Lucy Smith

Through her professional experience as a Freelance Artist and Arts Manager, Lucy has worked with creatives and creative businesses to develop their practice, deliver projects, commissions, tours and business development in local, national and international contexts which assist in driving their strategic visions forwards.

Lucy’s teaching is a shared person-centred experience which facilitates collaboration, knowledge exchange and employability skills development.

Like many professionals working in the Creative Industries, I have a squiggly portfolio career. I am a Visual Artist, an Arts Manager working as an Independent Producer within the Performing Arts and as a Project Manager within the Visual Arts, a Consultant and an Educator. I have been employed in big institutions as well as small organisations and I have worked for myself. I am interested in the many diverse opportunities to build and share skills within creative roles. In how we can apply creative thinking to solve problems that enable us to take risks, to imagine better ways of being in the future and to develop supportive knowledge sharing communities. I am interested in what we can achieve through collaboration and co-creation.

Areas of expertise and experience include:

• building partnerships, networks and teams
• business and strategic planning
• fundraising
• marketing and audience development
• negotiating contracts
• project management
• financial planning and management

I have worked with companies including Gravity & Levity, theatre O, Inspector Sands, Cartoon de Salvo and Hydrocracker; with artists including Nathan Coley, Laura Ford, Leah Gordon and Sarah Howe; and with organisations including the Arts Council England, China Plate, Southbank Centre, Barbican, Young Vic, Almeida Theatre, Brighton Festival, HOUSE Biennial and Emil Eve Architects.

Practice

As Artist

• 2023 – Artist Residency [SPILL Think Tank, Ipswich]
• 2023 – Creative Retreat [Britten Pears Arts, Aldeburgh]
• 2023 – Artist Residency [Lowestoft Maritime Museum, Lowestoft]
• 2022 – Artist Residency [SPILL Think Tank, Ipswich]
• 2007 – Artist Commission as part of Recollect by Heather Barnett [London School of Economics]

