Cultural strategy and policy

I often work at the intersection of cultural policy, community engagement, and statutory services, grounded in direct collaboration with people with lived experience of living and using services.

I was commissioned as a consultant to develop the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Cultural Strategy 2018–2022 and the Borough's London Borough of Culture bid - this work was rooted in the social and political realities of one London borough. The bid resulted in a Cultural Impact Award, unlocking significant funding for both arts and culture and statutory services across the borough. 

This work had a long reach. The curatorial project New Town Culture, which underpinned much of this practice, informed the development of the CARES Practice Standards in 2024 — embedding a Creative Social Work approach within Barking and Dagenham's Children's Care and Support Services. Achieving meaningful change within a statutory children's service, through a cultural programme was a significant shared achievement.