NLCF 1st residential 2014 – Brief biographiesof deliverers
Martyn Allison
Martyn was National Advisor for Culture and Sport with the Local Government Association (formerly IDeA) between 2005 and 2011. In the six years he was in this role he oversaw the development and implementation of the Culture and Sport Improvement Strategy: A passion for Excellence and was responsible for the delivery of a wide range of improvement activity across the culture and sport sector in local government and its partners.
Prior to his appointment in April 2005 Martyn was seconded to Sport England where he assisted with the development of their national performance indicators and oversaw the development and implementation of the TAES self assessment framework.
At the time of his secondment Martyn was Assistant Chief Executive with Leicester City Council where he had been responsible for corporate and performance management across the council for over seven years since the council became a unitary council in 1997.
Martyn’s early career was spent in leisure and recreation management as Deputy and Director of Leisure at Leicester City Council, Chief Recreation Officer at Scunthorpe Borough Council, and Head of Outdoor Sport at Coventry City Council.
Martyn was Chair of the ILAM children’s play panel and for many years was an advisor to the ADC.
Martyn now runs his own company providing management improvement support to the culture and sport sector, is an associate of the Local Government Association and a Chartered Fellow of CIMSPA.
Liz Blyth
Liz Blyth is an independent consultant and arts practitioner.
For 5 years to March 2016 Liz was Leicester City Council’s Director of Culture and Neighbourhood Services and her responsibilities included arts, museums, libraries, community services and sports as well as partnership development and cultural strategy. During this time she collaborated with partners to successfully raise the national and international profile of the city including leading Leicester's bid for UK City of Culture in 2013. She developed the City Council's response to the discovery of King Richard III, including the award winning visitor centre and the reinterment of his remains. She also led various museum redevelopment programmes, Leicester's Olympic and Rugby World Cup programmes and the Council's partnership in a new Community Sports arena. During this time she held Board positions at Curve theatre, the National Space Centre and Leicester City Football Club Community Trust. She remains a trustee of the King Richard III Visitor Centre Trust.
From 2002 to 2010 Liz was Leicester City Council’s Cultural Strategy Manager and from 1997 she was seconded part time as the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland champion for the Cultural Improvement Partnership East Midlands (CIPEM). In 2009 Liz became CIPEM’s Director on a part time basis, leading the local government improvement programme until it completed in 2011.
Liz has experience in the cultural sector, health and social care, international development and neighbourhood renewal. She is a qualified youth and community worker, has a MA in Management, Organisation and Change and an ILM Executive Diploma in Management. She is also a graduate of ‘Leading Learning’, the national leadership programme for culture and has authored chapters for two Open University books on inter-professional working in health and social care.
Liz enjoys living in Leicester and is a passionate advocate for arts and culture locally and beyond. In her free time she enjoys travel, theatre, music, literature and cooking for friends.
Ian Fytche
Ian Fytche is Chief Executive of North Kesteven District Council. North Kesteven in Lincolnshire is a large rural area, characterised by significant population growth. The Council has made impressive progress in relation to community leadership, economic development and regeneration. The Council is a leading investor in social housing, and has won awards for the design and sustainability of its housing projects. North Kesteven is also a leader in leisure development, modernising its sports centres to deliver a more commercial product delivering higher levels of physical activity and better health outcomes.
Ian has a strong track record in partnership development, having co-ordinated the Lincolnshire Improvement and Efficiency Partnership, delivering efficiency savings of £20million. He currently leads the Central Lincolnshire Partnership, focused on Local Plan preparation, economic development, housing strategy and infrastructure provision.
Prior to joining North Kesteven, Ian was Director of Operations and Performance at Sport England, where he led for the organisation on the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium, the development of strategy for sport in England, and a range of other high profile, complex projects. Ian has a background in project and programme management in central and local government settings, and in the construction industry.
Ian is married to Jennie, and they have two children. He is Chairman of a local secondary school Academy Trust and a regular contributor to leadership development programmes in the leisure and charity sectors. He is a keen sports fan and a long suffering supporter of Peterborough United.
Sue Isherwood
Sue runs an independent cultural consultancy, C3, specialising in strategy development, leading change and facilitation for problem solving across the culture and voluntary sectors.
For 11 years Sue worked in and with local government, developing cultural strategy and delivering major programmes around creative industries, libraries restructuring, arts education and rural regeneration.