As Independent Producer

• 2023 – Dissecting Aerial 2023 by Gravity & Levity. Two days of presentations, talks and practical sessions that investigate the body in motion, particularly while flying. Live and in-person in Brighton and live-streamed globally. Producing support. Supported by the Arts Council England and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. [Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton and online]
• 2022 – European Aerial Dance Festival 2022 by Gravity & Levity. UK’s only aerial training and professional development festival. Producing support. Supported by Worthing Theatres and Museum and the Arts Council England. [Worthing Pavilion]
• 2021 – HUMAN. by Fabula Collective Ltd. Choreographic triple bill by Christopher Marney, James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight. Creation and opening in Tokyo, Japan. Including strategic development of future pipeline of Japanese dancers. Supported by the Daiwa Foundation, The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and the British Council. Official event of the Japan Season of Culture in the UK. [The Pit, New National Theatre, Tokyo, Japan]
• 2021 – Why? by Gravity & Levity. Outdoor national tour. Commissioned by Norwich & Norfolk Festival. Re-creation with support from the Arts Council England, The Point, Fidget Feet and the Irish Aerial Creation Centre; and thanks to Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts and The Spire, Brighton. [Norfolk & Norwich Festival; Brighton Festival; Bell Square, Hounslow; Kensington and Chelsea Festival; Refract Festival, Trafford; Lincoln Performing Arts Centre; and Hat Fair, Winchester]
• 2019 – Urban Myths by Emma Vernon-Harcourt. Dance film research and development. Supported by the Arts Council England and South East Dance. [Pepperscombe Farm, Steyning]
• 2015 – Sheriff by theatre O. Research and development for new devised performance work. [Shoreditch Town Hall]
• 2015 – The Invisible Army 2. How do we better support our independent producers? Open space event as part of SOUPing research project. Co-host and Speaker. Supported by Empty Space. [Dance City, Newcastle]
• 2014 – Rites of War by Gravity & Levity. Created by Lindsey Butcher & Darshan Singh Bhuller with David Loyn. Creation and national tour. Co-commissioned by Stratford Circus and produced in association with The Point, Eastleigh and Luton Hat Factory. Supported by the Arts Council England. [The Lowry; Lighthouse Poole; Mobilisation Festival, Kendrew Barracks; Landmark, Teddington; Pontio, Bangor; Aberwystwth Arts Centre; Riverfront Newport and The Point Eastleigh]
• 2014 – The Powercut Compendium by Cartoon de Salvo. Directed by Neil Haigh. Creation and rural tour. Commissioned by Beaford Arts. Supported by the Arts Council England and Camden People’s Theatre. [Croyde Village Hall; Lee Memorial Hall, Lee Bay; Robertsbridge Village Hall; Bilsington Village Hall; Exeter Street Hall, Brighton; Drinkstone Village Hall; St Barnabas School, Tunbridge Wells; Burton Bradstock Village Hall; Buckland Newton Village Hall and Ashbrittle Village Hall]
• 2013 – The Secret Agent by theatre O. Created by theatre O and Matthew Hurt with the Company. Creation and national tour. Co-produced with the Young Vic. Co-commissioned by Warwick Arts Centre. Supported by the Arts Council England, Shoreditch Town Hall and the National Theatre Studio. [Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh; Young Vic; Warwick Arts Centre; Northern Stage; The Drum, Plymouth and West Yorkshire Playhouse]
• 2013 – Wide Awake Devon’s Associate Producer Scheme. Producer Mentor [Delivered remotely]
• 2013 – How to work with a Producer? Part of Associate Producer Scheme run by Wide Awake Devon. Speaker [Wake Awake Devon, Exeter]
• 2013 – A High Street Odyssey by Inspector Sands. Directed by Ben Lewis. Creation and national tour of site-responsive performances exploring the Great British High Street. Commissioned by Without Walls, Greenwich + Docklands International Festival and Watford Palace Theatre. [Norwich & Norfolk Festival; Greenwich + Docklands International Festival; Brighton Festival; Stockton International; Riverside Festival and Imagine Watford Festival]
• 2013 – Cyrano by Cartoon de Salvo. Research and development with French singer-song writer R.Wan (Erwan Seguillon). Supported by the Arts Council England and Shoreditch Town Hall. [Shoreditch Town Hall]
• 2013 – The Invisible Army. How do we better support our independent producers? Open space event as part of SOUPing research project. Co-host and Speaker. Supported by the Young Vic and the Arts Council England. [The Young Vic]
• 2012 – Mass Observation by Inspector Sands. Directed by Lu Kemp. Research and development stages (2010-2012), creation and initial tour. Commissioned by the Almeida Theatre and the New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich. Supported by The Corn Exchange Newbury. Developed with support from The Darkroom, Edinburgh International Festival, Southbank Centre, National Theatre Studio, Ovalhouse and Battersea Arts Centre. With thanks to Shoreditch Town Hall, The Michael Croft Theatre and the Mass Observation Archive. Supported by the Arts Council England. [The Corn Exchange Newbury and The Almeida Festival, Almeida Theatre]
• 2012 – Rock Pool by Inspector Sands. Directed by Lucinka Eisler. Research and development, creation and initial presentation for under 5s (and their adults). Commissioned by Sprout! (Farnham Maltings, Art Partnership Surrey and Take Art). Supported by the Arts Council England. [The Courtyard Theatre, London]
• 2012 – The New World Order by Hydrocracker Theatre. Directed by Ellie Jones. Reimagining and site-specific performances as part of Barbican BITE. Supported by the Arts Council England. [Shoreditch Town Hall]
• 2011 – Portrait of a Festival Goer by Inspector Sands. Creation of site-specific performances. Commissioned by the Southbank Centre. [Southbank Centre]
• 2011 – The New World Order by Hydrocracker Theatre. Directed by Ellie Jones. Remount site-specific performances as part of Brighton Festival. Supported by the Arts Council England. [Brighton Town Hall]
• 2010 – PARALLEL PLAY by Rules & Regs. Peer support and development programme. Participant. [The Nightingale Theatre, Brighton]

