Amber Walls is en-vision Development Coordinator for engage and Programme Manager - Arts and Young People for City Arts, Nottingham

‘I wanted to be a dancer until I was 15 and then a ballet costume designer from age 15. I was obsessed with the Diaghilev Ballet Russes who had some rather fabulous and saucy designers. I had a school placement with the Royal Ballet costume department, and then went to art college. (My parents and school all thought I was bonkers and should have been aiming to be a teacher or police woman!). At art college I got sidetracked from design and ended up on a university Fine Art degree. This proved to be invaluable for gallery education (e.g. understanding art and artists’ practice).

‘After leaving university I worked as a freelance artist and then took a full-time job as a Project Worker in a centre for adults with mental health issues, supporting user-led activity and decision-making, and some creative activities.

‘I spent a couple of years facilitating workshops as a freelance artist with local groups and occasionally used local galleries for ideas. I went on to do an adult education teacher training course and developed a project based on a touring exhibition in a local gallery. I discovered gallery education was a profession through sourcing information for the project.

‘After this, I decided I wanted to be a gallery educator and completed a PGCE (secondary) and organised a placement in a gallery. After graduating, local galleries offered me freelance education work which quickly became full-time and I eventually gained enough experience to apply for a gallery education post. Since then I have worked in gallery education and participatory arts, and in the last three years specialised in youth arts practice, developing practice with at-risk young people in particular.

‘What I enjoy most about my current job is that it is always a challenge. I love the interface between arts and people, facilitating new and amazing (sometimes life-changing) experiences. I love the diversity of activities and people involved, working with fantastic people, art, artists, and organisations. It is a very sociable job.

‘The part I least enjoy is the slow progress in making things happen within institutions and the reluctance within the arts to challenge the status quo.

‘My future interests include research - demonstrating the creative, social and economic value of participation in the arts, and working to improve and increase practice.’