A quick, warm and versatile speaker, Mary-Ann has given a broad range of keynote and educational lectures, hosted awards and chaired debates and seminars.

Recent events include hosting the Royal Geographical Society annual Microlectures, and presenting feature talks and workshops at travel and adventure events including the Keswick Mountain Festival, Luxury Travel Fair at Olympia, Kendal Mountain Festival and the London Night of Adventure.

Her talks range from quirky keynotes on tribal leadership, tales of adventure from her expedition notebooks, to opening talks on human rights, cultural capital and social evolution.

She has research and practical volunteering interests in disability issues, community and criminal justice and development and education. She is a member of an Independent Custody Visiting panel, is a watchleader with disability sailing charity, the Jubilee Sailing Trust, is a 'Loo-minary' of the international ToiletTwinning organisation, and has served as an awards presenter and juror for the One World Media awards.

Would you like me to come and talk at your school?

I love talking to students! They have the best questions. I've given addresses at awards nights, spoken to school and cadet groups about adventure & raising aspirations, and have run subject-specific workshops.

There are a number of areas I can talk about - at assemblies, awards evenings and in special class sessions - please get in touch and we can make a plan! 

Adventure - From walking across Australia's Simpson Desert with 17 pack camels, sailing across the Pacific Ocean, to exploring Tibet, the slums of Delhi or the communities of war-torn Congo, I'll share stories that encourage kids to think big, take risks and do things out of the ordinary.

Working in TV - it sounds like a dream job, but what does it really take to succeed in the media industry? How do you develop, research and present a documentary series?

Rocks, Holes & Pots of Gold - revealing some of the amazing - and not at all boring - secrets of British archaeology. From Nazi gold to magic spindles to witches buried with strange crystals, the truth can be stranger than fiction.

Feral Children – I present gripping psychological research and video clips from the international documentary series, to pose the big questions:

• What does it mean to be human?
  
• How do children develop?
  
• How should we treat people different to ourselves?

 

Or tailor a session to KS3 & 4: English, PSHEE and Citizenship

Video and case studies help us explore the themes, and begin compelling and far-reaching workshops and discussions

• How do human children learn to communicate?
• What makes humans different to other animals?
• Disability and discrimination

Or tailor a session to A-Level: Sociology & Psychology

• Early socialisation, social psychology and child development
• Cross-cultural attitudes to disability & child-rearing  
• Attitudes and understandings of humans and animals

Royal Geographical Society Microlectures
You were a brilliant host for the evening! Engaging, in control and fun. There was a great atmosphere all-round the event.

Marmot adventure tent, Kendal Mountain Festival
Many thanks… It’s the best attended event we’ve had.

?What If! Innovation, London
Mary-Ann radiates a unique and rare energy and professionalism; she was an utter joy to work with. I now always recommend her to colleagues and professional contacts. As a company,?What If!'s core offering is insight-based innovation. A leading global food and beverage client had tasked us with boosting the in-home experience of one of their existing coffee brands, and part of the proposition was around 'playfulness' and 'connectivity' - so who better to speak to but Mary-Ann, to get an anthropologist's view on why humans love to 'play' and why it's integral to our lives and development. The clients were captivated with the content and the energy that Mary-Ann exuded.

Night of Adventure for Hope and Homes for Children
You were an excellent MC...just the right balance of relaxed friendliness with audience and professionally guiding us through the evening.

The Institute of Art and Ideas, Hay on Wye
Mary-Ann was an impeccable chair of her panel events at Crunch and HowtheLightGetsIn, with an excellent rapport with panellists and audience alike and a strong command of the issues under debate.