International Health Humanities Network Membership

After graduating with a Dual Honours in French & English Literature from University of Oxford, Polly spent the first ten years of her career working in economic development.  This work was varied and evolved into brokering international relations, including sustained regional alliances and into regional cluster development for the digital and animation sector and associated youth enterprise schemes.

Over the same period of time, Polly invested in campaigning for improvements to renal services and presented at all of the professional fora in this field, as well as engaging with amateur arts activity on Tyneside.  She won various awards for her charitable work and became the lead representative for the Department of Health on renal services.

In 2003 Polly took up a unique joint-funded post between Arts Council England and Public Health North West and in 2005 she was awarded the King’s Fund Clore Leadership Fellowship.  For her research Polly focussed on international best practice relating to arts, mental health, adolescence, and situated her findings in the social economic context of the drive for growth and increase in inequalities.

From 2006 Polly started to work as a freelance consultant, initially in Paris on European projects, and then moving to Liverpool to advise on NHS investment in the social legacy to European Capital of Culture.  This led to a major citywide programme of activity focussed on health and wellbeing in 2010, and to the largest ever street theatre show in Liverpool.  Polly continues to develop her role as a producer with a number of UK and international artists and has published a number of articles and book chapters relating to her work.