently, curious, able to laugh at themselves, open to being vulnerable, willing to let go of the façade, want what is best for them/their team/organisation and not with being right, want to have fun and enjoy the process.

Some of the organisations you have worked with include Dance4, Looks Like Me, AkomaAsa and Diverse City.

I’d love to do more work in the future with organisations that are ready for change, consulting on strategies that embed Diversity, Inclusivity and Equality in the heart of the organisation, empowering individuals within organisations to find strategies to lead their teams more effectively and generally creating space and time for organisations to connect with the individuals who are the foundation of their business.

Nice things clients have said about me include my ability to create a safe space for open conversations free of judgement, enable them to own being empowered, entertained and educated, bring focus and clarity, enable them to breathe and relax, let go of anxiety, tension, doubt, to laugh (sometimes while shedding a tear).

My specialist areas are dance, theatre and people. Working from the inside out.

My work will enable you to think fierce, be fabulous and live spirited in a way that brings value to you and those around you.

Amanda Colledge

Consultant

Amanda Colledge

Consultant

Hi there, I’m Amanda. The type of work I relish is joining the dots in complex and challenging situations and working collaboratively to articulate and plan the delivery of an organisation's ambitions. I particularly enjoy working with people across organisations, whether board members, senior teams or operational teams, to ensure that any plan can be successfully delivered. I love working in the cultural and heritage sector due to the ambition of these organisations to serve their audiences and constantly challenge themselves to do better. I passionately believe that work environments where people learn from each other, share different viewpoints and perspectives, and have the bravery to challenge the status quo are the most rewarding and deliver the best results. I have worked in a diverse range of organisations, both in finance and capital programme roles, including Tate, the House of Commons and the Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme. In the future, I would love to help more organisations define their strategy and plans for successful implementation, ensuring a solid evidence base. This includes developing or adapting financial and business strategies and models to meet new strategic, financial or operational challenges. Things people say about me? ‘You have always been totally collaborative and constructive… and that has been very much appreciated across our team’. ‘I just wanted to say that I enjoyed working with you and really came to admire your analysis and the unusual combination of strategic thought and attention to detail’. ’Great strategic thinker and expert at positioning the big messages to get the desired outcomes. My sense of humour and pragmatism is often positively commented upon. My areas of specialism include strategy and business planning, programme management, business case development and approvals, change management, governance, transforming an organisation's financial management capabilities and improving financial performance and planning. I am dedicated to helping organisations make better decisions, change and develop, and gain positive results

Kamaljit Poonia

Consultant.

Dr Eve Poole

Coach and Consultant.

Gregory Nash

Consultant.

Sarah Drummond

Consultant.

Vanessa Swann

Consultant.

Vanessa Swann

Consultant.

Hi there, I’m Vanessa. The type of work I love doing is helping individuals and teams to develop strategies for long term success and financial sustainability. I find strategy making can be an enjoyable creative process when people tap into a common purpose and bring their own expertise to bear on an approach that is structured yet open to the seemingly impossible. I am an experienced former CEO of a major arts and social enterprise charity, Cockpit Arts, the award- winning business incubator for craftspeople. I have a proven track record at Executive Director level of successfully starting up, growing and expanding Arts and Social Enterprise organisations, including turnaround, investment and enterprise development. I have been consulting for several years in-house and independently, specialising in Organisational Development, Capacity Building and Change Management for a wide range of Arts and Social Enterprises, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and local authorities. My work involves designing and conducting processes for building agreement about what steps are needed for a change process and establishing the momentum to see these steps through. This often necessitates working with the whole client system, looking at the organisation in the round. I am comfortable providing leadership during times of change and am able to work well at Board level and with whole staff teams. I am to bring energy to situations and works alongside individuals and teams to help them work through challenges dynamically and systematically. I’d love to do more work with organisations over a period of time, offering action-orientated coaching to help develop a series of steps that can be implemented relatively quickly to crystallise new ways of working by teams. I provide expert mentoring, coaching and facilitation with some hands-on support to guide and steer change processes. Clients have commented on my practical and holistic approach. As one client has said: “Vanessa was able to bring to the table real and useful experience. She was always able to see the bigger picture and think creatively out of the box, especially when it came to understanding the complex relationship between building a sustainable business and providing public benefit.” – Tim Sandys-Renton, Director, Unity Arts Trust.

