Research and Evaluation portfolio

Researcher. Cultural Strategist. Inquiry Designer.

I am a cultural researcher, evaluator and strategic advisor working across arts, education, disability, youth voice and place-based development in the UK and Ireland.

For over twenty years I have designed and led major research and evaluation studies for national agencies, local authorities, cultural organisations and cross-border initiatives. My work combines academic rigour with embedded, participatory methodologies that place lived experience at the centre of policy, strategy and system change.

I am lead author of national studies including Levelling Up (Cultural Leadership Programme) and am currently leading the research and evaluation framework for the Irish Creative Connections programme: a cross-border initiative funded through Shared Island investment, examining how creative cluster models foster collaboration, reconciliation and cultural learning across jurisdictions.

I specialise in:

• Independent programme evaluation
• Theory of Change and impact frameworks
• Youth voice and participatory research
• Cultural leadership and inclusion
• Cross-border cultural collaboration

My research bridges policy and practice by translating complex inquiry into practical tools, funder-ready evidence and long-term strategic insight. My work does not sit on shelves; it shapes decisions, strengthens partnerships and supports sustainable cultural change.

Research Themes & Expertise

1. Cultural Leadership & Disability

Lead author of Levelling Up (commissioned by DaDaFest and the Cultural Leadership Programme), a national study investigating what constitutes excellent and innovative practice in cultural leadership for disabled and d/Deaf practitioners levelling-up-final-full-report

The study:

  • Analysed leadership trajectories across the UK
  • Developed a 14-part leadership archetype framework
  • Identified structural barriers and enabling conditions
  • Informed sector-wide conversations around inclusive leadership development

Impact:

  • Used to shape leadership programme design
  • Influenced approaches to mentoring, action learning and cross-sector collaboration
  • Contributed to Arts Council England discourse on leadership pathways

2. Arts-Based Research & Organisational Strategy

In Listening to the Life Bank Arts and Creativity Strategy KL… I co-developed an arts-based research model to design a creativity strategy within a community organisation.

The project:

  • Used artist-researchers as data gatherers
  • Generated 13 qualitative “illuminations”
  • Identified 30+ emergent themes
  • Developed two practical strategy tools:
    • The Arts & Creativity Compass
    • Creative Dining Tables

Impact:

  • Translated research findings directly into operational planning tools
  • Strengthened community voice in strategic decision-making
  • Demonstrated how arts-based inquiry can inform institutional design

This methodology has since informed my approach to participatory evaluation and youth-led research models.

3. Creative Education & School Inquiry

My paper Watch / Listen / Smell / Taste / Read This Space singaporeFINAL (presented in Singapore) explored:

  • Insider–Outsider theory in artist-teacher partnerships
  • Creative Partnerships as a national policy mechanism
  • Enquiry-school models in Early Years settings
  • Multi-sensory learning environments

This work positioned schools as sites of enquiry rather than delivery mechanisms — a model later reflected in Creative Connections, STEAM evaluations, and Creative Mentoring frameworks.

Impact:

  • Informed CPD design
  • Influenced artist-in-residence models
  • Shaped enquiry-led school improvement processes

4. Youth Voice & Participatory Evaluation

Across projects including:

  • Count Us In (Final Report)
  • TMC STEAM Evaluation TMC STEAM Evaluation Report FIN…
  • Schools Visits Report Schools Visits Report FINAL
  • Creative Connections interim and final reports

I have developed:

  • Youth-led evaluation models
  • Embedded reflective practice frameworks
  • Cross-border learning evaluations
  • Theory of Change and Evidence Pathway tools
  • Mixed-method reporting models (qualitative narrative + quantitative metrics)

Impact:

  • Influenced local authority commissioning models
  • Strengthened case for continued investment in cultural education
  • Provided funder-ready evidence for Arts Council England and Shared Island programmes
  • Supported scaling of Creative Mentoring nationally

5. Cultural Policy & Place-Based Strategy

From Arts & Creativity Strategy (Kensington Life Bank) Arts and Creativity Strategy KL…
to national cultural leadership research levelling-up-final-full-report
to place-based creative learning reports,

my work consistently operates between:

  • Grassroots lived experience
  • Institutional strategy
  • Policy discourse
  • Practical implementation

My Research Approach

I design research that is:

Embedded – conducted with participants, not on them
Participatory – voice-led and dialogic
Arts-informed – using creative methods where appropriate
Theory-grounded – underpinned by academic frameworks
Strategic – producing tools, models and actionable frameworks
Impact-oriented – designed to influence decisions

Methodologies include:

  • Arts-based inquiry
  • Insider–Outsider theory
  • Portraiture methodology
  • Action learning sets
  • Case study and narrative analysis
  • Theory of Change modelling
  • Impact pathway mapping
  • Cross-border comparative analysis
  • Mixed-method evaluation frameworks

Selected Research & Evaluation Projects

  • 2008 – Arts & Creativity Strategy Development (Liverpool) Arts and Creativity Strategy KL…
  • 2009 – International Early Years Creative Practice Research (Singapore) singaporeFINAL
  • 2011 – Levelling Up: Cultural Leadership & Disability (UK-wide) levelling-up-final-full-report
  • 2015–2025 – Multiple Local Authority Evaluations
  • 2020–2025 – Youth Voice & Cross-Border Cultural Education Evaluation
  • 2024–2025 – STEAM & Cultural Cluster Research TMC STEAM Evaluation Report FIN…

Measurable Impact Across Projects

Over 20+ years:

  • Hundreds of organisations engaged
  • Thousands of young people involved in research-informed practice
  • National policy influence (Cultural Leadership Programme, Arts Council networks)
  • Development of transferable evaluation frameworks
  • Cross-border cultural collaboration analysis
  • Inclusion and disability leadership sector impact

What I Offer as a Consultant

I work with:

  • Cultural organisations
  • Local authorities
  • National agencies
  • Universities
  • Arts funders
  • Cross-border initiatives

Services include:

  • Independent programme evaluation
  • Research design & delivery
  • Impact framework development
  • Theory of Change facilitation
  • Literature review & policy alignment
  • Youth voice integration strategies
  • Cross-sector partnership analysis
  • Report writing & dissemination strategy
  • Board-level evidence summaries

Why Work With Me?

I bring:

  • Academic rigour
  • Sector credibility
  • Strategic clarity
  • Political sensitivity
  • Deep understanding of arts & youth ecosystems
  • Experience translating complex research into accessible insight
  • The ability to hold both data and story

My work consistently bridges:

Policy ↔ Practice
Strategy ↔ Lived Experience
Creativity ↔ Evidence
Youth Voice ↔ Institutional Power

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