Claire Doherty is an experienced senior cultural leader and former CEO with a long track record of shaping and delivering ambitious cultural programmes and complex public-facing projects. She now works in a discreet advisory capacity, supporting organisations, senior teams and leaders at key moments of strategic development, partnership-building and change.

Alongside directing and producing large-scale creative work, Claire has spent the past five years advising cultural organisations, universities and public institutions on strategic vision, commissioning models and place-based cultural development. Her advisory work draws on lived experience of founding and leading organisations, working with artists at scale, and navigating the realities of governance, funding, partnership and public accountability.

Clients have included: LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), Royal College of Art, Historic Royal Palaces, LUX Artists Moving Image, London Sinfonietta, Forestry England, Norwich Theatre and Rich Mix.

Areas of advisory support

Claire’s consultancy work typically takes the form of short, clearly scoped commissions or light-touch retainers.

• Creative and cultural strategy
  Supporting organisations to clarify purpose, ambition and direction at moments of change or opportunity.

• Creative clusters and anchor-institution support
  Advising universities and civic institutions on cultural strategy, partnership design and place-based initiatives, including creative cluster development.

• Cross-sector commissioning and partnership design
  Helping organisations shape robust, credible partnerships across culture, higher education, civic bodies and industry.

• Commissioning and place-based programming
  Advice on commissioning approaches, programme architecture and working with artists in public and civic contexts.

• Feasibility and early-stage development
  Stress-testing ideas, narratives and delivery models to support decision-making and funding readiness.

• Senior leadership mentoring
  Confidential mentoring for senior leaders working in complex institutional environments.

Ways of working

Claire is remote-first (with selective travel) and typically works across a small portfolio, offering a fresh independent perspective and critical support.