Alicia has shown a talent for enabling people to reach solutions and maximise their potential via facilitation, good listening and active questioning. When we first interviewed Alicia for the role of Creative Agent in May 2008, she demonstrated an intuitive understanding of the teaching and learning for creativity ethos, particularly in terms of facilitating learning rather than imparting knowledge. She has shown a consistent eagerness to develop new skills such as coaching and creative evaluation.
Alicia is a self-reflector and demonstrates the ability to learn and grow from experience. She has the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly.
She has directness and honesty about her that is invaluable when combined with her positive approach to working.
I therefore consider Alicia to have great leadership potential, as she has a talent for unlocking creativity in others and maximising their potential. She understands the power of team work and the importance of the individual's ownership of a task. Her demonstration of leadership is about facilitating a team to achieve a goal, rather than a more hierarchical model of leadership.
When faced with a challenge, Alicia's flexibility and creative approach to leadership means that she will inevitably facilitate a solution to an apparently insurmountable problem. In terms of the action research she manages on the Creative Partnerships programme, she is aware that there is always some learning to be gained, no matter how fraught with problems a project may be.
Alicia is used to dealing with people ranging from primary and secondary school senior leadership to creative practitioners (often from the arts world). Her role as Creative Agent means that she is able to bridge the gap between radically different worlds able to "translate" the jargon into a universal language for the benefit of all.
Alicia is good at making connections. She applies her learning across her work in a holistic way.
She is willing to disseminate her learning and is keen for other people to benefit from what she has learned. She has also identified the benefit of working with others from whose experience and practice she can take some learning, via observation and questioning.
Alicia's enquiring mind and reflective approach means that her learning evolves and develops in a way that can only be useful to Curious Minds and the Creative Partnerships programme.
Alicia is self-analytical. She is fully aware of her skills and experience and willing to identify gaps and then take steps to address these.
Alicia's motivation and strong sense of purpose can enthuse and inspire her professional colleagues, she is passionate both about specific skills and the impact and benefits they have on the bigger picture particularly in terms of teaching and learning for creativity.

Jane Evans-Woodason, Programme Manager, Curious Minds