Design thinking in action.

We have designed and directed the Leaders for Impact leadership development programme since 2017. The intensive, year long programme is for headteachers and senior leaders who want to develop their leadership for cultural learning. Ongoing user research informs programme design and development. This blended programme combines creative online delivery and on-site activity at the Royal Opera House.

We have been leading a user research process with The Space since 2023 to understand the needs of UK cultural sector leaders and organisation with regards to digital transformation and leadership. Analysis of people's engagement with surveys, interviews, and workshops will be used to inform prototyping and testing of support for leaders to progress digital transformation across the sector in 2024-25.

We design and deliver this annual workshop series for ESRC students who are part of the South West Doctoral Training Partnership at Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, UWE, Bath Spa, Bournemouth and Plymouth Marjon Universities. These hands-on sessions explore non-academic career pathways for PhD students in economics, social sciences and interdisciplinary subject areas related to ESRC research themes.

We have designed and delivered this series of workshops introducing PhD students to the realities and opportunities of self employment since 2018. Sessions have been run with PhD researchers in ESRC and AHRC subject areas from more than 20 UK universities including Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter and Reading. The sessions are tailored to the needs of those who sign up to attend, and have explored everything from tax and insurance to identifying independent research specialisms, making a pitch, and finding collaborators.

We developed a new Strategic Digital Mentoring Programme to build digital capacity of cultural organisations in England in 2018. With our support, this programme has now been expanded and implemented in Scotland and Wales. We continue to support programme iteration and whole-cohort activity across annual cohorts for Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Arts Council Wales.

Delivered bespoke design thinking training series for staff leading work across departments at IWM London, including marketing, audience engagement, capital development and digital specialists. This training was combined with mentoring, online seminars, and facilitated Design Sprint workshops to develop audience engagement and digital product work.

Lead an annual process of reflection, re-connection and planning for 10 national Global Streets partners, including street arts festivals, local authorities and venues working in areas of low arts engagement across England. We support improved collaboration and programme iteration based on partner and audience need.

Working with our friends at Retrofuzz, we ran a user research process of workshops, interviews and data analysis to gather insights from researchers, NGOs and practitioners working in refugee education across Europe. These insights informed our design recommendations for a new international network, database and website.

Design and host an annual events series for arts and humanities AHRC-funded PhD students across 17 universities in the UK, designed to 'lift the lid' on the reality of working in and collaborating with the creative industries and cultural sector. The series is tailored to the needs of the attedees and includes sessions on careers, applying for jobs, the latest policy and strategy, and research opportunities.

Supported ideas generation as member of one of 30 creative teams projects selected to take part in the Festival*UK 2022 R&D phase, collaborating with organisations including Graeae Theatre and the Global Disability Innovation Hub.

Delivered training in online sessions and user-centred approaches for Belgrade partners and staff across departments to inform the development of creative online sessions.

Devised and delivered a data audit and intensive user research process to inform how the Arts Council England-supported 'Creative People & Places' creative programme could continue to adapt to the needs and ideas of people in the Borough.

User research and design of new iMayflower leadership development programme for cross-sector leaders in Plymouth, focused on collaboration and place-making.

Led a 6-month user research, prototyping, and testing process to review and refine a new framework for the Connections Festival, building on insights from partners, users, and the NT team. Connections is the National Theatre's annual, nationwide youth theatre festival. Each year the National Theatre commissions ten new plays for young people across the UK to perform, working with 300 youth theatre companies and over 6,000 young people from every corner of the UK.

Designed and facilitated annual away day for the National Theatre's Learning Team.

Co-directed a Digital Leadership Programme for cultural leaders, in partnership with Cornwall Museums Partnership. We developed a series of seminars and a residential board retreat designed to build the confidence, capacity and skills of arts and cultural organisations in their use of digital. This programme was one of only 13 projects being supported by the DCMS Digital Leadership Fund.

Digital Leadership programme for South West and Wales and Midlands4Cities AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership PhD students. Facilitation of workshop sessions at residential summer school, and an online unconference.

Design and delivery of Digital Leadership Module for Lead the Way leadership development programme for arts and cultural leaders in Singapore. Delivered at the National Gallery Singapore.

Designed and facilitated partnership team workshops for the Audience of the Future ‘Space on Earth’ project, designed to develop insights and inform plans with user needs insights at the heart.

Design sprint and user research to shape a roadmap for the organisation. This was accompanied by ‘critical friend’ mentoring support to the organisation in developing its governance, business and delivery model in response to new opportunities for programming and partnership.

We partnered with Intelligent Futures to undertake a design sprint and user research to develop 25-year Culture & Heritage Masterplan for this rapidly expanding town near Calgary, Canada. The Masterplan included a roadmap to help deliver on ambitions for a new 1000-capacity Okotoks Performing Arts Centre.

Designed and facilitated large scale public and partner activities, including workshops, user research interviews and needs mapping, to inform Greenwich’s London Borough of Culture bid for 2019.

Designed and facilitated team away day to introduce design thinking approaches and inform the development of the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries Programme. Each year, the programme supports up to 50 salaried jobs in arts and cultural organisations across the UK, for individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Designed and facilitated a research insights process (including board away day) to inform the development of a new 4-year business plan and the successful bid for joining the Arts Council England National Portfolio.

Designed and facilitated large-scale 'Getting Collaboration Ready' workshop to build momentum for collaboration between AHRC Creative Clusters bid partners, creative organisations and other Midlands universities.

Designed the 10-year Cultural Statement and Framework for the City of Nottingham for 2017 - 2027, drawing on our user research across the city’s communities and networks.

Designed and facilitated workshops for academic researchers from across different faculties, and knowledge exchange staff. These sessions explored opportunities for creative and cultural collaboration across the region, including developing plans for work related to Coventry City of Culture.

Exploring options for future artist residencies and cultural programmes to inform the strategy development for uniting cultural practice across King’s

User research project to map training needs for Arts in Criminal Justice Alliance members, and identify options to develop and test informed by these insights.

User research and design for a new International Leaders Symposium for cultural leaders, developing plans with partners including the BBC, Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, Toronto Arts Festival and Manchester International Festival. This research led to the development of Clore’s ongoing commitment to supporting early career changemakers and the Emerging Futures Conference.