RECOGNISING THE VITAL AND SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION OUR ALUMNI MAKE
After completing her BA (Hons) in Design Crafts in 2001 Amy was keen to develop a career in arts and events. A zero-hours contract at Tullie, Carlisle's home of culture, was the start of an impressive 21-year career, which saw Amy working in every facet of the museum. Amy is now the Head of Strategy and Capital Programmes, leading on the Tullie Future Plan, one of the North of England’s most ambitious museum redevelopment programmes.
Visionary leader shaping the North's Arts & Culture
Born in St Albans in 1979, Amy moved to Cumbria with her family at the age of five. She grew up in Caldbeck and went to Caldew School in Dalston. Amy had a very creative upbringing, with parents, Annie and Peter, making sure she and sister Grace, grew up surrounded by theatre and live music.
Amy studied at Cumbria Institute of the Arts. Starting with a Btec Diploma in Art Foundation, she completed her BA (Hons) in Design Crafts graduating in 2001. A module which involved organising an event to sell artwork, helped Amy realise her passion wasn't only in creating art, but in making arts and culture relevant in society.
After university, Amy travelled and worked managing bars and restaurants. She had a vague idea of getting into events, but had no clear plan or resources to take risks.
In 2004 Amy got a job as a gallery assistant on a zero-hours contract at Tullie. Tullie is the city’s museum and art gallery, the home of culture for Carlisle. Working her way from the ground up Amy has a unique perspective on the organisation, having worked in every element of the museum.
Amy is the kind of person who says yes to things. She believes in putting herself forward and doing the things that scare her. She has a strong work ethic, working until the job is done to the highest of standards.
As a gallery assistant she put herself forward for all exhibition installations, working with couriers from national museums and learning the best practice firsthand. Next, in 2005, she gained a secondment in the city council’s business events tourism unit. An arts admin role followed a couple of years later, in 2007. She worked on major events, such as Brampton Live, the North's largest folk and roots festival. She also set up the Monday Alternative film programme. Later, partnering with the British Film Institute to fund a film festival at Tullie.
Amy was also designing again, producing and creating exhibitions across two spaces at the museum. Amy worked her way up from exhibitions and events assistant to manager in 2011, then programming manager before her appointments as head of programmes and projects and then head of programme and development around a decade ago, in 2014.
Amy has been at Tullie 21 years, and she jokes she has likely had 21 different job titles in this time. Some of her career highlights include; working on exhibitions showcasing the work of icons such as JMW Turner, Anselm Kiefer, Banksy and Turner Prize winner Keith Tyson. She created a highly productive patron’s scheme. Developed long-standing relationships with major national institutions as well as international partnerships. Amy was awarded the Carlisle Cultural City award in 2014 for delivering high-quality exhibitions and innovative late-night museum events. She was recently invited to give a talk on design at the Barbican Centre in London.
Her current role is Head of Strategy and Capital Programme. She leads on all stages of Tullie’s major capital investment project. She developed the Tullie Future Plan and has just completed the second phase, and continues to lead the next two phases of the museum's £15 million redevelopment. Her work is transforming Tullie into a top cultural organisation for 21st-century visitors, really putting Carlisle and Cumbria on the map.
Despite her significant achievements, Amy is very modest, highlighting that her success comes down to teamwork. Amy has a vision for the future of Tullie and has identified a way to make it happen phase by phase, hard work on top of hard work.
Tullie feels like home for Amy and is more than just a job – her work and personal life often blend together. You'll find her enjoying festivals, gigs, or exhibitions with family and friends. Amy is passionate about making Carlisle a more vibrant and cultural place to live. A key part of what drives her is creating opportunities and jobs for creatives in the cultural sector, and seeing people thrive in the arts.
Find out more about Tullie and the ambitious redevelopment programme here https://tullie.org.uk/