Action Learning Associates

Richard Blanco

Richard’s family came to the UK from Spain in the 1960s and he grew up in the East Midlands. He studied Theatre Studies & Visual Arts at Lancaster University and gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Dance Studies from the Laban Centre in London. Richard began his career as a Community Dance & Drama worker and taught and managed projects in a wide range of settings, mostly in inner London.

His work included a three year artist residency at London Borough of Lewisham. He then turned a disused town hall in Greenwich into Greenwich Dance Agency where he was Director from 1992-96. Work included setting up the charity, creating the programme and services, securing revenue funding from a range of sources and setting up management and staffing structures.

Since 1996, Richard has worked primarily as a Trainer and Consultant. His training work covers a broad range of Human Resources, Management and Diversity programmes in the private and not for profit sectors, plus local authorities and the NHS. Consultancy services have focused on organisation development , facilitation, staff development and forward strategies.

Richard has ensured his own training and development to maintain and sharpen his skills. He was a member of one of the first RAB Leadership Skills for Senior Arts Managers in 1994 and has undertaken many short courses on a range of topics. He was a member of London Arts Action Learning 1994-8 and has served on Arts Council of England & London Arts panels and a number of boards. He has also worked in Television and Theatre Production and has written two short plays.

Examples of recent training, facilitation and consultancy work include:

• Creative Partnerships
  Facilitated action learning sets for Creative Partnerships staff across the country as an Action Learning Associate.
• London Borough of Haringey
  Facilitated 20 staff consultation workshops on council re-structure into Customer Service centres, 2000.
• Shisha – South Asian Visual Arts & Craft Agency, Manchester
  Managed business planning process, wrote plan, project managed set up of new organisation 1999-2001.
• Association of Greater Manchester Authorities/North West Arts Board
  Consultative report with recommendations on the support and development of cultural diversity in Greater Manchester 1998-99, ‘No Difference – No Future’.
• Chinese Arts Centre
  Options Analysis in 1998 leading to document ‘Which Way Forward’. HR Strategy, Board Development & Artistic Strategy 2002.
• Yemeni Community in Liverpool
  Managed bi-lingual consultative process for North West Arts Board to identify cultural aspirations of Toxteth based community, 2001.
• Producer & Project Manager at Watermans Arts Centre, West London then Interim Director
  Produced Pantomime and Manipuri version of Macbeth on River Thames 1999-2000.
  Managed 35 staff and arts centre during challenging 7 week transitional phase between Directors in 2001.
• Major Training Programmes in 2002-3 for:
  London Borough of Newham, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Primary Care Trusts, Unilever plc, The Scottish Parliament.