Consultancy
As a freelance consultant I have worked across a number of projects for clients including Apples & Snakes, BeatGeek, the British Museum, the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, EmpathyLab, Forward Arts Foundation, Poetry by Heart, Poetry Translation Centre, and World Book Day. I've advised at all stages of project development: from designing programme models, sourcing funding, delivering activity and providing independent evaluation.
“We are delighted to work with Tom on several different projects for our charity. Tom is thorough and efficient, smart and tenacious. He grasps contexts and issues quickly and has a real ability to get complex points across verbally and in writing. Tom’s work with us has been extremely successful and we are looking forward to continuing to work with him in the future.”
Clients include:
The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
Photo and banner image credit: Ellie Kurttz
I have worked with CLPE since 2016 to develop their programmes and secure funding to support their work. This includes:
Reflecting Realities
Reflecting Realities is an annual research study to evaluate the extent and quality of ethnic representation in children’s publishing. It is the first ever survey of its kind in the UK. In 2018 it published it's first results, revealing that just 1% of main characters in children’s books are BAME, compared to 33% of the primary school-age population who come from BAME backgrounds.
The Reflecting Realities programme now involves a publishing internship scheme and sustained professional development for teachers around representation and the importance of text selection.
“While experts in the UK have pointed to a “huge problem” [in representation] for some time, until now the relevant statistics have not been available.”
The CLiPPA Poetry Award
The CLiPPA Award, is only annual prize recognising excellence in published poetry for children, and which engages over 4,000 children a year through the award shadowing scheme; culminating in the annual CLiPPA Poetry show at the National Theatre.
“Today was life changing for my young poet. He told me exactly which car he’ll buy with his future £1000 winner’s cheque.”
Power of Pictures
Power of Pictures is an innovative programme using picture books as the basis for whole-school approaches to low literacy levels. It underwent a randomised control trial by the Education Endowment Foundation which found it improved writing self-efficacy and creativity equivalent to one month of additional progress.
Forward Arts Foundation
Forward Arts Foundation is a charity that aims to widen poetry’s audience; honouring achievement and supporting talent. It coordinates National Poetry Day, runs the annual Forward Prizes for Poetry.
I have worked with Forward on strategic planning, event management of their National Poetry Symposiums, and website management for development work to nationalpoetryday.co.uk.
“Tom’s report is invaluable: it gives us insight into perceptions of our role and a blueprint for further improvement. It is a strong foundation on which to build collaboration between literary, literacy and poetry organisations.”
In autumn 2016 I was commissioned to produce a strategic review of National Poetry Day. Consulting with sixteen key partners within the poetry sector, the resulting report reviewed the operational processes by which Forward Arts Foundation engaged with UK poetry organisations to deliver the National Poetry Day campaign, making recommendations for change.
Poetry Translation Centre
I worked with the Poetry Translation Centre to develop the Sarah Maguire Prize; a biennial award to showcase the very best contemporary poetry from around the world, and to champion the art of poetry translation. The Prize is awarded to the best book of poetry from a living poet from Africa, Asia, Latin America or the Middle East in English translation, published anywhere in the world. Winning poets and translators divide a prize of £3,000.