I assessed the impact of exchange programmes between Scotland and European countries from 2019 to 2023, with Ellen O’Hara and Lynsey Smith. Given the constraints of the budget and timeline, the research involved a survey and focussed stakeholder conversations. This approach surfaced tangible outcomes such as new collaborations, publications, networks, and residencies resulting from the exchange. It also highlighted the value people derived from international collaboration and its lasting impact on their creative practices.
I had the pleasure of collaborating with Historic England on their ambitious HSHAZ initiative, a £95 million scheme aimed at revitalising over 65 high streets across England. My role involved developing an evaluation framework and tools to capture the impacts of the culture and community programme. My approach prioritised incorporating feedback from stakeholders to ensure that the initiatives being rolled out would be relevant and effective for them.
Building upon the new Cultural Strategy, I enjoyed delving into the vibrant creative landscape of Essex. Commissioned to map the county’s creative hubs, I conducted a literature review, developed a database of creative hubs, and engaged stakeholders through surveys and conversations. The report provided recommendations to foster creativity, innovation, and economic growth. It also shared insights from Essex’s talented creatives, showcasing their unique contributions to their communities.
I evaluated Tresorys Kernow, a £579,853 UKCRF heritage project aimed at revitalising ten towns and villages across Cornwall. The project sought to test how culture could strengthen places during shoulder months, mitigating the effects of seasonality. I developed a monitoring and evaluation plan, logic model, and surveys. I also engaged stakeholders through workshops and conversations to ensure their input was considered. The resulting report provided recommendations for future community renewal efforts in Cornwall.
I provided guidance and support to a team of Indonesian researchers tasked with mapping creative hubs in Jakarta, with Ellen O’Hara. The research was particularly urgent in light of Borneo becoming the new capital of Indonesia. My responsibilities included advising on field-work methodologies, directing researchers to relevant resources, peer-reviewing and analysing the collected data. I also produced a comparative study between the UK and Indonesia, identifying opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration.
I assessed the uptake and impact of a new digital outreach scheme that sought to better engage with young people in Chichester who might face barriers to visiting the museum in person. I made the most of available resources by designing a focussed survey and collaborating with the delivery team for an internal review. The resulting summation highlighted successes and provided insight to enhance the museum’s reach within their community.
In my role of project manager, I supported UK and Russian curators to deliver an enterprise programme 30 Russian creatives spanning various sectors such as architecture, jewellery design and fashion. Over 6 months, participants engaged in weekly workshops, lectures, and mentorship sessions tailored to their needs. I coordinated logistics from communication, guest speaker invitations, curriculum development to co-hosting virtual events. It was truly rewarding to be part of their journey as they grew their careers and
pursued their passions.
I sought to capture the role that creative hubs play in the development of a rural economy, with a focus on Cornwall’s unique context. Together with Ellen O’Hara and Ceri Gorton, I centred on the perspective of local creatives, fieldwork included public consultations workshops, surveys, and interviews. A literature review was conducted to align findings with the prevailing policy landscape. The report highlighted how public intervention can fuel innovation and growth by supporting hubs, allowing them to advance further.
I conducted an evaluation of the Market Hall,
a £14,829,277 initiative funded by the ERDF, which involved transforming a disused Grade
II listed building into a creative workspace.
Real Ideas spearheaded the revitalisation after decades of neglect, alongside implementing an enterprise programme to support local small businesses. To assess the initiative’s impact in Plymouth and on stakeholders, I conducted desk research, in-depth interviews, and a survey. The resulting report provided insights into the project’s effectiveness and offered guidance for future initiatives.
I embarked on an exploration of England’s creative landscape, mapping and analysing its array of hubs to understand how they support their communities, with Ellen O’Hara. Through literature reviews, data mapping, workshops, and tailored surveys, I engaged stakeholders, sharing findings and recommendations to enrich the British Council’s cultural policy impacts, supporting creatives nationwide.
“Working with Deepa over the past two years has been an absolute pleasure, as she provided invaluable support to our evaluation team. She has demonstrated outstanding evaluation and communication skills. Her strongest skill set lies in her ability to logically structure complex and dispersed information; and to collate and disseminate the information in visually attractive and precisely communicated reports, infographics and presentations. From developing evidence led theories of change, to designing monitoring frameworks, surveys and reports, I highly recommend Deepa for anyone seeking high quality evaluations.”
“We were delighted to work with Deepa on our ‘Mapping Creative Hubs in Essex Report’, one of the first key deliverables from our Cultural Strategy. The report is already being used to help and inform our creative sector with projects and funding approaches and will be invaluable moving forward as we plot our own work against its findings and recommendations. It was a pleasure to work with Deepa on the report whose in-depth knowledge of report writing, data collection and analysis and consultation was vital to its success, as was Deepa’s calm, friendly and professional approach to delivering the project.”
“I worked closely with Deepa on a project, mapping the creative hubs and creative practitioners in Jakarta back in 2022. It was my first time working with Deepa but I have heard many positive things about her past work with other British Council colleagues and had been eager to work with her too. Deepa is extremely professional and has consistently delivered, even when the project faced setbacks or challenges she was able to be flexible without discounting the quality of her work. She has been a pleasure to work with and I cannot recommend her enough to other clients/partners.”
