Lucy Medhurst
Mentor ┃Freelance Arts Consultant┃ Critical Friend
I am a freelance arts consultant, mentor, and fundraiser based in Kent, with extensive experience in strategic leadership, partnership development, and community-focused arts.
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About
I’m a freelance arts consultant with over 25 years’ experience in strategic leadership, organisational development, partnership building and fundraising across the cultural sector. My work is rooted in a deep commitment to art that is relevant to people, place and environment, and in the belief that co-creation and shared decision-making lead to more sustainable and meaningful outcomes.
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Most recently, I was Director of Ideas Test, one of Arts Council England’s original flagship Creative People and Places (CPP) programmes. Over four transformative years, I led the organisation through a full change proces, securing independent charity status, building a new Board and delivery consortium, and successfully novating from the original grant holder. I left in 2022 having achieved NPO status with funding to 2025, and a clear succession plan in place.
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Now as an independent consultant, I support organisations as a critical friend, mentor, adviser and fundraiser. My clients include:
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The National Gallery, London – co-authoring a national research report for the Gallery’s 200th anniversary celebrations with Elizabeth Lynch
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Creative Basildon CPP – serving as critical friend and strategic advisor
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Seed CPP – designing and facilitating consortium and staff away days
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Ideas Test – ongoing fundraising strategy and support
"Extremely helpful, with targeted questions to aid the conversations, insight and knowledge to offer, and inclusive."
Session feedback, Seed CPP Away Day, August 2022
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Earlier in my career, I held senior roles including Strategic Manager at Artswork, where I brokered significant non-arts investment in cultural education, and Head of Education and Interim Director at Stour Valley Arts, a pioneering forest-based arts organisation. I have delivered large-scale programmes, led national conferences, and developed strong cross-sector partnerships throughout the South East and beyond.
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My MA in Arts and Cultural Management (awarded with Distinction) focused on experiential learning in land art contexts, and I’m a founding Director of Outdoor Studios CIC, a thriving artist-led organisation specialising in arts and ecology.
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I also bring lived experience as a community artist, school governor, and parent, and I’m a trained wallpaintings conservator (ICCROM Rome / Canterbury Cathedral). I currently volunteer with the Bookmark reading charity and sit on the Advisory Board of Sun Pier House in Chatham, Kent.
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What I Offer
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Strategic consultancy & organisational development
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Fundraising & income generation planning
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Co-creation & community engagement processes
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Critical friendship & board development
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Mentoring for cultural leaders and emerging practitioners
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Facilitation of workshops, consortiums and away days
Testimonies and feedback
Consultant Lucy Medhurst who was commissioned by Gravesham Borough Council to deliver a comprehensive report on New Tavern Fort in Gravesend. A big part of the work was about community engagement, face to face and online consultations, to understand how the Fort was being used in his current form, and how it could be used in the future, making it sustainable and more diverse in its offer. We wanted to build a strong case and vision for the site, ready for the submission of an Expression of Interest to National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Lucy really embraced the challenge, wrote the EOI (which got recently approved by NHLF) and produced a thorough report that will help drive things forwards. Her engagement with stakeholders, local organisations and community players enabled us to develop and build working relationships and ensure a future for New Tavern Fort. It was a real pleasure to have Lucy on board and being part of this journey. She showed professionalism and diplomacy, and an open mind when exchanging ideas and we hope we get to work with her again.
Virginie Whittaker ┃ Tourism and Heritage Manager ┃ Gravesham
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Maria and I just wanted to thank you all for your willingness to be part of this journey and for the conversations, input and feedback into developing the application.
Special thanks our consultant Lucy Medhurst for her detailed engagement, commentary and editing of the application as it unfolded.
Professor Tracey Reynolds ┃ Director of Institute for Inclusive Communities and Environments (ICE) ┃ University of Greenwich
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I've had the immense pleasure of collaborating with Lucy on a variety of projects over many years. Lucy tirelessly works to serve the communities that she is working with. She listens to the needs of the various stakeholders and thoughtfully weaves together different strands to achieve successes on all levels - from strategic frameworks to grassroots projects. Her vast experience means that when she is mentoring / feeding into organisation’s strategies she can deftly solve problems, and help to clarify ways of communicating the needs of the organisation. She’s not afraid to challenge in order to get the best results on her projects, making her an invaluable collaborator.
Terry O'Donovan ┃ Dante or Die
I've known and worked with Lucy for more than a decade, initially through a pioneering partnership project with KCC, Public Health and cultural organisations to support young people's wellbeing. Latterly, I commissioned Lucy to write a substantial Arts Council bid on behalf of EDC for which I really appreciate all the hard work that went into making sure it was a success. Lucy is incredibly knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with.
Laura Bailey┃Cultural Development Manager ┃ Ebbsfleet Development Corporation
I just wanted to say a big thank you from me and all of the team, steering group and Board for the fantastic session you led for us on Wednesday. The feedback since has been great. Having you there gave the whole session a lot more gravitas as you have gone through it and you facilitated what is a really difficult subject really well. Thank You!​
Emma Horsman ┃Director┃ The Cultural Spring ​
Extremely helpful, with targeted questions to aid the conversations, insight and knowledge to offer, and inclusive.​Very well led by Lucy, kept it focussed and interesting.​I liked the approach which I'd describe as 'less is more'. Only intervening when appropriate, giving everyone lots of space and opportunity to contribute​As a member of the team it was a fantastic opportunity to sit and listen to everyones thoughts, ideas and opinions of Seed and the work we deliver/support/commission. Listening to different ways we can work together and utilise skills across the consortium.​​​​​​
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Seed CPP team consortium and Board members - Away Day feedback