Project Mangement

Project Management

Cultural Projects

I am passionate about heritage and culture!

I am a freelance project manager and consultant with a focus on engagement and support of heritage and arts clients and organisations to create, plan and deliver projects, engage communities with this work, and explore new ways of experiencing creativity through history. This involves collaborating with partners, clients, and staff to manage activities and events for successful delivery.

I aim to encourage participation and outreach. This is through projects involving reminiscence, creativity, and archive material to engage a wide range of groups and individuals in creative and cultural activities, including recording people’s life stories and memories.

I have worked in the cultural sector since 2004, both as a freelancer and employee and have extensive experience of engagement with and partnership on creative heritage projects in London and the South East. I work with English Heritage, Fabrica Gallery, National Trust, NHS, University of Brighton, Historic England, Polka Theatre, Royal Holloway, University of London, Same Sky, Nutkhut, HMDT Music, and Brighton Dome/Brighton Festival amongst others.

I have also spent 12 years working as a creative director for Strike a Light – Arts & Heritage CIC, creating strategy, funding, delivering activities, and providing training for diverse groups across Sussex.  

Heritage & Reminiscence projects

I like facilitating multiple projects and tasks and finding innovative ways to promote culture and history and train others to get involved. I deliver work for arts organisations, theatres, heritage organisations, libraries, and universities amongst others. My special focus is heritage and reminiscence. 

This section goes into more detail about current and past arts and heritage projects which I have managed and facilitated including case studies. Take a look through the other sections on this website for more general information and images about projects I’m involved with.

One of my specialities is troubleshooting projects which need extra support.

If you have any queries, or would like to discuss a project, please contact me here.

arts heritage projects uk
Speaking up for Disability

Current projects

I am currently working on a variety of cultural and heritage projects with the following clients:

To commission a project, seek a new project manager or explore new activities, contact me!  

Previous Work

Through heritage coordination with national and regional organisations and as freelance reminiscence facilitators for numerous clients, I have gathered many years of capable, dedicated experience.

These include for organisations including reminiscence charity Age Exchange and also V & A Museum of Childhood, with children and young people, and the over 55s to promote heritage and social history exhibitions though oral history recordings, intergenerational activities and reminiscence workshops, resulting in ‘memory quilts’, plays, exhibitions, interactive tea services and heritage websites to record memories of the way we used to live.

Previous projects include a partnership oral history project with Brighton Museum, creative heritage engagement as project coordinator for Royal Voluntary Service, a three year project with English Heritage setting up new programmes of Heritage Open Days (with a focus on accessibility) through their Community Outreach department, and experience as Development Manager for Kingston based environmental arts charity Save the World.

Other work has been as Heritage Project Manager with Independent Lives charity on the Speaking up for Disability project, and delivering reminiscence activities for QueenSpark Books in Brighton.

Having finished a Heritage Lottery Funded Lewes based project Ale and Hearty in 2014 about ale and brewing, I piloted a short term programme called Breaking Bread (2015) in Brighton, celebrating bread, baking and Sussex traditions related to this theme. I worked on The Boys on the Plaque project, an HLF funded two year programme with Fabrica gallery and Brighton and Hove Libraries. Other roles include working as Volunteer Coordinator for the City Reads project from Collected Works.

me in photo bot
Oral histories collected and in place at BSUH hospital, Brighton for the Crucible project

“Nicola helped the Trustees of a small charity in Kingston Upon Thames to slowly and with great skill re-established the work of the Charity. She led us out of the shadow of its talented and passionate founders and gave the charity the chance to grow and develop in its own right for the benefit of the community. She did all this will charm, skill and fortitude. Nicola is a first class arts administrator and a pleasure to work with.”

Nick Kilby MCIPR

Chief Executive Officer, Cratus Communications

arts reminiscence projects
the group

“Nicola managed our Speaking Up For Disability oral history project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. She produced a marvellous, creative and sensitive exhibition and oral history artefacts, with backing from the Royal College of Surgeons. She brought imagination and creativity to the project, alongside resourcefulness and well honed organisational and project management skills. Highly recommended! “

Philippa Thompson

Chief Executive at Independent Lives

Get in touch

Get in touch for a free 30 minute consultation. Whatever your project, I can help.