Kate Fielding

Consultant

Kate Dore

Consultant.

Kate Dore

Consultant.

Hi there. I’m Kate Dore. I love learning how organisations really work, talking to stakeholders at every level and supporting them to make plans to work together better. I enjoy helping to unpick thorny problems. I am also a great believer in organisations taking opportunities to learn from each other, sharing positive and negative experiences can be both inspiring and reassuring, and even the most ambitious plans seem less daunting if you aren’t working in isolation. Having led Yorkshire Artspace through two major capital projects, including one new build and one refurbishment, I am really keen to share that knowledge with other organisations considering a building project, and advocating for culture as a catalyst for regeneration. Being part of the development of Sheffield Culture Consortium was one of my most exciting and rewarding experiences, to see a city coming together to work well and support each other, and delivering an amazing programme of events. Characteristics I love to find in a client include a genuine passion for change and an understanding that all voices matter within the organisation. Giddy excitement – it’s very infectious. Some of the organisations I’ve worked in and with include; Yorkshire Artspace. Sheffield Culture Consortium, NFASP (the National Federation of Artists Studio Providers, now sadly gone). In the future I’d like to do more work in the area of Organisational development to support a quantum leap as well as Culture planning and consortium building – it’s such a rewarding and successful way to work as a geographical or sector specific group. I also need to keep working in the area of capital project support – I really love buildings. Some of the lovely things people have said about me in the past includes; “I have had the pleasure of working regularly with Kate Dore for the past 6 years as part of the Sheffield Culture Consortium, and closely for 12 months in her role as Consortium Chair… Under Kate’s chairship, the Consortium developed clearer ways of operating and better links with other strategic boards. Kate was a wise, far-sighted and inclusive chair. In particular, she identified the need to create a 5-year Culture Plan for the group, to steer future direction, advocate for the sector, and foster ambitious but realistic expectations. The Sheffield Culture Consortium Plan 2017 – 2022 was very much her distillation of the views and priorities of the group’s members, beautifully expressed and beautifully presented in the finished document. Kate has clarity of vision, objectivity and tenacity, and is brim-full of common sense, with skills and understanding gained over many years in the visual arts sector. She is a real problem-solver, with the ability to see the big picture and the end goal in order to make progress. She also has great people skills and brings out the best in people. I would recommend her warmly." - Rebecca Maddox, Culture Consortium Officer "Kate has a passion for the arts which is infectious and permeates everything she does. This shows in the enthusiastic and experienced team she has built at Yorkshire Artspace, which in turn has attracted a supportive board of trustees. Her particular strength is in physical spaces, and the recent completion of the Exchange Place Studios refurbishment is an exemplar of project management, keeping council, contractors, studio holders, funders and other stakeholders satisfied....with an outstanding result" - Neil MacDonald, Chair of Yorkshire Artspace 2017-19 My specialist areas of work include; Organisational development, Board/Trustee development, capital projects, culture consortia. I have had the same job for 27 years, but in that time I have worked on 5 capital projects - 2 long-term, 3 short term - and taken the organisation from a position where the electricity bill couldn’t be paid to having assets worth £14m and a healthy reserve. As part of NFASP I have got to know artist studio groups the length and breadth of the UK and I am looking forward to travelling and getting to know new people. As a founder member of Sheffield Culture Consortium, being chair in 2017 was incredibly rewarding and distilling the Culture Plan from the group discussions and workshops was a challenge that I relished.

Hardish Virk

Consultant

Andrea Nixon

Consultant.

Andrea Nixon

Consultant.

