Appetite is an National Lottery funded Creative People and Places programme through Arts Council England for Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. The programme is designed to get more people in our area to experience and be inspired by the arts. This could be as attender, participant, partner, sponsor or funder. Working with people and places to have a catalyst for positive change (social and economic) through the arts and culture.

From Interim Creative Producer as the Business Plan for the new Creative People and Places project for Stoke-on-Trent was developed into a senior leadership role; working in partnership with the Project Director to deliver the social, economic and artistic ambitions of the programme (ACE investment at £3m/£1m/£500k). Responsible for the art and community engagement and involvement and the development of our model with the best local, national and European work available into programmes co-created by communities, partners and resident.

Founder and director of the CIC set up out of a collaborative project with Appetite, Imagineer Productions and Orit Azaz and many partners locally and nationally. Working to explore what a sustainable material like bamboo can develop in Stoke and North Staffs by working with artists, academics, scientists, engineers, and communities.

As part of the Place-Based working Arts Council England is involved in developing, they have created a peer-learning programme for Arts Council England colleagues, Creative People and Places National Portfolio programmes, Cultural Compacts and Local Cultural Education partnershipsAs part of my role as Director for Appetite, a CPP. I join colleagues on the steering group to shape the programme relevant for place-based programmes working in arts, culture and cross-sectorally.

Supporting the New Vic to develop and deliver new national touring partners and projects; longer-term development projects; and developing, delivering and securing investment in the large scale, national collaboration for our celebrations of Circus 250th Anniversary in 2018: Circus Past, Present and Future worth £1.2m of investment with partnerships with NoFit State Circus, V&A, Philip Astley Project, Upswing. With international and national programming including exhibitions, performances, events in parks and artist development programmes.

Working on a range of site or place specific projects across the West Midlands for partners from festivals, arts organisations and tenders on delivery on behalf of local authorities. • Place, Space and Identity 3: a housing pathfinder arts project across areas affected by compulsory purchase. A project with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Renew, Arts Council England. Managed and delivered with Helga Henry.• Producer and Office Manager for Fierce Festival 2010• Shop (Stoke Town) and The Exchange (Stoke-on-Trent City Centre): arts-led empty shop projects developed, fundraised and delivered as self-initiated projects.• General Manager for Fierce Earth & Fierce Festival• Royal Shakespeare Company: Open Day producer (various years) working across organisation, specific exhibitions and performance by live artists Curious on the river Avon.• Audience Central: support for the marketing team supporting the region to list, sell and promote their events. Anything from exhibitions, performances on streets, green spaces or water to warehouse spaces and empty shops.

A Project Manager and Producer for International Dance Festival Birmingham and a number of Cultural Olympiad funded programmes: • Home: a professional interdisciplinary team and community dance project which culminated in three weeks of dance on the streets of Birmingham City Centre in May and June 2012. • (in)Visible Dancing: presenting the existing dance project with Luca Silvestrini’s Protein on the streets of Coventry City Centre and coordinating community participation in the finale in July 2012.• Dance in Outdoor Places and Unusual Spaces working group: supporting the Artistic Director of Dancexchange to work together with regional dance partners and local authorities to forge relationships and create a legacy for dance in outdoor places and unusual spaces from 2012 and beyond.