Sue Smith

Background

About Sue Smith

Over 25 years of experience working in creativity and culture with a love for dance and the performing arts. My work is grounded in my personal and professional values; courage, creativity, kindness and collaboration. I am passionate about putting into action my belief that creativity and culture can be transformational and that inspiration and quality lie in the most unexpected places. I am a skilled communicator and I work to nurture mutually respectful relationships in my creative practices to engage, stimulate and facilitate the widest range of voices. I believe that art and culture have a critical role to play in global economies but also that they can reflect and reveal real lives across the broadest spectrum of experience and make meaningful contributions to the biggest questions of humanity and what it means to be alive. I was Executive Director at Dance in Devon Jan 2015 - July 2021 and have steered the charity through challenging times to ensure its joyful and far-reaching dance work continues to bring connection, creativity and purpose to communities across Devon and Torbay. I have worked extensively with communities, health and social partners including; Devon and Cornwall Police, Peninsula Cancer Network and social care. Recent consultancy projects include; Board Development with Graeae Theatre Company, co-design of a creative leadership programme for care home managers in Devon and company development with CandoCo Dance Company. My inter-disciplinary choreographic projects include film commissions, site sensitive performance and gallery events. I am a Clore Fellow (2017) spending my secondment at the Royal Opera House. I completed a research project (AHRC/Clore) supervised by Kings College London Business School and Deborah Bull looking at institutionalisation and innovation in performing arts. I am Course Leader for Dance at Falmouth University working across dance, theatre and contextual practices. I was a Rayne Fellow (2006), Choreography Lecturer at Dartington College of Arts (2007-2009) and completed a practice-led PhD (2015) at Falmouth University. I have worked across the UK and internationally as a performer with choreographers including Wendy Houstoun, Emilyn Claid, Nigel Charnock and Siobhan Davies. I trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance (1992), was a founding member of CandoCo Dance Company and received my MA Choreography (2009) Dartington College of Arts and PhD ((2016 Falmouth). I am on the Board of Directors of Gecko Theatre Company, Totnes Young People's Theatre and Wheelfever Projects.