I am a creative and experienced arts and culture writer with lots of experience in marketing, audience development and communications. Previously I was Marketing Director and subsequently Development Director at Cecil Sharp House in north London, where I led on key projects including communications strategies for major arts commissions, and redeveloping the organisation’s fundraising. This builds on lots of experience in communications, creating copy and marketing strategies for various national charities and at the London School of Economics. I am now self-employed as a writer and specialist in content-led audience development and communications. My writing about art and culture regularly appears in various publications including The Wire and Tribune. Recent clients have included The Modernist Society, Siobhan Davies/BALTIC, artist Andy Holden and Heavenly Records.
I was an artist in residence at Wysing Arts Centre throughout 2018, and I am currently working on my first book for Faber & Faber. I am a current FACT/Jerwood Fellow, working on a new commission for 2021. Writing is my first love and at the heart of everything I do. I work quickly, efficiently and I love new challenges - I'm available for freelance work now, so let's have a chat if you have any interesting projects coming up. As well as art, I also love music, food, fashion and I know lots of good jokes.
I'm on Twitter @tessanorton and on Instagram @veryspecificvideotapes
Projects
- Excavate: The Wonderful & Frightening World of The FallFaber Social announce acquisition of Excavate: The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall, edited by Tessa Norton and Bob Stanley, for publication in March 2021. Over the course of their forty-year career, which ended abruptly forever on 24 January 2018, The Fall were consistently one of the most fascinating and unique groups Britain has ever produced, and frontman Mark E Smith was arguably the country’s sharpest lyricist. This will be the definitive book on The Fall’s world. Excavate: Th
- All His Ghosts Must Do My BiddingWysing Arts Centre, 7 July - 25 August 2019 I've produced an artists book containing the experimental essay I wrote on my residency at Wysing, which will be launching at the gallery's 30th anniversary summer exhibition in July, alongside many terrific beauties and legends - Elizabeth Price! Tai Shani! Heather Phillipson! A dream tbh x
- Cecil Sharp HouseI work part time as Development Director at award-winning venue Cecil Sharp House and its parent charity, the English Folk Dance and Song Society. As head of department, I write all the organisation's fundraising copy, spanning print, online, social media and paid advertising. I am leading on a flagship project funded by Arts Council England's catalyst fundraising scheme - on course to unlock over £100k worth of extra funding for the folk arts by Autumn 2019.
- London's Hottest Grassroots Arts Spaces!Mischievous self-organised mail art project, distributed in all copies of Art Monthly May 2016 and at various arts institutions. A guide to four of London's Hottest Grassroots Arts Spaces: A&E at the Whittington Hospital, The Rockingham Arms at Elephant & Castle, the N55 bus and Tiger in Wood Green. Guerrilla arts criticism is the future!
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Work history
WriterFaber and Faber
London, United KingdomFreelance
Co-Editor with Bob Stanley of a major book about The Fall: https://fabersocial.co.uk/2019/04/09/excavate-the-wonderful-and-frightening-world-of-the-fall/
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WriterThe Wire magazine
London, United KingdomFreelance
Freelance interviews (inc. Metahaven, Marianna Simnett) and reviews (exhibitions, albums, books).
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Skills
- Writing
- Arts
- Music
- Cultural Criticism
- Editing
- Copywiting
- Social Media
- Marketing
- Marketing Strategy
- Copywriting
- Ad Copywriting
- Media Relations
- Strategy
- Public Relations
- Press
- Art Criticism
- Art Writing
- Print Management
- Communications Strategy
- Strategic Communications
Education