SALLY FORT

Sally created and delivered training in public engagement for University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Salford. The training was part of the National Beacons for Public Engagement programme which encourages universities to become more open to a wider diversity of people by improving public understanding of university resources and assetts, and finding new ways to hold conversations with all types of public groups and individuals.

Sally created and programmed the North West's first conference, held at Urbis in Manchester, surrounding the BSF scheme rebuilding all the secondary schools in the country. Specialists from Urbis, the Sorrell Foundation, CABE, Alsop Architects, and Architects from pathfinder BSF programmes were invited to speak and lead practical sessions. The aim of the conference was to position the potential of the scheme in the minds of local authority education advisers, planners and head teachers, to encourage them to be visionary in their approach.

Making Connections is Engage's annual training programme for early career professionals involved in visual arts education and gallery activity. They aim to share and promote examples of best practice in gallery education, and inspire innovation and a collaborative approach in the field.

Sally regularly facilitating these events, as well as researching, writing and updating the accompanying toolkits. To date this has included covering the following topics:

Working with schools
Working with young people
Working with crafts - makers and making
Cultural diversity and project management
Early years and family activity
Evaluation and advocacy

Sally was commissioned to research and write a module for Tate Liverpool's Higher Education network, and in particular the new Urban Education Masters at Manchester Metropolitan University. The module explored the role of the contemporary art collection, gallery and artist in facilitating learning and social development in areas of urban regeneration.

The SEA and Culture Online invited Sally to speak at and facilitate a session at the 2006 conference sharing the pilot project of the handheld digital learning platform OOKL (then MyArtSpace).  Sally was contracted as education and museums consultant for the MyArtSpace / OOKL project.

MLA NW and Arts About Manchester contracted Sally to create and deliver a seminar session for audience development professionals exploring cultural diversity in marketing and interpretation work.

Sally researched and developed content for the 2007 Engage International Conference for artists and gallery educators. Aims of the conference were to combine flagship Engage projects such as Enquire and Envision, with current practice in the UK and beyond, linking these together in settings of particular relevance and interest during the conference. Three themes were developed and presented to the conference steering group for consideration: international arts engagement practice; young peoples' voice; and newer mediums of arts engagement such as architecture, film and digital media. The panel selected the theme of international arts engagement practice.