Independent consultant, speaker, and trainer specialising in artificial intelligence innovation through creativity and playfulness.
jocelyn@aiforculture.com
“Absolutely fascinating... a great introduction to AI.”
Terry Shay, Kew
“Jo was a fantastic facilitator who made me feel really empowered about how I might approach AI.”
Participant, Art Fund
Experience
Jocelyn Burnham (she/her) is one of the UK's leading independent artificial intelligence consultants, trainers, and speakers, specialising in AI innovation through creativity and playfulness.
She has been commissioned by organisations including Arts Council England, Tate, The Church of England, Art Fund, Shakespeare's Globe, RADA, Kew and Historic Royal Palaces to produce bespoke AI workshops and consultation projects. Her work has also been sought by industries and institutions beyond the cultural space, seeking to apply creative approaches to AI innovation.
Jocelyn has spoken on AI and its cross-sector applications at conferences organised by the British Library, the Arts Marketing Association, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and others. Her writing on artificial intelligence and its implications has been published in multiple sector titles, including Arts Professional and Clore Leadership.
Jocelyn was previously the Communications Manager of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, the Marketing Campaigns Manager of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, the Marketing and Communications Manager of Music Theatre Wales, the Publications Officer of Sadler's Wells, and the Marketing Manager of Sheringham Little Theatre, among multiple freelance marketing projects. She also worked as a freelance journalist, publishing with Time Out (London) and USA Today.
She currently serves as the South East Regional Associate for the Arts Marketing Association (AMA) and holds a BA in Politics with International Relations from the University of York.
For print media, she is represented by The Rights Factory.
Video credit (above): James Tucker Video for Brighton Chamber
Publications
Q&A with Jocelyn Burnham on AI in Arts and Culture | Chaptr (Nov 2024)
The AI Revolution in Arts and Heritage | Careers Unwrapped (Sept 2024)
Human leadership in an AI world | Clore Leadership (Jul 2024)
Heritage Innovation Diary: Winging it with purpose – co-creation | CultureHive (Jul 2024)
AI: Why the arts should choose playfulness over fear | Arts Professional (Nov 2023)
Neural Networks Will Change Television Forever | The Startup, Medium (Jun 2020)
The Art You Didn’t Know Existed | The Startup, Medium (Jun 2020)
Upcoming events:
“This was one of the most engaging and informative workshops I've attended for some time. There was a perfect mix of interactivity and learning, as well as the opportunity for open discussion and trying things out ourselves. [...] Jocelyn was the perfect host and I could easily have spent more time learning about AI.”
Jess, Digital Officer, Shakespeare's Globe
“Jocelyn presented a calm, expert and emotionally nuanced take on AI, which highlighted the importance of play and trying tools out. This really helped break down people's uncertainty around AI and the session left everyone with a practical and theoretical knowledge that they can take into their roles in the future.”
Mike Keating, Associate Director, Digital Experience, Art Fund
“An eye opening, energising introduction to the world of AI and a glimpse at what the future of AI in the arts sector might be.”
Marketing Team Member, Tate
“Jocelyn did a fantastic job of showing us what we could do with AI, in a playful and engaging way. She was patient with everyone’s views and questions, taking them in her stride while fostering a kind and inclusive atmosphere. I have come away with knowledge of new tools, a practical understanding of the direction AI is moving in and the confidence to experiment creatively.”
Katy Swainston, Kew
“Fantastic introduction to AI, pitched perfectly for someone who has only heard the headlines. I felt inspired to give it a try. Very balanced arguments, enjoyed the honest straightforward style and the lack of jargon.”
Heritage Pulse (National Lottery Heritage Fund) Member
“An exciting, objective and fun introduction to the complex world of AI. Presented with an open mind and the promotion of curiosity, it has sparked my interest in an entirely different way!”
Ant Blunn, Associate, RADA
AI Innovation through Creativity and Playfulness
My key principles:
I am neutral about whether AI is a positive or negative development for society or for your particular sector. I do not believe that learning about AI should feel like watching an advertisement for AI.
Instead, I champion the value of AI-literacy so your team can better develop their own perspectives and practices towards its applications.
Within this context, I believe that playfulness, fun and hands-on experimentation are powerful techniques for exploring AI, discovering new concepts, and encouraging innovation with colleagues.
Playful AI in action ⬇️
Created with Claude 3.5 Sonnet (coding) and Suno (music).
Created with Google Street View, Claude 3.5 Sonnet (image-to-text), ElevenLabs (text-to-speech), Udio (text-to-music), and Canva (editing).
Created with guitar and instruments (self-played) and Suno (music-to-music extend).
My services
I offer tailored, interactive and engaging AI training packages (and talks) for a range of organisations, delivered in-person, online or in hybrid formats.
These workshops cover:
Latest AI concepts, innovation and theory
Hands-on activities for learning and innovation
AI applications for working with data, images, video, music, and much else
Critical considerations in AI adoption
Sessions are designed to introduce concepts, evaluation frameworks, and promote self-directed learning. Content is customised to participants' specific needs and technical proficiency.
Workshops are typically delivered in three sessions, with each session building upon the concepts and practices attendees have been exploring. These can be delivered across a single day, or spread out across multiple days.
I also offer ongoing quarterly AI briefing packages for clients who would like to give their teams rolling opportunities to gain experience with state-of-the-art AI tools and concepts.
To learn more, please contact me at jocelyn@aiforculture.com.
FAQs
Q: Do you also offer sessions for individuals or businesses with no connection to the culture sector?
A: Absolutely. Although much of my work has explored how the culture and heritage sector might approach AI, the same principles are just as valid for any organisation or individual looking to develop AI innovation within their work.
Q: What are your fees?
A: As an independent freelancer without significant overhead, I’m able to offer workshop sessions at rates generally much lower than those offered by larger providers, and I offer significant discounts for registered charities or organisations receiving Arts Council funding. It’s best to reach out directly on email for a tailored quote.
Q: Are you available for public/ticketed events?
A: Yes! I’ve done public events before and I’m always happy to put together something unique and fun for a particular audience.
Q: Do you work internationally?
I do!
Q: We want to develop an AI policy for our organisation. Can you support this?
A: Let’s chat! If you work in the UK culture or heritage sector, you might find it productive to first explore this template AI policy produced by the Arts Marketing Association (in collaboration with multiple sector partners, including myself).
Q: Are you available to support artist residencies, for creatives looking to explore AI in their work?
A: Yes, I enjoy this! This type of support can be offered in lots of different ways, so it’s best to reach out so we can discuss a shape which could best fit your needs.
Q: Are you available for podcasts/editorials?
A: I love being on podcasts and I don’t charge for this! I’m also happy to discuss writing editorials but this will be on a fee basis.