My practice is grounded in the belief that culture, creativity, and heritage have the power to make meaningful and lasting change. I bring this belief to life through work that connects people and place, and that enables participation, dialogue, and transformation.
Across my career, I have worked across the full spectrum of artforms and cultural practice, from visual and digital arts to performance, literature, and film. My specialist focus lies in socially engaged, community-centred and place-based practice. I work within and beyond institutional contexts, bringing together artists, organisations, networks, and communities to co-create work with purpose, depth, and care.
Whether as curator, commissioner, consultant or director, I operate with a collaborative ethos – valuing the knowledge and experience of others, and building frameworks that centre equity, sustainability, and impact. My work spans strategic and creative leadership in arts, culture and heritage, from co-designing exhibitions and cultural programmes to leading civic strategies, interpretation plans, and evaluation approaches that reflect diverse voices and local realities.
Chair, Phoenix Art Space
Phoenix Art Space is extraordinary. Born from Brighton’s DIY arts culture of the 1990s, we’ve grown into a dynamic charity that champions outstanding artistic practice and community participation. Our six-storey building in the city centre is home to over 100 artists across all career stages, three public galleries, and a vibrant programme of exhibitions, pop-ups, talks, workshops and events.
We present new work by emerging talent and award-winning artists alike, and collaborate widely to bring creativity into the heart of community life. From intergenerational programmes to mental health partnerships, we know art plays a vital role in wellbeing and belonging.
We’ve spent 30 years embedding ourselves into the fabric of the city – and beyond – and see daily the inequalities affecting our local and creative communities. Our vision now is to channel our distinctive energy into becoming an inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable space for artists and audiences alike.
From 2018 to 2022, I led Tate Exchange – Tate’s groundbreaking platform for socially engaged art and civic collaboration at Tate Modern and Tate Liverpool. As senior leader within Tate’s Learning & Research Division, I shaped a nationally and internationally recognised programme co-created with over 80 Associate partners from across the arts, education, health and community sectors. Framed by annual themes and led by artists including Tim Etchells, Clare Twomey CBE, Hyphen-Labs, and Tania Bruguera, the programme invited the public to explore how art can make a difference to people’s lives and society. Under my direction, Tate Exchange also became a Tate Research Centre, advancing practice and scholarship in public engagement, participatory arts, and museum learning. It was a landmark initiative in critical museology and radical pedagogy – a bold reimagining of the museum as a civic space rooted in equity, dialogue, and shared authorship. Its influence continues to shape the field.
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From a Place of Love
With Zanele Muholi, QTIPOC experiences of the exhibtion and of Tate.
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Zanele Muholi: In Conversation with Lady Phyll
The artist in conversation with Lady Phyll of co-founder of UK Black Pride and executive director of Kaleidoscope Trust.
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The Art of Social Change
The ground-breaking Tania Bruguera and Tate Neighbours collaborative of personal, community and institutional deep-change.
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Tate Exchange Ambassadors
The Visitor Experience programme instigated by Tate Exchange.
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Tate Exchange is…
An early overview of Tate Exchange.