Biography of Ann

Ann grew up on a farm and has always been interested in the land and nature. She began work after university as a researcher in The Department of Agriculture investigating the best solutions for ensuring the qaulity and sustainabilty of agricultural land. Her work embraced landscape, archeology, nature conservation, countryside planning and management. She went on to create her own consultancy business where her clients were developers. Her cutting edge multidisciplinary private practice was ahead of its time. When Ann later sold her successful business in 2000 she went back to university to get her PhD in Sustainability and subsequently worked for the firm who bought her practice. Leading the field again Dr. Ann Heywood became the eighth Principal of the College of Estate Management (CEM) at Reading.This college was formed specifically to serve the property-related estatetime the school gained university status offering a Masters in Sustainability in Construction. 

“Sustainability is at the heart of all disciplines of chartered surveying and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors members are uniquely placed to judge and determine how sustainable development should be delivered. Under our Royal Charter, all members of the institution are beholden to act in the public interest. Tackling the problems of climate change and creating a sustainable future are key challenges for the profession.” 

So...what does all of this background have to do with Ann's current practice as a sculpturess?

When Anne 'retired' she went on a stone carving weekend with a friend and loved it. She had always loved art and had been on panting holidays but thought she would like to try to learn stone carving. The City and Guilds Historic Stone Carving course, the only place in the country where you can learn how to carve in stone without previous experience, was a hug success for her and she is now creating work for private commissions and exhibitions from her home studio in Rye.

Ann also has had an active voluntary life. She offers her help, at a national level, to the homeless charity St Mongo's and has been a Trustee of Fields in Trust, a charity devoted to protecting 30,000 rural acres within urban areas. These are mostly green spaces within a ten minute walk of a town or city which are dedicated in perpetuity so not subject to threats of any future development.  

Audio of interview with Ann