A skilled and creative senior leader, I have over 20 years' experience of managing new partnerships and projects across a range of art forms and for a number of high profile cultural organisations. I am a strong communicator and negotiator and as such have formed partnerships to build and sustain new and highly creative projects. I manage large budgets with matching strong and effective evaluation skills and enjoy leading and motivating teams.
Key Skills and Achievements
• Strategic planning and policy development - Worked with senior management and Board at the London Film School to embed new policy and courses. Set strategic guidelines for film festivals and exhibition in London and chaired London Exhibitors' Forum whilst at the LFVDA. Planned and published new Festivals Policy for The Arts Council of Ireland including designing new funding guidelines. Responsible for training and Career Development strategy at Directors UK.
• Training and Career Development - Training of creative professionals has been at the heart of most of my roles and finding innovative solutions to career progression is important to me e.g. developing a Mentoring scheme at the LFS and delivering an innovative mentoring project for women returners whilst working with The Timewise Foundation.
• Partnership Development and Management - Created and developed strategic partnerships with funders and stakeholders such as Creative Skillset, Arts Council of England and BFI to sustain programmes of work.
• Project Management - Responsible for running 'The Film Academy' at The London Film School (LFS) 2005-2012 with an annual budget of £250,000. Designed and managed new courses for the LFS in collaboration with academic staff and designed and delivered a Mentoring scheme for graduates.
• Event management -examples include filmmakers Q & As, forums and training sessions for graduates of the London Film School and a host of training and membership events at Directors UK. Programmed film festival events such as Animation festival at the Dublin Film Festival and first East End Film Festival. A confident presenter and speaker.
• Evaluation - Evaluated all internal projects at London Film School with emphasis on meeting diversity targets. Completed two major evaluations for Film London in 2013 as a freelance evaluation consultant.
• Budget Management - Responsible for budget control and planning in many of my senior management roles including the annual Film Academy budget for seven years at LFS. Managed national Festivals budget of over £1.5 million for Arts Council of Ireland. Currently lead and manage training and Career Development budget at Directors UK.
• Development and fund-raising - wrote Annual funding application for £250K LFS and active member of development committee at LFS as part of campaign to raise substantial capital. Developed Sponsorship package for The Dublin Film Festival.
• Marketing and Communication - experienced in web and print publication and preparing press releases and newsletters. Confident speaker and advocate for organisations with strong writing skills.
• Voluntary Engagement - established many voluntary Advisory groups, Sub-Committees and Panels made up of Industry professionals. Managed a Mentoring programme at the LFS and engaged professional advice on a voluntary basis to support graduates as they began their careers.