Job Ladder

Artistic Director, DaDaFest (2001 – present)
As Manager I led the company to think bigger and bolder. Using the opportunities developing in Liverpool, we established a festival in support of the city’s bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008. This made an impact internationally and showcased artists who have now have established careers (Laurence Clark, Liz Carr, Susan Hedges etc.). We programme disability/ deaf arts as distinctive artistic cultural expressions and I am particularly proud of our youth arts programme managed by a steering group of over 20 young disabled people. The undoubted success of our work is in our collaborations with organisations which engage with us to ensure inclusive best practice as a priority, and not a sideline.

Creative Industries Officer, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (1999 – 2001)
This was a fantastic learning curve as it was the Borough’s first position in creative industries development. A 15-month contract, it involved identifying entrepreneurs in the area, working with schools to inspire young people to select careers in the sector and encouraging arts businesses to stay in the Borough. The biggest personal challenge was that the scheme was jointly managed between the arts and business units – it was a meeting of two worlds, occasionally frustrating, but it revealed how the business and arts worlds differ and indicated how to be effective in both, leading them to work closer together. At the end I was able to secure funding to continue the programme for a further three years.

Arts Worker, Full Circle Arts, Manchester (1997 – 1999)
This was my first position in the disability arts sector. I pioneered a mentoring programme, encouraging disabled people onto arts courses and providing mentors to support them to succeed. This was before the Disability Discrimination Act covered education and was a very important step towards encouraging a new generation of artists to develop. I also enjoyed being based in Manchester, challenging my inherent prejudice towards all things Manc!

Maternity Cover, ACID Fund (Arts & Cultural Industries Development), Liverpool (1996 – 1997)
This was a temporary position managing European Regional Development Funds targeted at people working in creative industries in Liverpool. It united the various arts sectors to help nurture and grow the talents of arts graduates and local arts practitioners. Whilst here I explored my identity as a deaf person and discovered the politicised disability movement.

Community Action Programme (CAP), Birkenhead (1994 – 1996)
I was charged with creating initiatives within voluntary work to support long-term unemployed people into future work or training. It was immensely rewarding as over 80% of the participants gained positive outcomes. I established the programme from scratch and the job included recruitment, finding voluntary work placements, delivering job search sessions and all the administration. 

Voluntary Positions, Wirral (1992 – 1994)
Returning to the UK after 4 years away, it was very hard to secure employment. I worked in a variety of roles from assisting with administration in an elderly person’s home, to delivering workshops in movement at schools, nurseries and community groups. This had a major influence on my being offered the position at CAP, so never knock the skills and experience that undertaking voluntary work can bring.

Workshop Leader in Movement and Drama (1986 – 1992)
After training in speech and drama, mime and movement, I started to lead workshops and devise small-scale performances. This led to an opportunity to train further in Sydney, where I became the main tutor on a creative diploma course. This led to a tour across New Zealand (together with my two children and husband), returning to Merseyside via the scenic route of Scotland.