Ruth Churchill Dower
Ruth Churchill Dower is the Director of Isaacs UK, a cultural and education consultancy with an international remit to pioneer strategic learning networks for groups and individuals from the cultural and educational sectors. Isaacs provides specialist support in areas of early years, arts in education, learning networks, professional development, evaluation and impact assessments, and designing knowledge management systems across Europe and beyond.
Recent commissions include Co-Directing and Programme Managing the European Cultural Entitlement Conference, Catalyst, (also the first national conference of the Regional Cultural Consortium's England as part of the UK's EU's Presidency 2005); designing the regional Early Years Strategy for Arts Council England, Yorkshire; publishing research into International Creative Practise in Early Years Settings; managing Earlyarts, the north west regional learning network for arts and early years practitioners and policy makers; and undertaking organisational reviews leading to cultural change for companies in the arts and education fields.
Previously, Ruth was Head of Lifelong Learning at Metier, the National Training Organisation for the Arts and Entertainment Industries, Arts Officer for Norwich City Council; and managed Dacorum Borough Arts Scheme, a professional development programme for artists in schools.
Over the years, Ruth has written, validated and taught BA, HND, BTEC and GNVQ peforming arts and media, marketing and business development, and arts administration courses at University of Hertfordshire, University of East Anglia, Norwich School of Art and Design and Norwich City Council.
She has also published a range of papers, articles and guides in the areas of creative practice in early years, different approaches to lifelong learning, online learning and knowledge management.
Ruth is an active board member of Yorkshire Culture and associate member of EFAH (European Forum for Arts and Heritage) and ENCATC (European Network for Cultural Arts Training Centres).
Ruth originally trained in Theatre (BA Honours), dance and music and also enjoys visual and media arts. She lives in Yorkshire with two children and spends any free time indulging in her (and her family's) obsession with paragliding.
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