I am a process-based, socially-engaged artist. I use text, drawing, film, song, dialogue, and performance intervention.
I am interested in empowering individuals to creatively and critically intervene with their world.
My practice invites people to articulate the spaces ‘in-between’; to disclose new sites, histories and languages.
My approach is dynamic and responsive: an open mechanism that allows things to be made, reformed & challenged.
I undertake open brief commissions that aim to transform social issues. My specialisms include mental health, homelessness, art in prisons, outsider art and public art.
My work is always political (with a small ‘p’), and often playful.
Photo: David Sidley
Education
PGCert Innovation in Practice Goldsmiths, University of London (2010-2011)
BA (Hons) Fine Art Goldsmiths, University of London (2004-2008)
ND BTEC Design Crafts Wiltshire College Trowbridge, Wiltshire (2002-2004)
Awards & Grants
Associate Artist Ebor Studio. Yorkshire, UK (2022)
Amplify Associate Artists Award Shortlist (2021)
Folking Rising Star Folk Music Award Nomination for DIRT (2019)
Goldsmiths’ Annual Public Engagement Awards Nomination for Socially Engaged Arts Research Interventions (2018)
Paul Hamlyn Breakthrough Fund for Madlove. UK (2018)
Kings College Arts in Mind Education Scheme for Madlove Nurses’ Training. London, UK (2017)
Arts Council England Touring Grant for Madlove. UK (2016)
Design in Mental Health Awards Services to Mental Health - Commendation for Madlove. UK (2015)
Arts Council England Grants for the Arts for Critical Spaces. UK (2015)
Wellcome Trust Arts Award for Madlove. Liverpool, UK (2014)
British Psychological Society Grant for Madlove. Liverpool, UK (2014)
Unlimited R&D Grant for Madlove. UK (2013)
Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation Funding for Critical Thinking: Art in Prisons. EU (2013)
Arts Council England Grants for the Arts for One Thousand Homes. Bolton, UK (2013)
‘ixia public art think tank’ R&D Grant for Critical Spaces. UK (2012)
ICCE Artist-Entrepreneur Incubation Institute for Creative and Cultural Enterprise, Goldsmiths. London, UK (2011)
Arts Council England Grants for the Arts for ART vs REHAB. UK (2011)
PGCert Studentship Goldsmiths Enterprise Office. London, UK (2010)
Commissions
Do you know the slope, the grain? This beautiful, sinking, fearless pain. Solo Exhibition at Gallery Frank, West Yorks, UK (Forthcoming: October-November 2023)
The DIRT Project Residency. Echoes of Holloway, Islington Museum, London, UK. (2018) Also exhibited at: From the Edge Touchstones Gallery. Rochdale, UK (2020) and End of the Sentence Stanley Picker Gallery. Kingston, UK (2020)
Home Is A Place That Visits Me Residency. Mad Buildings Syndrome, Trinity Square Video, Canada (2019)
Our Provocation Youth Programme. Wellcome Collection, London, UK (2017)
THIS IS A VOICE Youth Programme. Wellcome Collection, London, UK (2016)
One Thousand Homes Residency. Bolton at Home, Bolton, UK (2012-2016)
Longbridge Public Art Project Residency. WERK, Birmingham, UK (2013-2014)
Dines Green Housing Estate Community Archive Residency. EC-Arts, Worcester, UK (2013)
The Salon Mentor for young artists exhibiting site-specific work in an abandoned hair salon. For EC-Arts, Leicester, UK (2013)
Reclaiming Politics: Conversations Around Protest Dialogical intervention. Giving in to Gift, The Bluecoat, Liverpool, UK (2011)
Nuclear is the New Neon Public banner-making workshop. The Real Trident Replacement Programme [Grunts for Arts] for Art Against Cuts, London, UK (2011)
Stories from Hounslow Residency/Youth Project. PATH (Programme for Arts, Therapy and Health), London, UK (2010)
LV22 Lightship Mini-Residency. Figure Ground, Kent, UK (2010)
Nuclear Poetics Mini-Residency. Art Gene, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, UK (2010)
The Funeral of The Site Residency. The Rea Garden, Behind Closed Doors, Digbeth, Birmingham, UK (2009)
SHOWFLAT: THE ANNUALE Site-specific fluoro interventions. SHOWFLAT, Mile End, London, UK (2009)
