About Jade French

​I am an artist-facilitator, museum professional and practice-led researcher whose research interests emerge from practical experience of running inclusive and community-led projects in museums and galleries. My work broadly examines access and participation within the arts and museology, and over the past two years this has focussed on devising applied methods to enable public participation in the curating of exhibitions, collections and artist commissions.

​I have particular expertise in collaborating with learning disabled people within the cultural sector, underpinned by experience in disability advocacy and social care roles. I have practiced as an artist-facilitator for over 10 years, working with a range of learning disabled artists, inclusive arts organisations and supported studios internationally to create programmes, exhibitions, artworks, research and policy.

​I was appointed a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Fine Art, History art and Cultural Studies where I am teaching and writing a monograph for Arc Humanities Press titled 'Inclusive Curating in Contemporary Art: A Practical Guide'. In addition to my academic work, I am Community Engagement Coordinator at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum working on a Wellcome Trust funded project that focuses on developing the civic role of the museum in a location identified as in the 5% most deprived areas nationally. I have undertaken independent research evaluations and reporting for organisations such as DASH, Artlink and Hull City of Culture 2017 and in 2018 I undertook The Firestation Artist Studio's International Curator Residency in Dublin, Ireland.