From 2002 to 2007 she was Chair and Strategic Lead for the National Association of Local Government Arts Officers (nalgao – now Arts Development UK). This gives her excellent knowledge and networks across the third sector and local government field in England and Wales.
She has had a long career working mainly at national level for such organisations as The Arts Council, The British Film Institute and the Royal Photographic Society where she specialised in media, visual art and education development.
Since the mid 70’s she has taught on cultural and women’s studies and arts policy courses at a number of universities and has managed arts organisations in the literature, media and education sectors.
She is currently Chair of Arts and Health South West , Vice Chair of Voluntary Arts and a board member of S W Forum, Western Community Leisure and several small media, social interest and women’s health organisations in the South West
George Levvy
George’s career has spanned the public, private & voluntary sectors. He began working life as a doctor and switched into management via medical publishing. After three years as general manager in a marketing services group, George became Head of Marketing & Communications at the British Red Cross in 1991.
In 1995 George was appointed Chief Executive of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, leading it through a period of rapid change and growth to become a widely recognised and respected charity.
George has been in management consultancy since 2005 focusing on the work of leaders and top teams. Working in all three sectors, his clients have included Citizens’ Advice, City & Guilds, the Government of the Republic of Tanzania, the International Institute for Environment & Development, the International Livestock Research Institute, the Medicines & Health care products Regulatory Agency, Microsoft, NAVCA, NCVO, Nokia, Oxford Brookes University, the RSPCA, Sanofi Pasteur andthe Science & Technology Facilities Council.
George is a Senior Consultant with Compass Partnership and Principal Consultant & Visiting Fellow at Cass CCE, specialising in strategy, change and the work of leaders and teaching new and aspiring chief executives in the voluntary sector. He has taught at Ashridge Business School & Oxford University.
Vivienne Tyler
Educated in Leicestershire and Berkshire - leading to an honours degree in Social Studies (main subjects Politics and Economics) from Liverpool University.
15 years in printing industry covering general commercial work through to complex full colour work. Involved in sales, production direction and management.
1987 Northern Ballet Theatre - 2 years, first as Development Manager, then Business Manager. Organised successful high profile campaign to safeguard NBT's Arts Council grant.
1989 E. Chambré Hardman Trust -1 year fixed term contract as Development Manager of photographic trust/potential museum, still involved on a voluntary basis.
1990 to present - Manager of Business in the Arts:North West.
An independent charity providing business support services to the arts and museums primarily using management volunteers from business and the professions. Responsible for overall management of organisation. Developed and piloted the Board Bank programme and a specialist in board development work. Delivers a Mentoring programme and also arranges mentoring programmes for other organisations.
Other activities have included:
1984-91 Board Member of Merseyside Arts, a regional arts funding body. First as an advisory committee chair and Arts Council nominee; Chair 1989 -1991. Member of various committees including Personnel, Equal Opportunities and Policy & Finance.
1991 to 2000 - Board Member and then Chair of the TEAM, arts marketing agency.
1991 to present – Chair of Governors of Liverpool Community College, a large general FE college. Also chairs Search & Governance and Remuneration Committees. (Vice Chair from1996, Chair from 2007)
1995 to 2004 - Member of Advisory Committee of Granada Foundation
2006 to 2009 – Company Secretary of Storey Creative Industries Centre in Lancaster
Has also sat on other Boards including Open Eye, a photography gallery in Liverpool, and Handstand Music Theatre Ltd.
Vision Juice – Paul Birch and Chrissie Godfrey
Paul Birch
Paul is co-Director of Visionjuice and a Change and Creativity consultant who worked for British Airways for 18 years in roles such as Mergers and Acquisitions, marketing and financial planning. As the controversial BA Corporate Jester, he was able to challenge much of the set thinking that permeates most modern organisations.
As a Consultant, his clients have included blue chip multinationals, Local Authorities, sports and arts organisations and academic institutions. He chairs the Board of his local Arts Centre, and is the author of nine books on creative thinking, leadership and organisational change.
Chrissie Godfrey
Chrissie is co-Director of Visionjuice with Paul, moving into consultancy after a 15 year career in arts management. Roles included arts centre management, Local Authority arts officer, arts consortium director and FE/HE lecturer as well as Board chair for a regional dance company.
Her consultancy approach is one of facilitation, helping individuals and groups find the solutions they need for themselves. Her work has centred on the South West, working mainly with small and middle scale arts organisations as well as teaching and coaching on a range of cultural leadership programmes.
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