As Project Manager

• 2018 – Consider Falling by Sarah Howe. Brighton Photo Fringe OPEN18 Solo Prize Winner. Installation of new photographic, film and mixed media works for Brighton Photo Fringe. Supported by Metro Imaging and the Arts Council England. [ONCA Gallery, Brighton]
• 2018 – OPEN18 Shortlist Screening. Works by Alia Ali, Angeniet Berkers, Thom Bridge, Holly Britles, Luke Brown, Lisa Carletta, Victoria Fornieles, Emily Graham, Reinis Lismanis, Jonathan Lui, Tom Heatley, Paulina Otylie Surys, Joe Pettet-Smith, Tom Pope, Amelia Shepherd, Stephanie Taiber, Andreea Teleaga, Feiyi Wen, Christiane Zschommler and Qian Zhao. Coordination of competition, content and exhibition as part of Brighton Photo Fringe. Supported by the Arts Council England. [ONCA Gallery, Brighton]
• 2018 – OPEN18 Moving Image Showcase. Works by Chris Alton, Sarah Brown, Katie Carson, Cosima Cobley Carr, Juloia Goodlife, Juliet Klottrup, Alyona Larionova, Zong Jhan Li, Penelope Nailluje, Marcelina Pieniążek, Rhea Storr and Charlie Yetton. Coordination of competition, content and exhibition as part of Brighton Photo Fringe. Supported by the Arts Council England. [ONCA Gallery, Brighton]
• 2018 – Brighton Photo Fringe Outdoor Hub. Various photographic works including the OPEN18 Shortlist Showcase and OPEN18 – Participate, We Are All Connected. Temporary exhibition displayed on a scaffolding structure. Supporter by Metro Imaging Ltd, Colourstream, Wenban-Smith and Earthborn Paints. Funded by Arts Council England, Brighton & Hove City Council and Chalk Cliff Trust. [Hove seafront next to i360]
• 2017 – A King’s Appetite by Laura Ford. Commissioned by HOUSE Biennial. Exhibition of new sculptures. [Brighton & Hove Museum and Art Gallery]
• 2015 – Portraits of Dissension by Nathan Coley. Commissioned by HOUSE Biennial. Exhibition of new sculptures. [The Regency Town House, Brighton]
• 2015 – You Imagine What You Desire by Nathan Coley. Installation of existing work. [St Nicholas Church, Brighton for HOUSE Biennial]
• 2014 – HOST by Tim Crouch. One-to-one theatre performance designed to be shared, passed from one person to another like a relay baton. Supported by The Nightingale Theatre. [Victorian Bathing Machine on New Road, Brighton]
• 2014 – Caste/Cast by Leah Gordon. Commissioned by HOUSE Biennial (formerly HOUSE Festival). Exhibition of new photographic works. [The Regency Town House, Brighton]
• 2014 – No One Owns The Land by Ester Svensson and Rosanna Martin. Commissioned by HOUSE Biennial (formerly HOUSE Festival). Exhibition of new sculpture installation. [The Regency Town House, Brighton]
• 2013 – Heterotopias and Other Domestic Landscapes by Mariele Neudecke. Commissioned by HOUSE Biennial (formerly HOUSE Festival). Exhibition of new sculpture. [The Regency Town House, Brighton]
• 2013 – Tiny Games by Hide & Seek. Installation of a series of outdoor games around the streets of Brighton for Brighton Digital Festival. [Various locations around Brighton]
• 2013 – Digital Late by Brighton Digital Festival. Late night event of music and interactive games as part of Brighton Digital Festival. [Brighton & Hove Museum and Art Gallery]
• 2012 – Geographies of Seeing by Trevor Paglen. Exhibition of photographic works as part of Brighton Photo Biennial. [Lighthouse, Brighton]
• 2012 – PixelPyros by Seb Lee Delisle. Installation of outdoor interactive digital performance to launch Brighton Digital Festival. [Jubilee Square, Brighton]
• 2012 – Turning Point Summit. Coordination of national gathering of Visual Arts organisations. [City Hall, London]
• 2011 – Turning Point National Conference. Coordination of national gathering of Visual Arts organisations. [Towner Art Gallery and De La Warr Pavilion]
• 2011 – We Are No Heroes by Sean Tuan John. Outdoor live art performances running throughout the night. Commissioned by The Nightingale Theatre. [White Night Festival, Brighton]

As Consultant

• 2018 – St Martin’s Electric by Emil Eve. Re-development concept for St Martin’s Church in Brighton as part of an architecture idea’s competition calling for creative solutions that would respect the integrity of the under-used gothic revival structure, at the same time as adding new life and economic sustainability. Joint winners.

Academic Activities

• 2022 – Improving the Assessment Process for Students: Reflections on using audio feedback in assessment as a tool to improve the student learning experience for large student cohorts. Paper presented in collaboration with Dr Martin Bouette, Sarah Elwick, Mylinh Nguyen and Lara Coassin, University of Brighton Education & Student Experience Conference 2022
• 2021 – Efficient Assessment – Streamlining online assessment and developing tools to improve student feedback. Paper presented in collaboration with Dr Martin Bouette, Sarah Elwick, Mylinh Nguyen and Robin Englebright, University of Brighton Education & Student Experience Conference 2021
• 2019/20 – Business Opportunities & Skills Sharing (BOSS). Employability Pilot co-designed and delivered with Level 6 BA (Hons) Fashion Communication with Business Studies students at the University of Brighton