Action Learning Associates

Katie Venner – senior associate

With an extensive background in arts and leadership initiatives Katie has held senior posts in voluntary and public sector organisations as well as providing organisation development consultancy with local authorities, public sector bodies and creative businesses. A creative and original thinker, Katie has for the past seven years been working as a coach and change agent.

Action Learning facilitation and training

A highly experience action learning facilitator Katie is currently facilitating sets for Arts Council England and Cultural Co-Operation but more often Katie now delivers accredited action learning facilitator training. With Ruth Cook and Di Bligh she developed the well received Leadership Facilitation Skills programme for the Cultural Leadership Programme. Recent customers include Creativity, Culture and Education, Devon County Council, British Council (Beirut) the RQIA, Belfast and Partners in Creative Learning.

Katie delivers experiential workshops introducing action learning at conferences and seminars. Katie's group facilitation includes planning, visioning, reflection, team building and problem-solving with voluntary sector boards, senior management and project teams in the public and private sectors.

Consultancy and experience

Katie has contributed to a range of research and evaluation programmes. Her research interests include learning histories and the use of image making in reflecting on organisational change, on which she presented papers at the UFHRD conferences in 2009 and 2011.

Katie is the author of 'Developing facilitative leaders; action learning facilitator training as leadership development', in Action Learning in Practice (4th edition) Gower, 2011, and the co-editor of A Cultural Leadership Reader, 2010, Arts Council England.

"Katie was amazing. I found her approach comforting and yet challenging. She was an inspirational facilitator and has made me want to learn more about action learning and facilitating."
Lindsey Gregory, Operations Manager, Creative Partnerships

Qualifications

MSc (with distinction), Surrey University, 2008, in Change Agent Skills and Strategies, Research project in inter-organisation collaboration and action learning
Accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) to deliver action learning facilitator training (2008)
MSc (Dist), Surrey University, 2008, in Change Agent Skills and Strategies, Research project in inter-organisation collaboration and action learning
FACET5 accredited
BA Hons University of East Anglia, History of Art & Film Studies
Reiki Master

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