About
I am an Associate Professor of Civic Practice and Head of Civic and Communities at the University of Derby. I lead CivicLAB™ an Institution-wide centre on participatory culture, creative dialogue, and civic practice and leads the curation and delivery of the Civic flagship programmes. I am a PASCAL Associate and Chair of the International Contemporary Working Art Group for Cumulus, the only Global Association in Art and Design. I am a member of the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, stakeholder for Bolton Arts CIC and Trustee of New Art Exchange, a ground-breaking, Global Majority, NPO for Arts Council England and an award-winning and internationally recognised Gallery.
I regularly work with the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design and the Royal Society of Arts and Manufacturing. My research into community building and placemaking is a case study for the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange and my ground breaking community practice and methodology has been published and presented to All-Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation Groups, Policy Connect, Westminster H.E, RSA and Design Council UK et.al. I am a published academic, most recently with Intellect Books (2024), Taylor and Francis (2024-5) and had work featured with Council for Higher Education in Art and Design on Women in Leadership (2023-5) and NCACE (2024) as example of best practice. I frequently provide keynotes Nationally and Internationally within the Civic, Creative and Cultural Industry Sector. I judged the UKNA artists in 2024 and judged the Derbyshire Community Business Awards for East Midlands Chamber of Commerce in 2022-23.
I am the founding director and CEO of Designing Dialogue CIC the first spin out from the University of Derby, that tours S.H.E.D; a public arts, touring and innovation space which has received several national honours and has engaged with 12 counties, 41 partners and 42,596 people directly, 700 creatives and commissioned 50 new works.
I have received funding from partners such as Design Council, UK, CHEAD, Arts Council England, RSA and local trusts and councils. Accolades include: finalist for Universities Alliance Award (2022), Shed of the year finalist (2020), UK Green Gown Awards: Benefiting Community (2021). She has been selected as a social regenerative entrepreneur and is a Catalyst Grant holder from, the Royal Society of Arts (2023-4) and Family HUBS grant holder (2025). Fund holder for ARC Accelerator (2025) from ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Derbyshire County Council, Local Nature Recovery Strategy lead of public engagement (2025). Lead for the Create Growth D2 Impact and Evaluation work (2025)
I am a co-founder of InDialogue, a collaborative international research project that interrogates how artists and researchers use dialogue in their practice. InDialogue has curated four International Conferences, hosted three International residencies and supported over 600 artists since 2012 – 2020 from over 15 countries.
I have contributed articles to the Performance Research Journal and International Journal of Creative Practice. Most recently, my work has been published in Applied Pedagogies in HE: Real-World Learning and Innovation, as a case study by Palgrave Macmillan and a chapter for the Intellect Play-text Series Acts of Dramaturgy: The Shakespeare Trilogy chapter entitled 'Endings are not always completed with a full stop'. I have publications in Journal Research for All and Un/writing the landscape, re/figuring the body supported by PABlish – Bergen Performing Arts and the National Library for Norway. I have presented research papers and workshops internationally, such as, What is Design after Design? University Rome, 2021 and an exhibiting artist in Format21.
Accolades include: finalist for Universities Alliance Award (2022), Shed of the year finalist (2020), UK Green Gown Awards: Benefiting Community (2021). Design for Planet, Design Council Uk, Keynote and Installation at the V&A (2021), PolicyConnect & All Party Parliamentary Group (2021-22), Royal College of Arts Keynote (2023). Socitm Keynote at Presidents Conference (2024) and St Georges House, Windsor Castle closed event - Socitm (2024). Delivery partner of CHEAD for their Annual Conference (2021), and series of Women in Leadership events (2023 - 2025). Selected as a social regenerative entrepreneur and am a Catalyst Grant holder from, the Royal Society of Arts (2023-4).
Find out more about my work
Research interests
I have a PhD by practice from Nottingham Trent University (2016). In which the thesis The Artistry of Conversation looked at the performative and tactile nature of Conversation and an MA (Distinction) in Performance & Live Art from Nottingham Trent University
My research continues to focus on the artistic design of dialogue.
To do this, it explores the use of artistic practice as a methodology to create opportunities for discourse with the public on urgent social, political and economic matters.