Hello, I’m Andrea. The types of work I love doing involve focusing on audiences, people and place – what partnerships can we create to make something work brilliantly? In terms of characteristics I love to find in a client, I suppose it’s always great to work with people who have open minds, creative hearts, and who are kind indi-viduals with many connections… I have worked at Tate (where I was Director at TATE Liverpool) as well as V&A Dundee, The Old Vic Theatre London, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres, Cultural Destinations Cheshire, The Bluecoat Arts Centre Liverpool, Merseyside Dance Initiative, The Point Theatre, Eastleigh, The Reader, Liverpool City Council, The Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Arup and Liverpool Cultural Education Partnership. In the future, I’d love to do more work across artform and particularly championing the cause of cultural education, as well as that of culture in placemaking. Some of the nice things clients have said about me include: Andrea’s work was detailed, thorough and insightful and she brought a degree of thoughtfulness, engagement and challenge that was greatly valued by all parties involved in the consultation process. - Paul Bewick (Chair, Merseyside Dance Initiative) Andrea is brilliant at strategic development and identifying partners and potential funding streams for mutual benefit…. I wouldn't hesitate to sound out ideas as well as frustrations with Andrea in the knowledge the advice and support offered is in my best interest and that of the business. - Sue Grindrod, CEO Royal Albert Dock Andrea is an outstanding cultural leader who’s particular skills include strategic vision, partnership working at the highest level, and a clear focus and determina-tion to get things done, as well as a passionate belief in the central importance of the arts, which shines through all her work. - Michael Eakin, CEO Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra She is politically astute, knowledgeable and well networked….with a considerable reputation as a strategic thinker and honest broker. She is committed to making a positive difference wherever she works…. and is a valued colleague. - Virginia Tandy, Chair, Curious Minds My specialist areas are major strategic planning, fundraising, PR and relationship management, placemaking across art forms, cultural education, cultural sector including museums, galleries and theatres

Zara Rush

Acting Head of Project Enabling

Anna Dinnen

Consultant.

Anna Dinnen

Consultant.

Hi there, I’m Anna. I love solving messy problems since I’m a glutton for punishment – the kind where you have to unpick lots of threads and look beyond surface symptoms to help people and organisations get to grips with a particular challenge. I like enjoy helping people make sense of what is going on and working through the options to move on in a positive way. This is often with leaders but I’m also keen on working with whole teams, including both staff and trustees. I enjoy working with people to find a step by step pathway through a process to a successful outcome – particularly when it involves change in programmes, processes and people. It’s great to collaborate on new approaches and getting ‘future fit’. I tend to be more comfortable with a facilitative rather than prescriptive approach. The work I enjoy commonly fits under labels like ‘organisational development, strategic thinking, programme planning, and aligning stakeholder perspectives but • I love to work across the arts and cultural sector, with individuals, organisations and collaborations • I love working with people who can be flexible and imaginative, and who are happy to use creative methods to unlock thinking and borrow good ideas from elsewhere. Bravery is also an important attribute. • It’s great to work with people who pay attention to how things happen and who is involved, not just what happens or what the output is. • Work is most satisfying with a client when it is mutually challenging–both sides pushing each other to be sharper, finding the moment to play devil’s advocate, ask questions and be curious about innovative approaches Some of the organisations I’ve worked with include Metal, Birmingham Music Hub, Wordsworth Trust, National Glass Centre, Nesta, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru • In the future I’d love to support people and organisations to be more customer-oriented and to think creatively about how to use technology to deliver their mission more effectively. I’m also particularly interested in helping people take an idea to scale and to absorb and plan for the changes that requires. What have people said about me? They’ve been kind enough to say • “Anna is fantastic to work with, displaying a rare combination of strategic vision and a rigorous, methodical approach to practical problems. She communicates with great facility and works very well with people at all levels, whilst showing an impressive ability to hold her conviction in a diplomatic way. • “Anna is quickly able to identify and hone in on the real issues” • “She has a great breadth of perspective, pulling in this knowledge to help inform discussions and decisions” • “She delivers! Simple as that.” My specialist areas are • Change management, project management & programme design. • Organisational development including governance, culture and values, learning • Strategy & business planning, including new venture design and business modelling • Integrating technology and off line solutions

Bev Morton

Coach and Consultant.

Rob Macpherson

Consultant.

Rob Macpherson

Consultant.

