PROFILE
A highly-motivated individual with proven vision and drive: creative, intuitive and self-motivated, with extensive experience working within the cultural and education sector, combined with a broad knowledge of the arts funding landscape. Excellent experience in developing policies and strategies relating to the arts and education. Strong University links and continuous networking within the arts sector nationally and internationally. Transferable Directorial and Senior Management skills.
EDUCATION
2008-2009 MFA Curatorial Practice - Greys School of Art, Robert Gordon University 1994-1998 BA (Hons) Fine Art - Staffordshire University
CONSULTANCY/WORKSHOPS/INVITED SPEAKER (selected)
Natural And Artificial. How To Organise - To Festival (2018) Rome University of Fine Arts, Rome, Italy
Invited to give a talk to art and design students about NEoN and the development of festival platforms. Part of Rome Media Art Festival, MAXXI | Museo Nazionale Delle Arti del XXI Secolo.
British Council Digital Cities Summit - Connecting the Western Balkans and the UK (2018) University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Invited to speak about my work with co-working spaces and creative industries. Facilitated a workshop on mobility and capacity development to connect and strengthen digital industry collaboration between the UK and the Western Balkans.
British Council Delegate - Sonar + D (2017) Sonar Festival, Barcelona, Spain
Part of the 'Changing industries' programme - Invited UK delegates to speak and network at Sonar + D, Creativity, Technology and Business.
Daring Curating: International Forum for Art and Technology in Africa (2017) Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, Johannesburg, South Africa
Facilitation and Speaker - A two-day forum initiated in collaboration with NEoN, Fak’ugesi Festival and Trinity Session, aimed at facilitating conversations on the complexities of curating art and technology within an African context. Part of the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival.
Reworks Festival (2017)
Fix Factory, Thessaloniki, Greece
Invited to talk about NEoN, digital art and festival platforms.
Creative Hub Making in Vietnam - British Council Creative Economies (2016) ADC Academy, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Invited to speak about the creation and development of the co-working space Fleet Collective and delivered a two-day workshop exploring hub making, community building and new business models. A British Council co-working programme aimed at sharing practical skills and stimulating a long-lasting network of Creative Hubs in East Asia.
Curating Art After New Media - ISEA Hong Kong (2016)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Facilitation and Speaker - A short professional development course targeted at Hong Kong-based curators who specialise or are interested in contemporary and new media art. ISEA2016 (International Symposium on Electronic Art) satellite programme.
ACM Computer-Human Interaction Conference (2016) Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada
Selected participant – 2-day research workshop 'Curating the Digital: Space for Art and Interaction', which led to a set of recommendations to the SIGCHI Executive (Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction) on best practice in the documentation of digital art research outputs presented at future CHI conferences.
PUBLICATIONS
Book Chapter - Holford-Lovell, D & Brennan, C (2016). Dealing with Disobedient Objects, pages 21-30. In: England D., Schiphorst T., Bryan-Kinns N. (eds) Curating the Digital. Springer Series on Cultural Computing. Springer, Cham.
Selected Paper - Holford-Lovell, D & Brennan, C (2014). Future-Proofing: Assets, Knowledge and Legacy. CHI2014 Workshop Curating the Digital, which was part of the Computer-Human Interaction Conference, Toronto.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Director, NEoN Digital Arts (SCIO): December 2009 - Present
Driving the evolution of digital arts, NEoN explores and redefines its relevance in today’s practice. NEoN delivers an annual festival platform providing experimental and research opportunities to emerging talent and well-established artists, with the aim to influence and reshape the genre.
Develop and implement the mission to reflect the aims of charity – business planning, Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion policies and Professional Development programmes.
Conceptualisation and brief development, development and delivery of the main programme.
Budget management and funding strategy.
Recruitment and management of staff and volunteers. Management of work placements for young adults, university and college interns and PhD Students.
Analyse data for evaluation reports for trustees, stakeholders and core funders.
Lecturer & Module Lead – Games & Arts, University of Abertay, School of Design & Informatics: July 2021 – Present
Honorary Research Fellow, DJCAD, University of Dundee: September 2018 – 2020
Contributions to departmental research and undertaking collaborative work with University staff and Schools.
Collaborative projects with LifeSpace, Scotland’s first dedicated art-science research gallery located within the School of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee. Working with artists and scientists. Specific work to deliver outreach programme with University of Dundee's Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research (WCAIR).
Co-commissioning project with University of Dundee's Botanic Garden and Science Centre, Philadelphia USA.
Facilitating public engagement project with the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Dundee.
Director & Co-founder, Fleet Collective: December 2010 – May 2017
Fleet Collective was a socially driven creative agency that represents artists; provides affordable studio space, and manages multi-disciplinary creative projects.
Administration, finance and funding
Project management
Business development and maximisation
Client liaison and communication
Member & Director, Source Arts, (formally Missions, Models, Money): February 2011 – November 2017 Source Arts (MMM) facilitated critical debate and workshops around creative sustainability with the aim to address one central question - what can be done to deepen understanding of the challenges facing our mission-led arts and cultural organisations and how can we best ensure that their artistic and cultural endeavour thrives in the 21st century? Research projects included work on New & Alternative Financial Instruments, Governance structures and resources and new business structures and tools.
Content Curator, The Memory Box Network January 2012 – November 2016
The Memory Box Network was a charity that brought together the power of social media and reminiscence therapy to provide a radically new service designed to enrich the quality of life of all those affected by dementia. My role was to manage outreach and volunteer programmes, secure additional funding, negotiation of archive content from key stakeholders, deliver reminiscence workshops.
Cultural Projects Officer, University of Abertay Dundee: July 2007 – December 2010
Manage and curate a rolling programme of exhibitions, cinema programmes and other cultural events. Contribute to the development and management of projects initiated by academic and research staff in schools and specialist centres across the University. Work with students to help develop industry/commercial experiences and provide a professional critique. Secure funding via grants, trusts and other relevant funding bodies.
City Co-ordinator (Dundee), Six Cities Design Festival, The Lighthouse: July 2006
– June 2007
The Six Cities Design Festival was a £3 million initiative aimed at celebrating and raising awareness of the value of design and creativity in all six of Scotland’s cities. My role was to co-ordinate a range of exhibitions and events making up Dundee’s element of the Six Cities Design Festival, research and secure additional sponsorship and external funding. Manage budgets for the Dundee elements and coordinate bids to central funding. Administrative - report writing, accounts, employment contracts.
Assistant Curator, University of Dundee Exhibitions Department: 2001 – March 2006
Based in Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design the University of Dundee’s Exhibitions Department works with contemporary artists from the UK and abroad, as well as supporting teaching activity and developing opportunities with staff and students. I worked closely with students to develop and deliver a programme aimed at teaching new techniques, research approaches, artistic context and giving professional critique. Managed a team of Gallery Assistants, including volunteers, casual staff and gallery technicians. Developed and delivered an annual training programme in Gallery Administration, Marketing and Installation. Developed new policies and strategies for arts administration.