CV

Stella Tooth Artist CV

Snapshot profile:

British figurative artist specialising in portraits, performer art and storytelling

Broadcast News PR with 18 years’ experience: BBC News, BBC World Service, Sky News

  • Qualified print journalist: national UK & Australian titles
  • Trusted contributor hyper local Nub News on portraiture and music art.
  • BA Hons graduate: modern languages/social sciences
  • Widely travelled

Experience:

Trusted contributor hyper local Nub News (art/music)
Feb 2021-present 

Resident artist Half Moon Putney 
2016-present
In the run up to the Half Moon Putney’s 55th anniversary in 2018 I was appointed resident artist of the music venue synonymous with The Rolling Stones. Artist residencies allow individuals to explore their practice in another community where I aim to capture the excitement of performing live. 

British figurative artist: portraits, performer art, storytelling 
2010-present
Winner of the judges' prize at Egypt's first art biennale (2013) and exhibitor at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and National Open Art Competition annual exhibitions (2015), I have portrayed some of the best-known names in UK broadcasting and am a founding member of the Lots Road Group of portraitists. I open my home studio annually for the Borough of Ealing Art Trail.

Drawing tutor for Open Ealing 
May 2021- present
I teach how to draw faces and oil portrait for beginners. 

Drawing tutor for Sketchout 
2013-2020
I taught drawing for Sketchout, which, until the start of the epidemic, offered individuals dynamic drawing classes at the V&A, The Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery and The Courtauld covering fundamentals,  architecture, methods & materials, drawing faces and landscapes.

Head of Publicity, Sky News 
1999-2010
BRAND worked with marketing to develop the brand positioning for which Sky News has become famous – first for breaking news - & to evolve new brand positioning  around connectivity
PROGRAMMING pro-actively publicised coverage of the decade’s major events alongside Sky News themed weeks, world exclusives, flagships – Sunday Live  & Jeff Randall Live arranged press trips for major set piece foreign coverage - the Israeli and US elections etc
INNOVATION supported Sky News’ contribution to BSkyB strategic priorities: HD, Pay vs Free, & helped develop an integrated marcoms plan to launch Sky News HD on Election Night, launched the world’s first interactive tv news service etc
TALENT promoted top talent - from Adam Boulton and Jeff Randall to Eamonn Holmes
MANAGEMENT managed profile of former/current Heads of News, writing speeches, providing briefings, ghosting articles/letters to the editor
REPUTATION MANAGEMENT built awareness & endorsement of Sky News’ positive contribution to UK media & acted as senior spokesman in fast moving rolling news environment, devising crisis management strategies
PUBLICATION AND WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT oversaw publications & website production
EVENTS MANAGEMENT launched new foreign bureaux, managed journalist enquiry at Sky News    Leaders’ Debate media centre, assisted family of the former face of Sky News, the late Bob Friend, to manage media interest at his memorial service and reception, organised publicity lunches/receptions & international dinners, co-produced sessions at the Edinburgh TV Festival 
STUNTS AND PROMOTIONS worked with agencies to devise stunts, devised marketing promotions – such as the highly acclaimed Sky News: 20 Years of Breaking News book
PUBLIC AFFAIRS worked with public affairs to promote Sky News to opinion formers CSR devised a student initiative

Chief Press Officer, BBC World Service 
1998-1999 
LED TEAM OF 7 UK PUBLICISTS AND 40 COUNTRY BASED AGENTS WORLDWIDE PUBLIC AFFAIRS worked with the Deputy Director, World Service, Caroline Thomson, & the Public Affairs team, on a successful integrated campaign to support Parliamentary grant-in-aid
CRISIS MANAGEMENT eg unexpected departure World Service MD Sam Younger
OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN acted as official spokesman and PR advisor to Sam Younger, & his successor Mark Byford & other senior World Service & BBC Monitoring staff
PUBLICATIONS oversaw all corporate publications

Senior Publicity Officer, BBC News, Marketing Communications 
1991-1998
PROGRAMMING actively promoted flagships 
OUTPUT publicised breaking news on Radio 4 FM during the first Gulf War, the collapse Soviet Union etc
TALENT raised & sustained the profile of key talent including John Humphrys, Jeremy Paxman and correspondents John Simpson, Alastair Cooke, Kate Adie etc
LAUNCHES publicised Radio 4 FM, rolling news during the first Gulf War, worked on the integrated marketing campaign to launch of Radio 5 and launched major tv and radio programmes
FEATURE PLACEMENT developed a forensic knowledge of BBC television and radio output & broadcast & print media, permitting feature, interview, diary placement
EVENTS devised ideas, held programme press screenings, briefings for press/opinion formers
PUBLICATIONS edited the in-house newsletter Inside News

Radio Production Assistant/Researcher, BBC News 
1990-1991
R4: From our own correspondent, Special assignment
General reporter – The Ealing Gazette 
1985
Feature writer – The Sun, Brisbane, Australia 
1984
General reporter – North Shore Advocate, Sydney, Australia 
1983
General news reporter – London Newspaper Group 
1981-1983
(sold under embargo to PA/National newspapers)
PA to French MA – Concordia HTB Ltd 1978-1981

Professional training 
Portraiture
Marketing/Customer Care/Management/Coaching/Computer/Health and Safety 
Journalism

Qualifications
The Heatherley School of Fine Art
2010-2013
Portraiture Diploma and Post Diploma
South Bank University, London 
1985-1989
BA(Hons) Modern Languages International Studies Spanish/French/Politics/Economics 2:1
South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education 
1981-1982
NCTJ Proficiency Test in Journalism
Bournemouth and Poole College Further Education 
1975-1977 & 1977-1978
Bilingual Secretarial Course (French) 3 A levels, 1 AO level
Oakmead Girls’ School, Bournemouth 
1970-75
6 O levels, 3 CSE Grade 1s