Hello, my name’s Rob. I love any communications challenge. The words we use reveal a lot about us and can have lasting impact. The best words stay with us forever, helping us make sense of the world. I love helping clients discover this to earn, raise or save money. And I do this by originating or editing publications, speeches and presentations; crafting copy for advertising and direct mail; commissioning writers, designers and researchers; creating briefs and producing projects, short films, podcasts or websites; crafting business strategies for growth, and reviewing team structures and job descriptions; interpreting and evaluating customer feedback; writing grant applications, investment cases, corporate pitches, annual reports, and brand guidelines. The best clients have a curious, restless attitude and welcome a degree of creative discomfort, never too pleased with themselves, eager to learn and driven by improvement. And the very best understand how essential a strong brand is to every business’s long-term success, internal communication, and public profile. I spent 15 years at Birmingham Hippodrome across marketing, sales/revenue, fundraising, PR and brand, working with big box-office musicals and leading West End producers such as Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, or the RSC and the National Theatre; with the top pantomime producers Qdos, and well-known ballet and opera companies (eg. Birmingham Royal Ballet, Welsh National Opera); with Mathew Bourne’s New Adventures and international Dance Consortium tours (Alvin Ailey, Carlos Acosta, NDT etc), plus the Mariinsky and Bolshoi, Cape Town Opera and Slava’s Snowshow. I helped raise £1m to replace the Hippodrome stage, and hundreds of thousands annually for community and engagement projects. With city-wide arts partners I’ve worked on free outdoor festivals with 1418NOW, with corporate sponsors and regional destination marketing agencies. And in the past with arts centres and orchestras. I want to help charities and cultural organisations make their brands really work for them, deepening engagement with existing audiences and welcoming new ones, focusing a sense of purpose amongst colleagues, and being as widely relevant and remarkable as possible. I believe in doing so they become more resilient, better recognized, rewarded, and risk-ready. “Rob is great to work with. He gets to the heart of the matter and has a great knack for distilling the complex into the readable and understandable!” - “Huge thanks for a splendid session on Friday, I got great feedback from the Board over the weekend, you pitched it perfectly, I’m very grateful.” – “Thanks for doing the workshop and getting us all to appreciate that fundraising is intrinsically linked to our overall brand identity and that we need to get that right.” – “Rob’s audience knowledge, pricing and communication skills, and the way he projected the Hippodrome brand, ensured strong box office results for us every time.”

Amy Dalton-Hardy

Consultant

Anisa Morridadi

Consultant

Anisa Morridadi

Consultant

Hi there, I’m Anisa. I’m fiercely passionate about telling stories, building communities and inspiring action. My life mission is to facilitate amazing collaborations which help people to get how their worlds work.

I’ve been a social entrepreneur since the age of 15. Born and educated in Birmingham, I’m a graduate of Aston Business School where I read Business and Management. I’m now the founder and CEO Beatfreeks, a group of people and companies using creativity for good, and an experienced consultant, speaker and host.

I’m also trained in corporate governance and occupy multiple places on boards and committees. I was a commissioner for the West Midlands Mayor’s commission into Diverse Leadership in 2018, am a part of University of Birmingham’s Foresight and Strategic Research Themes Group and was the social entrepreneur in residence for the Inclusive Economy Partnership’s youth unemployment pilot in 2019. I’ve helped the co-founders of GirlDreamer Ltd, a non profit empowering young women of colour through adventure sports, to establish their company structure and served a three year term on their board from 2016 - 2019. I’ve also recently been selected onto the Legacy and Benefits Committee for the Commonwealth Games 2022.

I’ve won multiple awards for social enterprise, youth development and cultural leadership and am the youngest person to receive an Honorary Doctorate from Aston University as part of their 50 Year celebrations recognising 'pioneers of change'. I’m also an UnLtd Fast Growth Winner, which “backs ambitious entrepreneurs solving Britain’s social problems at scale”. I hosted TEDxBrum 2014 and spoke at TEDxBrum 2016 around my concept ‘Build The Thing That Builds More-Things’. In that very spirit, I also founded and led the curation of the first ever TEDxYouth in Birmingham in 2017.

Above all, I am passionate about youth, art for change, and redefining the culture of enterprise so that business and social are seen as inextricable.

Karen Turner

Consultant

Claire Doherty

Consultant.

Claire Doherty

Consultant.

Hello there, I’m Claire. The kind of work I love doing includes strategic creative visioning (with particular consideration of place and context), reimagining inclusive programming and establishing a civic role for an organization; cross-artform cultural programming – helping places to reconnect with audiences; organisational and partnership development with a particular focus on inclusive practice; leadership development, organisational change and business planning and finally cheerleading and mentoring young women in particular. Some of the characteristics I most love in a client are, courage to work differently, curiosity and commitment to artistic independence and commitment to public engagement, a willingness to act swiftly and smartly for fast results as well as transparency and honesty. Some of the organisations I have worked with include; British Council; City of Melbourne; Oslo Harbour Development; English Heritage; Historic England; National Trust; Torbay Council; Plymouth City Council; Bristol City Council; Bristol City Council (Cultural Strategy Steering Group); Tate; Creative People and Places; Bristol Old Vic; European Network of Public Art Producers; Arnolfini (Director) and Situations (Founding Director); Artes Mundi (Trustee) Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) (Associate Curator) Some of the work that I’d like to do more of in the future includes; Theatre and performing arts – executive consultancy/leadership and engagement development; Working on a creative strategy for a particular location – helping partners to come together – envisioning work of scale and ambition with long-term impact; cross-artform, festival strategy development; and civic leadership. Nice things clients have said about me include; “Inspiring and approachable”; “Lead thinker in place-based commissioning and programming”; “Entrepreneurial and courageous”; “Confident public speaker” and “Fast!” Some of my specialist areas are; Place-based creative visioning; Strategic partnership development; Reimagining public engagement; Public art and cross-arform commissioning; Inclusive Leadership; Organisational Development and business planning; Organisational Change.

