I am a Partner in Bright Culture and a cultural consultant with many years' experience of working in the arts and heritage sector. Central to my work is my interest in history, how we tell the complex stories of the past and who gets to tell these stories.
I have worked in the arts and heritage sector since 1997, when I joined Carousel, a community arts company supporting integrated participation in the arts by disabled and non-disabled people. Since then I have worked for a range of cultural organisations including SAM-Culture, the National Trust, English Heritage, Screen South and the University of Sussex.
Since 2011 I have been working as a consultant, focusing on audience development and consultation; developing and delivering heritage projects; supporting major funding applications; and training and mentoring. I have particular experience of working with deaf and disabled people, leading the Creative Landscapes Project and Speaking up for Disability; and as Project Manager for the development phase of the History of Place disability history project.
I hold an MA in Life History from the University of Sussex (2007). My dissertation – The Women’s Voluntary Service and the role of ‘housewife citizen’ – used oral history interviews to explore the perspectives and experiences of women volunteers in the Women’s Voluntary Service during and after the Second World War. I am also a Trustee of Queenspark Books , the UK’s longest running community publisher, and a charity that records and publishes the lesser-heard histories of Brighton and Hove.