I employ innovative research processes, in order to create civic dialogues through creative place-making. This in turn supports the development of new models for increasing social mobility, through widening access to arts, culture and education. To this end, the research acts as an instigator for positive change, addressing the impact of socially/civic engaged discourse.
To do this, I work closely with the cultural, sporting, creative sectors and the public. I have international partnerships, with Cumulus and DESIS and work with colleagues from across H.E Sector. By doing this, it generates spaces for conversation between H.E and Creative Cultural Organisations. The research process is always collaborative and typically the work manifests in the form of exhibitions, published texts, and symposia operating both nationally and internationally.
Experience in industry
I regularly work with the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design and the Royal Society of Arts and Manufacturing. My research into community building and placemaking is a case study for the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange and my ground breaking community practice and methodology has been published and presented to All-Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation Groups, Policy Connect, Westminster H.E, RSA and Design Council UK et.al. I am a published academic, most recently with Intellect Books (2024), Taylor and Francis (2024-5) and had work featured with Council for Higher Education in Art and Design on Women in Leadership (2023-5) and NCACE (2024) as example of best practice. I frequently provide keynotes Nationally and Internationally within the Civic, Creative and Cultural Industry Sector. I judged the UKNA artists in 2024 and judged the Derbyshire Community Business Awards for East Midlands Chamber of Commerce in 2022-23.
I am the founding director and CEO of Designing Dialogue CIC the first spin out from the University of Derby, that tours S.H.E.D; a public arts, touring and innovation space which has received several national honours and has engaged with 12 counties, 41 partners and 42,596 people directly, 700 creatives and commissioned 50 new works.
I have received funding from partners such as Design Council, UK, CHEAD, Arts Council England, RSA and local trusts and councils. Accolades include: finalist for Universities Alliance Award (2022), Shed of the year finalist (2020), UK Green Gown Awards: Benefiting Community (2021). She has been selected as a social regenerative entrepreneur and is a Catalyst Grant holder from, the Royal Society of Arts (2023-4) and Family HUBS grant holder (2025). Fund holder for ARC Accelerator (2025) from ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Derbyshire County Council, Local Nature Recovery Strategy lead of public engagement (2025). Lead for the Create Growth D2 Impact and Evaluation work (2025)
I am a co-founder of InDialogue, a collaborative international research project that interrogates how artists and researchers use dialogue in their practice. InDialogue has curated four International Conferences, hosted three International residencies and supported over 600 artists since 2012 – 2020 from over 15 countries.
I have contributed articles to the Performance Research Journal and International Journal of Creative Practice. Most recently, my work has been published in Applied Pedagogies in HE: Real-World Learning and Innovation, as a case study by Palgrave Macmillan and a chapter for the Intellect Play-text Series Acts of Dramaturgy: The Shakespeare Trilogy chapter entitled 'Endings are not always completed with a full stop'. I have publications in Journal Research for All and Un/writing the landscape, re/figuring the body supported by PABlish – Bergen Performing Arts and the National Library for Norway. I have presented research papers and workshops internationally, such as, What is Design after Design? University Rome, 2021 and an exhibiting artist in Format21.
Accolades include: finalist for Universities Alliance Award (2022), Shed of the year finalist (2020), UK Green Gown Awards: Benefiting Community (2021). Design for Planet, Design Council Uk, Keynote and Installation at the V&A (2021), PolicyConnect & All Party Parliamentary Group (2021-22), Royal College of Arts Keynote (2023). Socitm Keynote at Presidents Conference (2024) and St Georges House, Windsor Castle closed event - Socitm (2024). Delivery partner of CHEAD for their Annual Conference (2021), and series of Women in Leadership events (2023 - 2025). Selected as a social regenerative entrepreneur and am a Catalyst Grant holder from, the Royal Society of Arts (2023-4).
Various regional and national print, radio and television interviews, examples including:
- BBC Radio Nottingham
- National Press with S.H.E.D
- BBC Radio Derby
- East Midlands Today BBC News
- NottsTV (various)
- Kemet FM
- Nottingham Post
- West Bridgford Wire
- The Times
- Left Lion
- Art Industry
- Primary Programme Notes
International experience
I am Chair of the Contemporary working Art Group for Cumulus Association, the international network for Art and Design Education.
I continue to partner with organisations such as University of Ohio, Chicago Institute Performing Arts, Bergen Academy, National Library of Norway, ELIA, European Cultural Academy.