Dan de la Motte

Consultant

Claire Williams

Consultant

Claire Williams

Consultant

Hi-

Do you have big ambitions but are overstretched? Do you need a critical friend and a kind, helping hand? If you are reading this you will probably be a brilliant, creative person who is committed to making the world a better place to live in. What you don’t need is someone to come along and tell you how to do your job. What you might need is an extra pair of hands to do something you don’t have time to do. Or you might want someone to help you to take a fresh look at a difficult problem.

I do all sorts. I’m excited by a well written business plan, a meaningful evaluation, a great funding bid and an inspiring case for support. I love a challenge. Throw me a ball a ball and I’ll catch it.

I can help you to produce a succinct, jargon free busines plan that will ensure that you stay focussed and on track. Together we can produce a persuasive Case for Support through demonstrating your social impact. You might want a hand to review your funding model and to enhance your fundraising strategy. You might have ambitions to become a truly inclusive company, if so, I can help you produce a step by step action plan that will transform the way you recruit staff and engage with the public. I can also evaluate a project, a scheme of work or your entire organisation.

As a consultant I have worked with the National Museum of Wales, Welsh National Opera and the National Dance Company of Wales but my specialism is in working with organisations or groups of people who are marginalised or living with discrimination because of neurodivergence, race, religion, sex or perceived status.

It is hugely pleasurable to work with amazing people who work in the arts and heritage sector.

Clare Williams’ empowering training session for our core staff team reminded us that we have to model what we preach, and really helped us to find our own authentic voice and power. Her style is warm and empathetic with the right amount of challenge, energy and pace. Clare offers expert, skilled and engaging training and I would wholeheartedly recommend her.

Justine Wheatley, Chief Executive, Peak

Clare Williams presented at our January 2020 Congress in New York. The 500 delegates were beyond engaged in the conversation and the importance of inclusion of divergent artists. Enlightening would be my description of Clare’s work.

David Baile, CEO, International Society of Performing Arts

Thanh Sinden

Consultant

Caroline Collier

Coach and Consultant

Cina Aissa

Creative and Consultant

Sophina Jagot

Project Enabler

Sophina Jagot

Project Enabler

Hi there, I’m Sophina, I’m a programme enabler, facilitator and creative practitioner. I deeply believe in compassionate leadership and creating spaces and organisations that cultivate operating from a place of trust, openness, active listening and generosity - work focused on driving change and making space for people to be their authentic selves.

I've worked across the private, public and third sector, with the majority of my work in museums, arts and culture. My work has ranged from project direction and management, workshop facilitation and event management, driving audience-centric change, implementing new websites and digital marketing, to marketing management, strategic planning and PR.

I’m part of the More than a Moment team driving radical change in the arts sector (West Midlands) with and for Black creatives. I was previously Projects Director at Culture Central and led Transforming Narratives, a four year programme connecting artists and organisations between Birmingham, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and Convene Challenge Connect – an accessible sector development programme delivered for Birmingham 2022 Festival.

Organisations I’ve worked with include Culture Central, Creative Black Country, We The Curious, Arnolfini Contemporary Arts Gallery, Good Energy, the ss Great Britain Trust, the Association of Science & Discovery Centres and the Festival of Nature..

I’m formerly board member for the Crown Prosecution Service scrutiny panel (East Midlands) for hate crime and violence against women and girls and have acted as a trustee and volunteered with a variety of organisations including the Association of Science and Discovery Centres, Circomedia, Babbasa Youth Empowerment CIC, Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, Young Bristol and the Bath Soup Company.

