Action Learning Associates
Joanna Ridout
Joanna has spent the last 18 years working for a variety of local authorities, arts venues, festivals and touring theatre companies and is now an independent consultant, working mainly with charitable arts organisations in development, staffing, fundraising and business planning. Work also includes training in fundraising, interpersonal skills and work with regional and national organisations to develop strategies to make the arts sector more effective. Experience as a Trustee/Director on several Boards has given her significant insight into the challenges of charitable governance and wider voluntary sector issues.
For about 15 years Joanna has also volunteered with Samaritans, locally as a regular listener, as a national trustee and as part of a regional training team in the South of England, devising and delivering residential and day courses in interpersonal, organisational and teambuilding skills.
Action Learning (for the past eight years) has brought together Joanna’s approach to personal and organisation development , through the powerful understanding it enables in allowing individuals the space, with strong peer support, to find their own routes through challenges they face in both practical and personal ways.
Stylistically, Joanna’s work starts with individuals, adapting to different styles in facing their own and wider challenges and working together with them towards creative, open, constructive and practical solutions.
Recent work has included:
- Action learning facilitation with the Independent Theatre Council (ITC)
- Independent team facilitation (Board/Staff awayday)
- Mentoring for visual arts development (Hampshire County Council)
- Devising and delivering training in fundraising and organisational planning (ITC)
- Business, strategic and organisational planning with performing arts organisations
- Evaluating a national pilot in young people’s theatre development (Arts Council, England)
- Working as part of a consultancy team with government departments in supporting export of the performing arts (ITC, DCMS and UKTI)