Meet our team: Clancy Mason, Libraries Relationship Manager
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Clancy Mason is a Relationship Manager (RM) for libraries, based in our Manchester office and covering the north of England. She has been working at the Arts Council for one year.
What’s an unusual/interesting thing about you?
I started playing drums when I was 13 – I was a drummer in a punk band called Violet for more than 10 years.
What’s your favourite memory of arts or culture?
When I was eight I made a patchwork tortoise, which was displayed in the Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool as part of the annual schools exhibition. I was so proud I took my mum to see it five times that summer – I still have it too!
What are three key parts of your job?
I advocate for libraries and all the brilliant work that they do. I help them connect with each other and with other organisations. A large part of my role is supporting libraries to develop their ideas, so they’re in a strong position to build robust project grant applications.
What did you do before working at the Arts Council?
I’ve done lots of different things. When I was studying for my Arts degree I had a job as a tram and bus conductor in Blackpool… ‘tickets please’! After graduation I moved to London where, amongst other things, I worked at The Holland Park School.
I continued to work in the education sector, then I fancied a change and moved to Tokyo to train in judo for two years at the Kodokan (International Judo Institute). I also taught English there and I’m proud that there is a group of my Japanese students who now speak English with lovely northern vowels!
On my return I worked for the NHS and then for Blackpool Council as the Arts Engagement Manager. I then moved over to the library service as Reader Development Manager, co-ordinating the libraries cultural programme and co-directed Wordpool, Blackpool’s arts and libraries festival of words. Whist doing this I coordinated Time to Read, the north west libraries reader development network.
Why did you apply for your role?
The role felt like an exciting opportunity for me. I’m incredibly passionate about libraries and how they complement arts and culture and vice versa, and I wanted to play a part in supporting and influencing the library sector.
What’s the best thing about working at the Arts Council?
I feel a real sense of pride in seeing any advice and guidance I’ve given be put into practice.
What are three things you’ve learned from working here?
- People at the Arts Council do stuff! Everyone has secret lives and hidden talents. I really like teasing this out of people.
- I know lots more about other artforms now, thanks to my Relationship Manager colleagues.
- People are passionate about their pets. As soon as I mention I have a dog, people are quick to whip out their phones to show me pictures of their own dogs / cats / goats / bees / horses – I think I’ve seen everything!
What do you want to do in the future?
Apart from securing world peace and marrying Tom Hardy? I want to continue to play my part in ensuring that libraries are thriving and vibrant places to be enjoyed by all.