Values / qualities I love in organisations that I work include curiosity and play, having a growth mindset, being kind and generous with each other, recognising that although sometimes we will be uncomfortable or get things wrong and we continue to find ways to move forward with intentionality

As a creative practitioner (artist name Brwn Girl in the Ring), I’m storyteller and facilitator through poetry, spoken word, fiction writing and theatre. I’m also an alumni of Dr Rosales Meza’s Decolonial healing collective and graduate of the Village Auntie’s Foundational Womanhood rites of passage programme and bring this learning and experience to how I show up.

I have a background in martial arts and in my spare time, I love exploring nature, travel, getting lost in music, sketching and painting. And I look forward to connecting with you!

“If you look up the words Integrity, Authenticity and Care in the dictionary, you should see a picture of Sophina, as it is with these qualities that she approaches everything she does. I have had the immense privilege to work with Sophina for a number of years, and am constantly impressed and inspired by the deep care, creativity and generosity of spirit that she brings to everything she does, and everyone she works with. Sophina is truly a remarkable person, and any team/organisation/project would be enriched by having her on board.

Oh and she’s also super good fun, creative, playful, adventurous and will (when appropriate) be delighted to put together a banging office playlist at a moment’s notice. She’s basically completely ace, and you should definitely work with her!” Stephanie Brown, Marketing Consultant & More than a Moment team member

“Sophina has worked as Director of Programmes at Culture Central and has led international and regional programmes of activity. She has worked to support artists, creatives and the sector thoughtfully and fearlessly to create positive change.

Sophina has been thoughtful and creative in all of her work and has worked in depth to challenge the inequalities that exist in the cultural sector and has been key in programmes such as More Than a Moment, Transforming Narratives and the Birmingham 2022 Festival sector development programme.” Dr Anthony Ruck, Deputy CEO – Strategy & Policy, Culture Central

Shine Duggal

Consultant and facilitator

Shine Duggal

Consultant and facilitator

Hi there, my name is Shine. I’m all about supporting organisations and individuals to realise their creative ambitions by helping them reposition themselves when responding to change by revisiting and reshaping what they do. I admire organisations who are willing and open to push boundaries and take risks, especially those who understand the value of equality and diversity and actively reinforce their efforts to remove obstacles that prevent this from happening. I love to work with people who are committed both professionally and personally to transformational change, trailblazers and innovators, leaders not followers, people who value the importance of change and who are ready to embrace it. This can only enhance the cultural offer, making it relevant to more and different people. With grounding in strategic development, my mission is to empower organisations to diversify cultural product, people and spaces. I am particularly interested in those with a genuine desire to better understand, reflect and respond to changing cultural landscapes and appetite. Together we will create more representative organisations that reflect the communities we serve. My expertise includes working with organisations and individuals to solve problems, create value and improve resilience. I do this through consultancy; development and production of initiatives and creative content; 1:1 support and, by being a critical friend supporting them to confidently reshape narratives. By sharing best practice, I will make continued efforts to influence change in attitudes and behaviours with the aim of inspiring and motivating others to do the same. My experience includes working regionally, nationally and internationally with public, private and voluntary sector organisations. Some of the organisations I have worked and collaborated with include - Arts Council England, BBC English Regions, Channel 4, City of Culture, Creative People & Places, Times Music India, Trinity Mirror Group, Sony Music, EMI Arabia, British Council and The Children’s Trust. National Portfolio Organisations I have worked with include - Birmingham Royal Ballet, Welsh National Opera, Disability Arts Forum, Royal Shakespeare Company and Black Country Touring. I am described as being ‘tenacious in pursuit of change, calm and diplomatic without compromising my professionalism. Known for [my] integrity and sense of fairness. An excellent communicator, with a sophisticated understanding of the social and political underpinnings to diversity and the strategic overview that goes with it. Shine has a proven ability to collaborate with key organisations to ensure a best value rich and diverse cultural offer is available to all stakeholders’

