I recently caught up with The Arts Development Company (TADC) to discuss my creative journey in Dorset so far.
I started working in Dorset as a creative professional in April 2015 through the Creative Employment Programme Dorset Consortium (which TADC managed). Since then I have had many encounters with TADC. Not only have they mentored me & offered me professional advice - they have also offered me work.
Between January 2017 - June 2017 I was employed by TADC & Wave Arts Education as a Dorset Cultural Education Researcher. Through this role I was asked to research and map creative opportunities for young people in Dorset, Bournemouth & Poole as part of the Cultural Education Challenge set by the Arts Council, England. Not only was I asked to research the creative opportunities I was asked to identify the gaps in Dorset's cultural offer and then write a report about my findings. You can find the first draft of the report here.
Between March 2017 - May 2017 I was invited to lead a South Dorset Ridgeway Landscape Partnership project on behalf of Dorset AONB & TADC. As the Project Manager for 'Mound Movements' I invited a group of IPACA students to participate in a project investigating and responding to the South Dorset Ridgeway. Working with 10 dance students, Ella Huhne (Artistic Director of Landance) & Richard Tomlinson (filmmaker) we created 2 dance performances on the ridgeway which were then encapsulated into 2 videos that were exhibited at Outpost on Portland.
And now, from October 2017 - May 2018, I am participating in TADC's 'Early Career Producer & Curator Network'. Through this network I have met other local producers & curators and together we will mentor, advise and support one another. We will develop our current skills, gain some new ones and learn how to make our freelance businesses more effective. More info to come.
To read my interview with The Arts Development Company click here.