I am currently taking a sabbatical from my work as an Arts Manager. Seven years working with arts for children and young people hasn't left me very much time for actually DOING any art. I still have a desire to do the organisation that makes it possible for artists and audience to meet ... but right now I'm taking time out to reflect, travel and to engage more directly in the art I feel so passionate about! ... and who knows ... other things might happen too!!! Download my CV or See my Profile on Stage Jobs Pro
and before that I used to be....
Company Manager of Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah! (Yes, that IS the name!!) (2007-2010) Which creates participatory theatre, mainly for Children & Young People, in Leeds. I ran the business side of the company: Finance, IT, Contracts, Personnel etc.......
General Manager (2004 to 2007) of CTC Theatre Company, (which is now called Theatre Hullabaloo)... another producing and touring theatre company taking work to all parts of the Northern Region, elsewhere in the UK and abroad as well (Korea, Italy, Japan, Spain and Singapore ...). The company also ran the annual TAKEOFF Festival of theatre for chilren and young people.
Assistant Arts Officer:- Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council (2003 - 2004) ... Organising Arts events, mainly Community and Arts in Health. Artforms included: Music, Public Sculpture, Street Theatre, Theatre Workshops, also Conferences and Exhibitions. The work consisted of publicising and supervising projects and events and liaison with other agencies including Community Workers, Health Services, Artists and other Arts Organisations
Interpreting Co-Ordinator:- North of England Refugee Service, Newcastle, (2002-2003) ...Managing a public service interpreting department using about 60 sessional interpreters in most of the 20+ languages used by refugees in the region. Reorganised the service so that it could handle the doubling of demand it had seen in the previous year. This included: Developing new software to record and assign bookings, bill users and pay interpreters; Revising financial structures and reporting methods; Liaison wth such agencies as the Health Service, Home Office Immigration, the Courts, Lawyers, social services, education, youth and community support workers etc to deliver their services to those who might otherwise find extreme difficulty in getting access.
English (EFL) Teacher:- International House, Newcastle, 2002 - ... I taught English to people whose first language was not English. This included mono- and multi-lingual groups. I have taught at all levels, from Elementary to Advanced, although most of my teaching has been at Intermediate or Pre-Intermediate level. I am also very good at course administration and support and acted as course administrator for a summer school for 80 Spanish students (a varied, exciting, funny and, at times, hair-raising task).
Assistant to General Manager:- Project Arts Centre, Dublin 2002 ... Working under the General Manager of this Contemporary Arts Centre I carried out audience research on Dance, Theatre, Music and Visual Arts Events with the aim of preparing a sponsorship plan. I also did a variety of Finance and IT work, including revising the method of presentation of management accounts and budgetary performance for the Board and republishing the previously dormant web site.
PostGraduate Student:- MA Arts & Cultural management, University of Northumbria 2001- 2003 ... Retraining to put my skills in Management (especially project management), Finance and Information Technology to work in the Cultural Sector. This also draws on my experience as a musician and my voluntary work on various community projects.
Technical Director:- SYSTEM ACTION 1987-2001 ... I founded my own software and services company developing commercial systems and offering software and communications consultancy in the North East, Yorkshire, London and the Netherlands. Principal clients were manufacturing and non-retail distribution companies.
Application work largely focused on Manufacturing and International Trade: International supply, multi-currency accounting, import/export documentation, Customs procedures & warehousing.
Consultancy assignments included IT strategy development, system selection and implementation planning. Consultancy work included appearing as an expert witness in disputes connected with computer contracts.
I retired shortly after a merger and subsequent acquisition of my company by a firm of Chartered Accountants
Training and Methods Consultant:- Hoskyns Group plc 1986-87 ... where I ran courses on structured analysis, performance planning and technical design.
Systems Manager:- International Paint plc 1981-86 ... managing a small team supporting systems for the UK factory and a distribution network in the Netherlands. This was the job I held at the time I left but I had also done others within the company: Project Manager, leading a QA team, working on multi-currency accounting systems and Database Administrator, managing database development and data dictionary for large team.
Senior Analyst:- Coles Cranes Ltd 1980-81 leading a team developing on-line stock management and purchasing systems.
Teacher, Computer Education:- City of Newcastle upon Tyne 1977-80 ... for three (very tough) years I taught maths and computing in a secondary school and helped to develop computing in schools across city. It is a job I would do much better now, since rearing my own children ... and left me with a lasting respect for the very few teachers who do commit themselves to offering the best to young people ... and a despairing contempt for the (not so few) who do as little as they can to get through the day ... they are prisoners of their own lack of will and imagination and make prisoners of their pupils.
Systems Analyst/Operations Manager:- John Pinches Ltd 1972-73 where I installed a new IBM computer and developing financial ledgers and mail-order applications.
Systems Engineer:- IBM(UK) Ltd 1969-71: ... Supporting first time computer users and running programming workshops for customers. ... an amazing time to be in the industry ... I learnt so much ...