Hello, I’m Tamzin

I’m an accredited Life & Career Coach with over 6 years’ experience supporting people in the Arts as they reclaim their sense of passion and purpose and navigate a changing relationship with their career.

I’m passionate about helping people in the Arts avoid burnout and shape lives and careers that feel meaningful, fulfilling and aligned with their values – creating more space, balance and energy for all the other things that matter in life too.

I have a background in performance, performing arts management, charity leadership, and creative sector strategy, and I maintain a portfolio of consultancy roles alongside my coaching practice, so I’m well versed in the strains the sector is currently facing as well as the unique challenges the people who work within it face.

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My Background

Before becoming a coach, I spent 16 years working across the performing arts, holding senior roles in producing, project management, fundraising, and organisational leadership. Before stepping behind the curtain, I also worked for 5 years as an actor/musician, though a chunk of my time was spent temping to pay the bills.

In 2019, I moved into a freelance portfolio career, combining coaching with consultancy work across the creative industries. This allows me to continue supporting organisations and individuals through periods of change and growth, while creating a way of working for myself that offers greater autonomy, variety, and space for rest and adventures beyond work.

Organisations I’ve worked with include:

Part of what motivated me to transition to a freelance career was a desire to make my love of the outdoors a more integrated part of my life. Spending time outside – walking, climbing, swimming, and exploring wild places – has always been an important part of my life but I was finding the time in which to do these things was increasingly being swallowed by a work schedule heavy on evenings and weekends.

My own experience of stepping away from a traditional career path and shaping something different has informed how and why I coach.

I know what it feels like to question what comes next, rethink the assumptions you’ve built your career around, and design a way of living and working that feels more balanced and authentic.

Being coached myself gave me the confidence and clarity to take the big (and small) steps needed to create a more balanced and rewarding personal and professional life. It’s one of the reasons I believe so strongly in the power of coaching: having the space to think out loud in this way can open up possibilities we might otherwise see as out of reach.

I grew up in London, but I'm now based in Cumbria, just next door to the Lake District National Park with my partner, our feral toddler, and an abundance of mountainous wildness on my doorstep to enjoy.

If you’re interested in my work outside of coaching please visit tamzinaitkenarts.com

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My Credentials & Qualifications

I’m accredited as a Coach by Relational Dynamics 1st and Culture at Work Ltd.

While my coaching training and professional accreditation provide the foundation for my practice, the most important measure of my work is the experience of the people I coach. You can read what my clients have to say on my Testimonials page.

My coaching practice draws on theories and tools from a wide range of disciplines including coaching, emotional intelligence, psychology, neurology and contemporary research into leadership.

I receive regular professional supervision and am a Full Member of the Association for Coaching (AC) . I conform to the Code of Ethics and practice as laid out by the AC and have the appropriate insurance cover.

Equality, Inclusive Practice & Allyship

I’m committed to creating a coaching space that is inclusive, respectful, and aware of the systems of power, privilege and oppression that shape our world. I recognise that these structures affect people in different ways, and I continue to reflect on my own position within them – where I hold privilege, where I may be impacted, and how I can show up as a thoughtful and effective ally.

This includes actively working to be anti-racist, standing in vocal solidarity with the trans community, and deepening my understanding of the social model of disability. This is ongoing work, both personally and professionally. I may not always get it right, so please feel free to reach out if you feel I’m falling short.

Beyond coaching, I seek out projects that combine creativity and care – work that values artistic excellence and integrity alongside social impact, environmental responsibility, and genuine accessibility for all.