Beccy Shoesmith has driven creative economy development in complex contexts around the world for over 15 years.
She is used to navigating cultural, social and political differences, having advised on programmes in contexts from the Middle East, East Asia, Latin America and Central Asia (to name a few).
Experienced in removing obstacles in a sustainable way, she can get to the heart of a problem, working with diverse communities and bringing them together around a common goal. She excels in letting different voices be heard, creating a safe space for resolution.
Beccy has worked with numerous governments around the world to advocate the importance of creative economy policy development, as a way to both stimulate the economy and promote sustainable and inclusive livelihoods. Some examples of her experience include: a major initiative in Mexico where one of the biggest barriers was breaking down the distrust between creative practitioners and the state government; building a creative entrepreneurship training programme in Egypt where creative education provision was lacking and only available to a privileged few; connecting maker movements in the UK and China, promoting creativity and experimentation as a move towards the government's shift from ‘Made in China’ to ‘Designed in China’ and building a programme supporting creative hubs in Vietnam that were under constant threat of closure due to lack of support from local authorities, capricious landlords and a lack of suitable business structures.
Beccy has a network that gets to the heart of communities in a way that google can’t. Spanning the globe she will almost always be able to find who you are looking for - whether it is a maker in Shenzhen, an entrepreneur driving policy development in Kyrgyzstan, thought leaders in global creative economy development or government officials in Turkey.
Beccy led the British Council’s Creative Economy team for several years. She has partnered with organisations such as the AHRC, Nesta, the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, Hivos, as well as numerous international organisations and governments.