Kit Friend CV kitfriendesq@gmail.com
+447815 170 697
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www.kitfriendesq.tumblr.com Skilled creative leadership with experience in strategy, management, technology implementation and governance. Recent employment highlights… Campaigns & Communications Officer at Students’ Union of the University of the Arts London (SUARTS) July ‘08-Present Senior leadership role in membership organization charged with extensive roles in development. Within the Union and our parent institution taking a core role in improving communications technology and strategy, successfully lobbying for the allocation almost £0.5million of investment to this area. Took an active role in the SUARTS executive, providing direction through restructures of departments and a groundbreaking collaboration with a partner organization. Impacted locally and nationally on the development of arts education. Also took on the following additional roles... Chair of Finance and Resources at NUS Services Ltd Non-executive Director on the board of multi-million pound business (www.nussl.co.uk), duties have included chairing the Finance & Resources committee, and deputising on the Business & Enterprise committee, examining possible growth areas and new development opportunities for the company. Core activities included work on development of membership extranet, national skills agencies and business seed funding. Founding Chair of the Arts Group Key player in the founding of the first Mission Group to represent Creative Students across the UK (www.artsgroup.org.uk). Recognized innovator and representative consulted by bodies across the sector including Skillset, Skillfast, Creative & Cultural Skills, Arts Council England, BBC Breakfast News and the Guardian. Partnerships and working relationships formed across the student movement and within the sector and government including working with the Higher Education Academy and New Deal of the Mind. Prior Employment Freelance Creative September 2004 - July 2008 Variety of services including graphic design, photography, brand consultancy and visual identity development, special effects assistance, and jewellery design and production. Clients and businesses I have worked with include the BBC, Aukett (Now Aukett Fitzroy Robinson), The Model Unit, London Festival Orchestra, London Medical Orchestra and independent commissions. Volunteering & Community Engagement including... Local Authority Governor at Oak Lodge School October 2009 - Present Appointed by local authority party to contribute to local special school with particular speciality in provision for children on the Autism Spectrum. Charged with specific responsibility around supporting and developing leadership and management, as well as liaison with the Local Authority. Partnership Governor at Hendon School November 2009 - Present Appointed by governing body, assigned portfolio dealing with curriculum development and training of the governing body. Regular input onto decisions surrounding estates, employability and links with Higher Education. Creative Director at With Feeling June 2006 - July 2007 Voluntary position contributing particularly to project based in Bucharest, Romania. The project aimed to plan the building of a day centre for street children in the city suffering from high levels of solvent and heroin addiction, and frequently engaging in sex work from a young age. Engaging with a number of young architects and designers, the project was awarded a sponsored exhibition in London Design Festival 2007.
Education Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, University of the Arts London BA Hons Arts Design and Environment (Artefact Pathway) 2.1 | 2005-2008 Foundation Diploma in Art & Design inc PDA in Welding Distinction | 2004-2008 Whilst studying was elected as a course, school and college level academic representative, was a delegate to the National Union of Students’ Annual and Liberation Conferences, and sat on the Students’ Union Council. Hendon School 1997-2004 GCE A-Levels in Art (A), English Literature (A), Design & Technology (A) and Psychology (B) GCSEs 7A*s & 3As including Japanese Whilst at school actively engaged in broader opportunities including forming part of an international relations mission to Nepal to support their conservation activity. Formed part of the first cohort of the school to learn Japanese (one of the first state comprehensive schools in the country to do so), taking part in complimentary activities including calligraphy, meeting Crown Prince Naruhito, and ultimately completing a stay in Tokyo living with a Japanese family. Achieved one of the top 5 marks in the country in GCSE Graphic Design. Other training & Skills… Broad bespoke and group training including: Financial Management in Schools Barnet LEA 2010 Public Speaking Training YBF 2009 Frontrunner Common Purpose Leadership Development 2009 Trustees Academy NUS 2009 Active Political Leadership NUS 2008 Action Through Advocacy NUS 2008 Graded in sports and activities including: PADI Rescue Diver British Academy of Stage & Screen Combat Stage Combat Level 1 (Bronze award) Sanjuro Martial Arts Instructor Level 1 Training IT Literate including MS Office & Open Officer, Mac and Windows Operating Systems, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Sketchup, Wordpress and other Content Management Systems, and a range of webtools including regular blogging/microblogging and strategic implementation of social networks (flickr, youbtube, facebook etc). Politics Active campaigner and activist in the Conservative Party and its youth win, Conservative Future.. I take a keen interest in positive action particularly in the areas of equality and social mobility, the arts, and education. Taken on the following related activities during my involvement in the party. Chair of Culture at the Bow Group November 2009 - March 2010 Led policy committee on Culture at the oldest centre-right thinktank in Britain. East Finchley Ward Candidate for Local Council January - May 2010 Selected to stand for local elected position, challenging local opposition Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in their ‘home ward’. After committed campaigning with volunteers I was able to almost double the vote that equivalent candidates in the previous local election. Other interests… Politics Music & Dance (keen fan of Ceilidh)
Theatre Literature Art & Design
Photography Fire Breathing Martial Arts
References available on request, testimonials available at
Scuba Diving Travel Food & Wine
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