About my Work
The world we live in does not stand still and change is the only certainty we have. My work assists individuals and organisations to adapt to change through personal and organisational development. I seek to make a difference.
I aspire to help organisations become more resilient and sustainable and believe that this will develop from the people that work within them as well as the other assets the organisation has. I use my expertise to develop people and organisations and work to empower others to make the desired changes.
“What clients require on occasions .... is a ‘transformational partner’ or ‘organisational coach’, who neither tells them what they already know or sells a pre-packaged solution, but who helps them realise their potential by ‘walking alongside’ and sharing their multiple experience as a guide, challenger and supporter.” (Hawkins &Smith 2006)
My work stems from a passionate belief that culture and the arts can change people’s lives. I can help you and your organisation to move forward in a bespoke and innovative way.
My Approach and Services
My experience as a consultant and senior leader within the arts and cultural sector is diverse and extensive. My working methods focus on change and transformation and I work closely and flexibly with clients to determine the best solutions and develop a programme of work that is cost effective, pragmatic and deliverable and that incorporates the most appropriate approaches and methods tailored to need. I work and aim to build capacity in all that I do. I am used to dealing with organisations and budgets of all sizes
As an independent consultant, I normally carry out all work myself and offer the assurance that when you commission Susanne Burns Associates you will always have me leading the project. When a project requires a larger team or a broader range of skills, I work with colleagues who offer complimentary skills – recently Posy Jowett (In Harmony Alumni Research) and Tamsin Cox (Co-Creating Change Network).
I offer a wide range of services :
- Evidence, Learning and Evaluation;
- Research;
- Change management;
- Organisational development and change;
- Developing and evaluating Networks;
- Business Models and collaborative/ partnership working between organisations;
- Writing and Publications;
- Strategy Development;
- Coaching, Mentoring and Action Learning Facilitation;
- Training;
- Leadership Development
Values and Ethics
My practice has always been informed by values that include transparency and openness, honesty and integrity. I have found that this mitigates conflict and enables solutions to be found should any occur.
- I work with clients in a confidential manner. I will respect the confidentiality of all business information shared with me in the course of a contract and will not disclose this information to a third party.
- I treat all people with respect and when consulting within an organisation or carrying out qualitative research will not attribute comments to an individual in writing but will render findings anonymous unless given permission to do otherwise. If information is attributed to an individual in writing, it will always be cleared with the individual before publication.
- I will respect the brief in any contract, working with the client to ensure timely delivery against required outputs and will ensure that any project is scoped appropriately at the onset to ensure it is feasible within timescales and budgets. If necessary and welcomed by the client I will work with them to reshape and refine the brief to ensure the most effective outcomes.
- I will maintain regular and open communication with clients to ensure that the consultancy process is smooth, transparent and open and that the integrity of the work is protected throughout.
- I will ensure objectivity is maintained throughout any contract and will ensure my position as external expert is not compromised.
- I will deliver work of the highest quality possible and will ensure that at the end of a contract the client is happy with the outcomes of the work.
Churchill Fellowship
In 2017 I was awarded a Churchill Travel Fellowship to visit the USA and Australia to explore entrepreneurial solutions to support artists working in participatory settings. This research led to a report and during my travels I blogged about the journey and the learning.
Artists are largely self employed portfolio workers – micro businesses – providing services to organisations, commissioners and public agencies. There are more than 250,000 of these artists across the UK providing services that enable others to participate in artmaking and they are largely unsupported and self sustaining as businesses. Their work lacks both economic and social stability and yet, society depends on them to deliver impact in health, criminal justice, education and community settings. The UK is a major innovator in this field of artistic practice and yet, we still have not found the entrepreneurial solutions to monetising and stabilizing it to generate greater social and intellectual capital and greater stability for the artists upon whom it depends.
During my two months travelling across the USA and Australia I connected with key leaders and practitioners who were engaged in developing and supporting artists who carry out participatory arts practice. I wanted to explore diverse models and support structures including institutional models of support and those working independently of them – such as unions, collectives, hubs and colonies – and meet individuals who were leading thinking. The blog is a record of this learning.
https://supportingartistsblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/to-travel-in-search-of-solutions/
https://supportingartistsblog.wordpress.com/
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