Anna Ledgard is a producer, project manager, researcher, lecturer and professional development leader with 25 years’ experience shaping collaborative participatory arts practice with schools and arts & cultural organisations. Anna’s main interest is in the careful facilitation of learning partnerships across disciplines and sectors and in teaching about creative learning and partnership in education. Anna is a Secondary School governor and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
As an educationalist and producer Anna is interested in the practical, ethical and educational responsibilities of artists and educationalists when working in close participation with communities of participants, whether in schools, hospitals or any other context. Everyone has a tale to tell if nurtured with care and attention to detail. In the hands of artists who use metaphor as a poetic tool, theatre has the capacity to transform individual narratives, to re-engage audiences with their own narratives, as well as revealing something new about our connection with each other.
Recent work includes arts and science participatory projects with artist Sofie Layton and Evelina Children’s Hospital (2012). Anna has developed a body of work with artist Mark Storor: For the Best in collaboration with Evelina Children’s Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and schools, artists and communities in London and Liverpool presented at the Unicorn Theatre in June 2009 and in association with Unity theatre, Liverpool in 2010; Visiting Time (2004) and Boychild (2007) in partnership with Dorset County Hospital and schools, prison, communities and individuals in West Dorset. Anna was an associate of LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) initiating a wide-ranging programme of national and international collaborative projects and professional development (1992 – 2007).
As a professional development leader and trainer Anna designs continuing professional development programmes for established artists, bringing them together with partners from other sectors to develop learning and creativity in partnership. She is currently mentor to Dublin’s Helium Arts Cloudlands Arts and Technology project in 3 hospitals in Ireland http://www.helium.ie and evaluator on Dorset County Hospital’s Blood Makes Noise with artist Peter Snelling and the renal unit.
Anna is currently leading the Eastfeast www.eastfeast.co.uk Professional Development programme accredited by Suffolk Anglia Ruskin University (2005 – 2012).
From 2004 – 2008 in association with LIFT and CapeUK. Anna led the development and validation of TAPP (Teacher Artist Partnership Programme) a research programme exploring the joint professional development of teachers with artists accredited by Institute of Education, London University. Anna can tailor individual professional development programmes following the principles outlined in the TAPP research.
Anna was director of LIFT’s Continuing Professional Development initiative LIFT Teacher Forum (1999 – 2004) and co-ordinator of the Animarts Action Research Programme (2002 – 2003) www.animarts.org.uk