IGLAB Mini-residency. IGFest, Bristol, UK (2009)
Come Across Stitch Series of craft-based interventions. The Papered Parlour, Clapham for the London Design Festival, London, UK (2009)
Initiatives
Madlove A project to radically re-imagine mental health care, in collaboration with artist-activist 'the vacuum cleaner.' Major Commissions: Group Therapy, FACT, Liverpool, UK (2015); Bedlam: The Asylum and Beyond, Wellcome Collection, London, UK (2016); Broadmoor Hospital, West London NHS Trust, UK (in collaboration with Projects Office and MUF Architecture/Art) (2016/17). UK Workshops: Southbank Centre, London; Fierce Festival, Birmingham; Nottingham Contemporary; NAGAS, Newcastle; FACT, Liverpool; Bethlem Royal Hospital NHS, London; Broadland Clinic NHS, Norwich; Broadmoor Hospital NHS; Core Arts, London; Guild Lodge NHS, Preston; East London NHS Trust; Kings College, London. International Workshops: Homo Novus/Riga Mental Health Hospital, Latvia; Dr Guislain Hospital, Ghent, Brussels; Gessnerallee, Zurich, Switzerland (2014-2017)
Critical Thinking: Art in Prisons EU-wide training course for artists. In collaboration with Seeds for Growth, CRED/Ability and The London College of Teachers (2013)
ART vs REHAB Critical vehicle for the relationship between art and rehabilitation. Supported by Arts Council England, ICCE, TCCE and C4CC (2011)
Probably Liverpool's Best Apartment Location Co-curator of an exhibition of ‘uncommissioned public art’ (street art) on a derelict site, Liverpool, UK (2009)
Art in the Car Park Co-curator of a site-specific exhibition in an abandoned car sales office and repairs shop. As part of the Independents Biennial, Liverpool, UK (2008)
Writing
Hearing Voices: On Curiosity Wellcome Collection Blog (2016)
Mind the Gap: Socially-Engaged Art ICCE (Institute for Creative and Cultural Enterprise) Blog (2016)
Pausing for Thought Arts Professional (2014)
Think Critical Arts Professional (2013)
Practice what you preach? Arts Professional (2012)
Innovating Art Outreach PGCert Innovation in Practice Final Paper (2011). Published in Arts-Health-Entrepreneurship, University of Helsinki (2012) and Addiction & Performance, Cambridge Scholars Press (2014)
Outside the White Cube: Applied Minimalism .Cent Magazine (2009)
Lost in Translation: Percent for Art BA (Hons) Fine Art Dissertation (2008)
The Scales of Socially-Engaged Practice: Towards a Shared Language BA (Hons) Fine Art Dissertation (2007)
Talks & teaching
On Hidden Disability Axis talk and performance (Forthcoming: May 2023)
The Role of the Artist’s Voice in Socially-Engaged Art Ebor Studio. Yorkshire, UK (2022)
Co-Production Training for Stockport Council Key Speaker. Stockport, UK (2022)
Enhanced Practice Mentor for Center for Higher Arts Education Copenhagen, Denmark (2021-22)
Home is a place that visits me Talk at Workman Arts. Toronto, Canada (2020)
ICCE Sustainable Enterprise London Festival Talk on Sustainability, Resilience and Wellbeing. London, UK (2020)
Artist as Researcher Talk and DIRT performance at Bethlem Gallery. Kent, UK (2018)
The DIRT Project With Dr. Rachel Seoighe at Shrewsbury Unitarian Church. Shropshire, UK (2018)
Madlove: A Designer Asylum TEDx Munich, Germany (2017). Hardships of Being Human, Swansea, UK (2018)
Birmingham School of Art VT for MA Module Well-being and Mindfulness: Environment and Context Design. UK (2017)
Goldsmiths MA Design VT. London, UK (2017)
Perspective Speaker Tour Wellcome Collection, London, UK (2017)
Working with Madness Madlove Catalyst Event, Wellcome Collection, London, UK (2016). Madlove Catalyst Event, FACT, Liverpool, UK (2016). Nottingham Contemporary, UK (2016). Take Care, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin, Germany (2017)
Goldsmiths ICCE VT for MA Cultural and Creative Entrepreneurship (London, UK) (2013-2017)
What is Socially Engaged Art? Creativity Works, Bath, UK (2015)
Context and Collaboration Art Activism School, Autograph ABP, London, UK (2015)
Walking Change Pass It On The Royal Society of Arts. Somerset, UK (2014)