Annette Corbett

Coach and consultant

Annette Corbett

Coach and consultant

Hi there, I am Annette Corbett. I enjoy supporting individuals, groups, and organisations with defining their vision and telling their story. This used to take the form of producing and fundraising, but latterly has manifested itself through facilitation, team awaydays, and supporting strategic and organisational development. I love to watch connections being formed - there’s something so exciting about seeing an idea take shape. I get very enthused by other peoples’ ideas and helping them figure out how to make those ideas a reality. I value working with people who are open, collaborative, curious, and enthusiastic – who are ready to make changes to their ways of thinking or working. It’s rewarding to be able to help an individual or organisation through a place where they might feel stuck; providing them with the clarity to take their next steps, and perhaps giving them a little nudge along the way! I’ve worked across a number of roles and organisations over the years, including Arts Council England, Goldsmiths College, Teatro Vivo, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, Artistic Directors of the Future, and Brixton House. Wellbeing is a passion for me, especially where it relates to leadership. I believe we need to shift away from the age-old adage that ‘the show must go on’ and towards models of leadership rooted in equity, humanity and compassion. I value being able to bring my own personality to my practice, and seek out opportunities to bring a sense of playfulness and joy to my practice that supports people in feeling comfortable to explore sometimes complex and challenging ideas. Some nice things clients have said about me include; “She has an incredible perceptive ability to create and enhance strategic problem-solving solutions reaching the desired objective.”– Nike Jonah, Director, PACE; Board, European Cultural Foundation and Bush Theatre “The quality of [her] work was further informed by a real in depth understanding of the sector.” – Gerald Lidstone “It was a joy to work with her and I look forward to doing so again in the future.” – Sophie Austin, former Artistic Director, Teatro Vivo “F**king hell Annette, you were amazing” – David Micklem, Culture Reset I suppose my specialist areas include group and one-to-one coaching around wellbeing and resilience; Goal-setting and accountability; Interrogating and developing new ideas; Clarifying vision, mission and values

Dr Dawn Langley

Coach and Consultant.

Lily Einhorn

Consultant

Michèle Taylor

Consultant.

Michèle Taylor

Consultant.

Hello. I’m Michèle Taylor. The types of work I love doing? I especially enjoy delivering training; facilitating groups to explore decisions, change and development; I am an accredited coach and love to offer one to one coaching. I work most effectively in one-off sessions and in a relationship where I am offering medium-term support. The characteristics I love to find in a client are an ambition for change and growth, ones who work reflexively and are open to having their organisational traditions challenged. I welcome an attitude of creativity and play. Some of the organisations I have worked with include Royal Opera House; British Museum; Arts Council England; Sheffield Theatres; Wellcome Collection; Local Authorities; University of the Arts, London; Balkan Museums Association; Gothenberg University I would welcome more opportunities to work in team alongside colleagues with complementary skills and areas of specialism; and I would love to design more bespoke training and development programmes Nice things clients have said about me include “Michèle has the enviable ability to train with a potent mixture of challenge and compassion. For thought provocation, a forensic examination of one’s inner moral compass and some really practical guidelines to deal with disability issues this was outstanding” (Bill Morris, London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games); “Best training I’ve had in any organization I’ve worked in” (training participant). My specialist areas are diversity, specifically Disability and particularly in relation to the arts and culture And finally, I suppose I’d like to say that I love to work with arts and heritage organisations and see the skills I have developed over the last 30+ years as being particularly relevant to these sectors. I also recognise the transferability of much of what those sectors are facing to other areas. I am very excited by the way in which a Disability Equality lens can be such an effective way into other fundamental organisational development issues since it represents a deep focus on good practice and encourages a reflection on organisational values.

Della Hill

Consultant and speaker

Della Hill

Consultant and speaker

Hi there, I’m Della. I love equality, diversity, inclusion and all that comes with it. My passion lies in supporting the development and implementation of meaningful change to ensure the focus on improving diversity and inclusion is deeply embedded within organisation and businesses. I also enjoy working on the creation of Strategic or Business Plans which really hone in on an organisation’s values to pull that wider picture, vision and mission together. I value open-mindedness, innovation, boldness, curiosity and dedication in my clients. Essentially, that ‘give it a go’ attitude is a great starting point and essential to build and grow. In turn, I’ll mirror those qualities and work alongside you to achieve your goals. I’ve managed and delivered large-scale initiatives to address structural inequalities alongside advocating for social change within the Arts, Culture and Creative Industries, Higher Education institutions and the Equalities sector. I’m the Diversity & Inclusion Lead for Wales’ leading gender equality organisation, Chwarae Teg. I was previously Literature Wales’ Creative Lead where I oversaw their Representation & Equality priority. Alongside those roles, I’ve supported impactful and important programmes across sectors which advocate for the importance of diversity. Most recently, I’m supporting the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries Programme as an Associate Alumni. I’d love to support organisations and businesses who are working towards improving their focus on diversity and inclusion. From those who are at the very beginning of their journey, to others who are looking to move to the next stage of their long-term plans, I can help answer those tricky questions or encourage you to test and trial new and exciting ideas. Clients have said that I provide a solution-focused, authentic and calm approach to solve and support those tricky, top-level, priority developments. My specialist areas include diversity and inclusion, strategic development, project management and delivery, and inclusive recruitment approaches. In addition, I can chat for England, so I’ll almost always say yes to a panel or event where I can share my opinion – it’s always handy to give me a time limit!

