About Lucinda Harvey

Lucinda is trained in HR and theatre and has huge experience of working in the performing arts as well as a passion for the arts in general.  This combined expertise and understanding allows her to advise on a whole range of HR issues in the entertainment industry. 

Since 1993, Lucinda has worked in theatre production, human resources, welcoming disabled people and events. With her many years of experience in advising upon, creating and negotiating terms and conditions, she has expert knowledge of employment relations used in the theatre, opera and ballet world.

Lucinda has worked in both subsidised and commercial theatre, in the West End and across the UK, before moving to Manchester from London in 2015. She now works with small, middle and large-scale dance, opera and theatre companies as well as museums on all things difficult - devising tailor-made solutions, contracts and policies.

Employment Relations


Lucinda advises Boards and Executive teams in theatre, opera, ballet, museums and arts businesses, from small to large,  on best practice and behaviours and guides them through the process of making any changes.

Lucinda acts as a guide and strategist for executive teams wishing to change working conditions and pay.  She audits existing contracts, house agreements, collective agreements and staff handbooks against statutory employment law requirements and national benchmarks for a range of clients. She advises on the disadvantages and advantages of what might be asked for, the options available to the client along with any negotiation strategies and the process required to implement any changes.  Lucinda then re-writes the documentation as required.

Previouly from October 2008 until July 2015, Lucinda was Head of Employment Relations for The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre (UKT).

Whilst there she negotiated with Equity, the Musician’s Union, BECTU and the Writers’ Guild on terms and conditions for actors; stage managers; musicians; technicians; front of house, box office and stage door staff; choreographers; designers; directors; fight directors; ballet dancers; opera singers; writers and guest artists in the West End and throughout the UK.

HR Advice


Lucinda advises on restructuring and change management, dismissals and redundancies.  She has evaluated roles and responsibilities through interviews, consultations and documentation. She identifies the position with biggest positive impact and least detriment before providing documentation, costings, briefings and advises on risk mitigation.

Lucinda provides day-to-day HR support and independent HR advice, including employment law, on a range of day-to-day matters of managing people within the confines of law and best practice advising on how best to resolve issues. She has devised several policies and procedures as well as appraisal systems.

 

Investigations


Lucinda’s work has involved many extremely complex and difficult investigations.  These situations involve a specific disciplinary or grievance procedure or arise from a complaint or concern being identified. Lucinda works with those involved to investigate the issue and presents her finding and recommend an appropriate resolution.  Subjects covered have been:

  • inappropriate behaviour / sexual harassment

  • bullying and harassment

  • physical fighting

  • drugs and alcohol use

  • mental health concerns / instability

  • disability, racial and sexual discrimination

  • unsavoury behaviour eg: passive aggressive; making comments on Facebook, taking sides borne out of jealousy from not having received a promotion

  • senior managers wishing to remove a long-serving employee

Access


Or, to be specific, welcoming disabled people to the theatre.  Lucinda works with companies to understand and develop their approach to disability and access, advising on the requirements of equality legislation to create a strategy with them. She works with all parties to identify the barriers faced by disabled audience members, staff and artists and devising and implementing policies to improve access for all.

  • From 1999 – 2000 Lucinda was Director of VOCALEYES, the national audio-description company and put the first audio-descriptions into many theatres in the UK
  • From 2006 – July 2008 Lucinda was Project Manager for Access London Theatre, where she masterminded the training of over 800 theatre staff, launched the free thrice-yearly listing of all audio-described; captioned and sign language interpreted performances in all London theatres and produced the first disabled access training CD called The Human Factor, distributed to over 1,000 venues in London and nationwide.
  • In 2012-2013 Lucinda oversaw the Relaxed Performance Project introducing theatres to the concept of relaxed performances culminating in the Relaxed Performance Project Conference in September 2013. This followed the success of the Autism and Theatre Inspiration Day in October 2011.
  • In 2015 Lucinda co-authored the Dementia Friendly guide produced by the Alzheimer’s Society to give a user-friendly guide to theatres, museums and galleries on how to attract people with dementia to them and to meet the Prime Minister’s Challenge on dementia.
  • From 2016-2018 Lucinda worked with Erica Whyman at the Royal Shakespeare Company reviewing their extensive access offer, recruiting, advising and strategising the access work across all departments.

Clients


Since starting her consultancy in July 2015, Lucinda has worked with or is working with the following organisations:

Actors Benevolent Fund

Metal Rabbit

ArtReach

Mountview

Association of British Orchestras

National Opera Studio

Ambassadors Theatre Group

Natural History Museum

Bamboozle

National Portrait Gallery

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Opera Holland Park

Birmingham Royal Ballet

Operation Mincemeat

Birmingham HippodromePW Productions

Pigfoot

Birmingham Rep

Playful Productions

Curve, Leicester

Rambert

Disney Lion King

Regional Young Theatre Directors Scheme

Dorset Opera Festival

Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

Edinburgh International Festival Society

Royal Opera House

Eleanor Lloyd Productions

Royal Shakespeare Company

Globe

Royo

Harbottle & Lewis

Society of London Theatre

High Tide

Stage One

Historic Royal Places

The Bush

Home, Manchester

Three Choirs Festival Society

HQ Theatres

UK Theatre

Kenny Wax Productions

Welsh National Opera, Cardiff

Kings Head

Witness (London) Ltd

London Classical Theatre

Young Vic

Manchester International Festival

Z Arts

Maydays

and other well-known clients that can’t be named for confidentiality reasons.

Other


Lucinda provides training sessions and one-to-one mentoring for independent producers and companies on theatrical contract and employment law, constructive criticism, communication and equality, diversity and inclusion initiative.  She also offers mediation and management training.

In January 2018 Lucinda became a trustee of Bolton Octagon Theatre.

Lucinda's qualifications:

  • Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel Management
  • Has a post-grad diploma in Personnel Management
  • 2:1 BA in English and Related Arts
  • Trained in negotiation and mediation and regularly attends continuous professional development sessions

Contact Me


lucinda@lucindaharveyassociates.co.uk

07771 758161

Lucinda can be found on LinkedIn