ICCE Salon Goldsmiths, University of London (UK) (2013)
Innovating Art Outreach Arts-Health-Entrepreneurship Conference, University of Helsinki, Finland (2012). CRED/Ability 2nd Transnational Meeting, Vilnius University of Educational Sciences, Lithuania (2013)
Walking & Art Still Walking Festival, Birmingham, UK (2012). Housmans Radical Bookshop, London, UK (2010)
Play as Protest in Modern Art: The Radical Tactics of Dada, Situationist and Fluxus Movements Play's the Thing Conference, Toynbee Hall, London, UK (2011). Housmans Radical Bookshop in London, UK (2012)
Nuclear Poetics NCVO, London, UK (2010)
Making Work in a Disparate Arts Infrastructure Alias, Somerset, UK (2010)
A Certain Kind of Death: Rebirth in Digbeth Eastside Projects, Birmingham, UK (2009)
A Site of No Special Interest Solihull College, Birmingham, UK (2009)
Street Craft Papered Parlour, London, UK (2009)
Press
Press coverage for my work includes: The Guardian Magazine, The Telegraph, The Times on Saturday, BBC Radio (World Service, National and Local), Resonance fm, Urban Design Magazine, Regeneration and Renewal Magazine and Arts Professional.
Professional Development
Cultivating a Solo Dance Practice Workshop with Marlee Grace. Canada (2022)
Focusing and The More Somatic meditation course with Ann Weiser Cornell. USA (2021)
How the Light Gets In Philosophy festival. UK (2020)
Poetry Inspiration Workshop series with Bethany Rivers. Shropshire, UK (2019)
Dharma Training Foundation course with Shrewsbury Buddhist Centre. Shropshire, UK (2019)
Oral History Training Islington Museum. London, UK (2018)
Movement and Meditation Weekend workshop with Jayachitta. Shropshire, UK (2018)
Focusing Training Somatic meditation mentorship with Vajrapriya. Shropshire, UK (2018)
Joining the Dots: Ideas Pool The Culture Capital Exchange. London, UK (2014)
Connected Conversations: Other Ways of Working Royal Society of Arts. London, UK (2014)
ICCE Incubator Incubation of ART vs REHAB at the Institute for Creative and Cultural Enterprise, Goldsmiths, London, UK (2011 to 2013)
Addiction and Performance: The New Normal? Conference at Kingston University, London, UK (2012)
Carer's Congress Skills Exchange: Urban Transformation and the Politics of Care event, Serpentine and Goldsmith’s Centre for Urban and Community Research, London, UK (2012)
Play's the Thing: Creative Approaches to Wellbeing Conference by Escape Artists, Toynbee Hall, London, UK (2011)
Select Edit: Private Public Walsall Gallery, UK (2011)
ArtsAdmin Imagine 2020: Artists and scientists committed to four days of collaborative working at Domain D'O, exploring potential new relationships between the two disciplines, Montpellier, France (2011)
Social Inclusion and the Economic Imperative Conference by Goldsmiths’ Open Book Project, London (2011)
Prison Training Diversity training, hostage incidents, security and intelligence, bullying and fire safety. At Littlehey Category C Prison, UK (2011)
CIDA (Cultural Industries Development Agency) Training Programme Marketing, Fundraising, Sponsorship and Public Events Licensing for the Cultural Industries, London, UK (2010)
Seeds to Grow a Human Institution: Keeping People at the Core of Your Organisation C4CC (The Centre for Creative Collaboration), London UK (2010)
Trauma Training Learning how to work with people who have experienced trauma, London, UK (2010)
Public Art Needs Time Limits Ixia conference at Situations, Bristol, UK (2009)
Tomo and Even Street art apprenticeship, Liverpool, UK (2009)
Public Art and the Planning Process Ixia Seminar, Birmingham, UK (2007)
Art in the Public: The Culture of Possibilities Art and Architecture Journal’s National Art Public Conference, Nottingham UK (2007)
Art and Social Intervention: The Incidental Person Symposia Tate Britain, London, UK (2005)
Joseph Beuys, Teacher Study Day at Tate Modern, London, UK (2005)
Traditional Textile Crafts Training in the Crafts and Traditions of European Countries (TICATEC), 5- week textile programme, Slovakia (2004)