Project MANAGEMENT Experience
Thought my career I have demonstrated an ability to work with agility across industries to deliver complex projects at scale while mainting a range of relationships. Below are some of these career highlights.
On time on budget
In a project manager role at South London Gallery, I delivered the ambitious 2021 exhibition, SupaStore by artist Sarah Statton. This required creating a project plan to accommodate the needs of 61 artists to display their 214 artworks, totalling 1,390 items, within a small budget, a lead-in of only 2 months and a requirement to operate as a fully functional shop and public exhibition. I delivered to these project targets by setting deadlines, efficient budget management, coordinating meetings, liasing with staff and external contractors, carrying out risk assessments, calculating workflow and scheduling priorities, maintaining clear communication, and providing regular progress reports to the artist and gallery director. During this fast-paced project, colleagues commented that I was calm and decisive and able to adapt with ease. SupaStore exhibition opened to the public on time, within budget, met accessibility standards and with satisfied artists who felt supported.
Transforming Places
There is a much loved ancient woodland in North Lanarkshire which is an important pedestrian route linking neighborhoods, schools and a train station. However, in wet conditions wheelchair users could not use the path and people had trampled the undergrowth to avoid boggy ground resulting in a decrease in biodiversity and tree health. While working for Sustrans I was tasked with protecting the ecosystem and to make the pathway accessible for all. To do so I collaborated with local residents, ecologists, engineers and construction contractors to generate creative and practical solutions. The resulting new pathway and woodland restoration has been embraced by the community and new plant growth is burgeoning. This approach required me to establish meaningful relationships and bring people together across differences in order to tangibly intervene in an urgent issue affecting this location.
Delivering at Scale
Co-ordinated One Day Sculpture — a nationwide series of 20 temporary public art works by Bristol-based curator Claire Doherty. This involved project managing a large-scale offsite installation by artists Heather & Ivan Morrison. This work involved constructing a 20m wide 5m high barricade constructed out of vehicles and discarded materials that magically appeared overnight and vanished before the following sunrise.
Taming the complexity
at Sustrans, I managed a Scotland-wide survey mapping all of the undocumented walking and cycling paths linking to the national network. This mammoth effort involved training and supporting 72 volunteers to use mapping software and undergo health and safety inductions. The project identified 3,221 right-of-way paths crossing farmland, ex-industrial estates, and housing developments, many of which need improvements. This powerful dataset has equipped Sustrans with the evidence to lobby local authorities and private land owners to support path upgrades. By engaging volunteers, the project also gave the community a sense of agency and opportunity to enact change in their local environment.
“I still can’t believe I made it to that point where I can shape
the world through art. It’s hard to put into words how strongly this project has affected me.”
Meaningful impact
Teenagers across Scotland are struggling to finish school and make their mark on the world. For this reason, I developed the ShapeChangers project for Sustrans Scotland. ShapeChangers was a nationwide satellite art education project taking place in areas of high deprivation in Alloa, Glasgow, Greenock and Inverness working with young artists (16-18 years old). To deliver the project, I selected art organisations and worked closely with them to set up learning spaces, establish safeguarding processes and to secure land permissions with local authorities. The project resulted in mentoring 13 young artists to create 6 public artworks experienced by over 9,000 people. 100% of the young artists involved said that they learnt new art making skills and 93% stating that they now feel more empowered to use their creativity for positive change in their local urban environment.