Heritage Education & Engagement

Head and shoulders of Jo wearing a grey and white Tudor-style hat and a matching dress.

Creative educator & community engagement practitioner

I deliver cross-curricula formal & leisure learning sessions in all sorts of environments including museum galleries, schools, & outdoor wildlife habitats. I'm used to teaching a wide range of ages & abilities. I cover a variety of subjects while specialising in history.

When teaching, my emphasis is on experiential, enquiry-led learning underpinned by good factual knowledge, plus the essential ingredient of fun. To that end, I can be playful & I'm happy to don costumes if required! I currently teach on a freelance basis for several museums & would be delighted to add your heritage site to my repertoire.

Researcher & learning resources/interpretation developer

My work includes researching & creating learning resources. These range from using archive material to reveal 'hidden' histories ('Snapping the Stiletto' project) to accessible museum events ('relaxed' openings). To give further examples, I've worked on separate projects for one museum which have included a new user-led interactive outdoor site trail, a World War Two schools' session, & three schools' loans boxes for each of the main Stone Age periods.

Girl holding a bright pink and blue, sparkly, home-made mask on a stick in front of her face.

Activity planner & deliverer

I run family learning activities such as holiday drop-ins with themed 'making activities' at their core. I make any topic interesting & enjoyable! Recent ones at various sites have included everything from dinosaurs to Suffragettes!

My expertise in accessibility means that I always consider this & can tailor what I do to particular audience needs. For example, I've devised & run a successful crafting programme aimed at people experiencing anxiety, depression &/or social isolation.

I believe in involving service users & communities whenever possible. As City of London Learning Officer, I developed & successfully promoted a brand-new programme. This included setting up a Teachers' Forum to advise on the offer to schools & working with local groups to provide adult learning opportunities. I'd be pleased to share my experience.