Meet our team: Sarah Reed, Senior Capital Officer
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What does your role involve?
One of my key responsibilities is to monitor Large Scale Capital projects we have awarded, from drawing up funding agreements through to the construction process and completion of the project. The job includes so many elements from liaising with the solicitors in our legal team to meeting with project managers, architects and project boards. Site visits also mean donning a hard hat, big boots and climbing around on scaffolding, so a head for heights can be useful!
Tell us one unusual or interesting thing about you
I sew and make many of my own clothes. I love couture designers like Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, but I’d rather recycle and reuse ordinary materials or bring thrifted fabric back to life in a new way. One of my favourite summer dresses from last year was made from charity shop curtains bought for £3.50.
What was your career like before you joined the Arts Council and what made you apply here?
I’ve worked mainly in marketing and business development roles. My previous roles included working at an international consultancy advising sports professionals and artists on finance. I was also UK Business Development manager for a large construction consultancy.
I applied to the Arts Council because I wanted to bring together my experience in business and organisational development, capital projects and the arts and culture sector. I applied to be an arts officer when the Midlands area had been awarded its first major round of capital funding for new arts buildings including Nottingham Contemporary, New Art Exchange, Quad, Curve and others.
What’s your favourite memory of arts or culture?
It’s so hard to pick just one! I would have to say going back to my old university city for Hull City of Culture. It was great to see Hull buzzing with arts and cultural experiences at every turn. From the incredibly moving immersive theatre experience ‘One Day, Maybe’ to an underground Victorian toilet, ornamented with exquisitely made porcelain weeds. Magical!
What’s the best thing about working here?
Working with interesting, highly engaged and knowledgeable people. Being able to work flexibly and have a good work life balance, so I can feel as though I’m doing the best I can both at work and at home. Being able to learn new skills and share them with others.
What have you learned working here?
We want to make our capital projects accessible and provide inclusive buildings and spaces for arts and culture, so I’ve recently done an Access course with the Centre for Accessible Environments, to include Access Auditing and the Equality Act.
What do you want to do in the future?
I’d like to continue to support the arts and culture sector to find new ways to be resilient, realise ambitions and take risks. I’m also considering how to further apply my Access training to the organisations I’m working with. I want to make sure the arts and culture sector is leading on inclusive design and access for disabled artists, audiences and people in the workforce.