Pearl Jordan

Coach and consultant

Pearl Jordan

Coach and consultant

Hi there, I’m Pearl! The work I love doing is performance and wellbeing based and looking at how closely the two are entwined. How we ‘be’ inside impacts how we perform outside. And I love helping people to go within, identify their unique rhythm and to dare to dance freely on the stage of life. My passion is self-leadership and authentic, creative, self- expression. Questions such as who am I? what do I want? bring a ‘tingle to my fingers and a tingle to my feet’ because in that space, truth is bubbling up inside, a voice is about to be released, clarity is on the horizon and a renewed confidence is about to soar and lead the way. It is an honour to be able to facilitate this process for individuals and teams, through coaching, workshops and speaking. Characteristics I love to find in a client are a willingness for deep change, taking full responsibility for their process, a client who feels the fear of vulnerability and shows up anyway and who is ready for fun along the way. Some organisations I have worked with include Brunel University, The Pipeline Executive Leadership Summit, , Ready Steady Go Pre-school Nurseries, Centre of Advanced Training, Swindon Dance, The Professional Speaking Association, LAMDA, British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, One Dance UK. I would love to bring my directing skills to team building development. Over the years I have witnessed such personal and professional growth within individuals and groups, way beyond the stage, that it has inspired me to want to provide team building programs through the art of performance. I consider working with clients’ to be a two way street, I learn from them as they learn from me. Nice things clients have said about this journey include... "Pearl Jordan is an energetic and intuitive trainer...Her sessions made us think about why we do what we do and helped us to believe that we can achieve great things".... "such positive energy, we left after her much engaging talk recharged and ready to win the race..." evokes a sense of trust, respect and wisdom"... "I felt relaxed and safe and revealed truths in myself I hadn’t acknowledged before’...A wrap around experience of love"... "she is so intuitive and I felt truly held while being free to explore all aspects of me..." I was left feeling SO clear and energised. The last thing I wanted to say was that I am positively enthusiastic about real lives and encourage new stories for a better life.

Clare Thurman

Director of Learning

Dr Claire Antrobus

Coach and Consultant

Philipa Deller

Coach and Consultant.

Philipa Deller

Coach and Consultant.

Hi there, I’m Philipa I really enjoy partnering with leaders and managers to ensure they have a pragmatic people strategy to enable them to meet, and ideally exceed, their goals. I relish being given a problem and working with managers to find a solution. My broad generalist experience enables me to support teams through every aspect of the employee journey. It’s great to work with people who are passionate about their jobs and the teams they work with; they are up for a challenge and to be challenged. They may be stumped by an issue but are keen to work it through with others. On the flip side, I have plenty of experience of working with people who need to be persuaded about the benefits of organisational change, engaging their teams or addressing difficult people issues. These often become the most successful collaborations. I have worked in a number of sectors in a permanent and consultancy capacity; these include the Metropolitan Police Service, TUI Travel PLC, Friends Life and Aviva.. I want to continue to work in a variety of organisations and sectors. Working in the cultural sector is of particular interest as it would enable me to combine my professional career with my personal passions. I enjoy adapting my knowledge, skills and experience to new organisations, bringing a fresh approach and outlook. Experience has shown that I do this successfully by really getting under the skin of an organisation and by having a can-do attitude. A number of senior leaders have given me good feedback. After a recent major restructure, the board-level sponsor said ‘she did a completely brilliant job….partnering us through the change. She truly understood what we were trying to achieve, gave great advice and support. I have huge respect for her’. Having held HR roles for over 20 years, I have in-depth experience in a number of areas. These include recruiting people at every level, partnering and coaching senior leaders to develop and achieve their people and business goals, providing the expertise and support for change programmes, working with leaders to engage their teams and resolving people issues through mediation or by following a process.