About Me

I am a freelance consultant dedicated to supporting arts and heritage

organisations to flourish.

With over 30 years’ leadership experience across heritage, arts and culture, both in the West Midlands and nationally, I bring extensive skills, strategic expertise and insight.

I apply this experience in my freelance consultancy practice, supporting museums, arts and heritage organisations to deliver visitor/audience-centred, policy-informed, sustainable experiences that balance public engagement with organisational resilience.

I have particular experience in strategy development, governance at a time of change and investment development and funding applications.

I was most recently Strategic Partnerships Manager at The National Archives, where I worked with BOP Consulting to co-author the Government’s Vision for Archives.

I’ve previously held senior roles at Birmingham Museums, Herefordshire Museums and Arts Council England. My contribution to heritage includes winning the National Gulbenkian Award for Visitors with Disabilities at Hereford Museum, championing the integration of museums into Arts Council’s funding programmes achieving significant museum investment, and recently co-authoring the Government’s Vision for Archives.

“Isabel understands that the source of any type of success are great relationships. I recommend tapping into the deep well of Isabel’s expertise. It might just be the best business decision you ever make.”

Andrew Lovett

OBE, CE Black Country Living Museum

I bring a deep commitment and almost 30 years of knowledge and experience of Charity Governance. My roles have included Vice Chair of Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau, and three terms as a nationally elected member onto the Museums Association Board.

I am currently Co-Vice Chair of Music for Youth (an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation) and Chair of The Stringcredibles, supporting young people’s access to music.

I also support Ex Cathedra (an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation) with their fundraising.

I am a qualified coach and trained mentor for the Museums Association AMA scheme.

Away from work

I love choral music and gardening. I’ve supported choirs for many years, including Ex Cathedra, and I’m always happy to talk about music, plants, or both. If you’d like gardening advice alongside your strategic planning, just ask!

I have supported choral music for many years, including Birmingham-based Ex Cathedra. More recently, I commissioned Alec Roth to write A time to be born and a time to die, to be performed and recorded by Ex Cathedra.

Gardening has been a lifelong passion, combining my love of creativity and the outdoors. It allows me to indulge my attention to detail in both planting design and, perhaps less glamorously, an enthusiasm for thorough weeding.

In memory of my father, I helped create The Churcher House at Birmingham Botanical Gardens: a tufa alpine house for growing challenging alpine plants.