I have worked as a freelance community artist since graduating in 2000, delivering arts projects in a variety of settings, from galleries and museums to more predominately community based settings. I aim to encourage disengaged young people on the fringes of dangerous or risky behaviour, or young people who would not normally engage with the arts to develop their creative skills and participate in the arts.
In 2006, I was captivated by a Channel 4 program featuring Room 13—a school enterprise that had a democratically run studio featuring a professional artist working in the space. This innovative model, fostering a studio environment for creative exchange, resonated deeply with me and changed my approach to working with young people. I no longer saw myself as a teacher, but as a facilitator. It has been a journey of mutual learning and occasional challenge.
In 2006, I was captivated by a Channel 4 program featuring Room 13—a school enterprise that had a democratically run studio featuring a professional artist working in the space. This innovative model, fostering a studio environment for creative exchange, resonated deeply with me and changed my approach to working with young people. I no longer saw myself as a teacher, but as a facilitator. It has been a journey of mutual learning and occasional challenge.
The notion that learning thrives within the realms of process, idea development, and collaborative dialogue was not just intuitive—it was essential. If I, as an artist, flourish in a studio environment then why not extend the same opportunity to the young people I work with? I have noticed how using this approach has instilled a sense of independence, a passion for co-learning, and a shift both thinking and behaving.
Within this studio-based pedagogy the young people I work with aren't just students; they're co-creators, collaborators, and catalysts for growth. Through our interactions, I find myself not just imparting knowledge, but also learning profoundly from the groups I work with.
Within this studio-based pedagogy the young people I work with aren't just students; they're co-creators, collaborators, and catalysts for growth. Through our interactions, I find myself not just imparting knowledge, but also learning profoundly from the groups I work with.
Selected Projects
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Culture Camp
Lead Artist
2024
Partners
St Ives School of Painting
Nine Maidens Alternative Provision Academy
St Ives School of Painting run inclusion projects to engage specific young people that would not normally be able to engage in their youth arts projects. Young People gain skills, confidence and improved aspiration. Culture Camp is one of their innovative cultural programmes for young people and I was asked to run a 5 day artist-led project for a group of young people aged 15/16yrs from Nine Maidens Academy which resulted in them all receiving a Bronze Arts Award accreditation. Activities involved a trip to Tate St Ives and the Leach Pottery Museum, kurinuki clay carving, Takuhon printing and abstract mark making and painting.
Lead Artist
2024
Partners
St Ives School of Painting
Nine Maidens Alternative Provision Academy
St Ives School of Painting run inclusion projects to engage specific young people that would not normally be able to engage in their youth arts projects. Young People gain skills, confidence and improved aspiration. Culture Camp is one of their innovative cultural programmes for young people and I was asked to run a 5 day artist-led project for a group of young people aged 15/16yrs from Nine Maidens Academy which resulted in them all receiving a Bronze Arts Award accreditation. Activities involved a trip to Tate St Ives and the Leach Pottery Museum, kurinuki clay carving, Takuhon printing and abstract mark making and painting.
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Museum of Carefree
Lead Artist
2021 - 2023
Partners
Carefree Cornwall
Cornwall Museum Partnerships
Penlee House Gallery and Museum
If there was a museum of Carefree what would be in it? This was a question I casually posed to a group of care leavers during a Culture Card Carefree session, the responses were funny, moving, articulate, insightful and too exciting not develop. Utilising an empty shop in Redruth as our studio, I met with care experienced young people on a regular basis to explore their memories and views on what it means to be care experienced and how Carefree has played a significant role in their lives.
Lead Artist
2021 - 2023
Partners
Carefree Cornwall
Cornwall Museum Partnerships
Penlee House Gallery and Museum
If there was a museum of Carefree what would be in it? This was a question I casually posed to a group of care leavers during a Culture Card Carefree session, the responses were funny, moving, articulate, insightful and too exciting not develop. Utilising an empty shop in Redruth as our studio, I met with care experienced young people on a regular basis to explore their memories and views on what it means to be care experienced and how Carefree has played a significant role in their lives.
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The Lost Forest of Mounts Bay
Lead Artist
2022
Partners
Penlee House Gallery and Museum
Trelya
Temujen Gunawardena
Using an archaeological collection that focuses on the history of West Cornwall, I worked with young people from Trelya, to explore one of its most intriguing stories, the prehistoric forest which once grew where now there is sea in Mount’s Bay. The project included activities on the local estate bringing museum artefacts as talking points and inspirations for artwork, museum visits, creative activities within the Trelya building and working with animator Temujen Gunawardena to create an animation telling the story of Mounts Bay which is now permanently housed in the archaeological gallery of Penlee Museum and Gallery.
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Culture Card
Lead Artist
2019 - 2021
Partners
Carefree Cornwall
Cornwall Museums Partnerships
Penlee House Gallery and Museum
A project aimed at providing free opportunities for Care Leavers to engage with museum and gallery spaces, explore their creative potential, and enhance the role of museums and galleries as inclusive environments for young people in this demographic. The project included regular art sessions, trips to galleries and museums, event coordination, and residential experiences. culturecard.info
Lead Artist
2019 - 2021
Partners
Carefree Cornwall
Cornwall Museums Partnerships
Penlee House Gallery and Museum
A project aimed at providing free opportunities for Care Leavers to engage with museum and gallery spaces, explore their creative potential, and enhance the role of museums and galleries as inclusive environments for young people in this demographic. The project included regular art sessions, trips to galleries and museums, event coordination, and residential experiences. culturecard.info
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Is This Really Art?
Lead Artist
2018
Partners
Tate St Ives
Hayle Youth Project
Year long project working with young people at Hayle Youth Project where I created a
'pop up' studio environment for them to work in.
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Tate Pop Up Studio
Lead Artist
Tate St Ives
2015
Managed and facilitated an experimental pop up studio on the highstreet with Tate St Ives. Temporarily taking over a disused tea room, creating an ‘open studio space’ for 15–25 year olds. The project posed the question: without a huge marketing campaign, would young people turn up? Report here - www.phf.org.uk/assets/documents/Circuit-Test-Risk-Change_2019.pdf?v=1715615190
Lead Artist
Tate St Ives
2015
Managed and facilitated an experimental pop up studio on the highstreet with Tate St Ives. Temporarily taking over a disused tea room, creating an ‘open studio space’ for 15–25 year olds. The project posed the question: without a huge marketing campaign, would young people turn up? Report here - www.phf.org.uk/assets/documents/Circuit-Test-Risk-Change_2019.pdf?v=1715615190
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A Slice of Treneere
Lead Artist
Trelya
Managed and co-ordinated a creative Heritage Lottery Funded local history project with vulnerable and at risk children & young people. The result of the project was a book “A Slice of Treneere” which was awarded a commendation at the Holyer an Gof Awards 2008.
Lead Artist
Trelya
Managed and co-ordinated a creative Heritage Lottery Funded local history project with vulnerable and at risk children & young people. The result of the project was a book “A Slice of Treneere” which was awarded a commendation at the Holyer an Gof Awards 2008.
Positive Futures Playing Card Pack
Lead Artist
Trelya
2005
Managed a creative project with children & young people most at risk of offending & re-offending, surrounding issues of anti-social behaviour orders, which resulted in a pack of playing cards being produced that have been distributed nationally.
Lead Artist
Trelya
2005
Managed a creative project with children & young people most at risk of offending & re-offending, surrounding issues of anti-social behaviour orders, which resulted in a pack of playing cards being produced that have been distributed nationally.
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Pictures, Words, Actions
Lead Artist
2002
Led and facilitated a photovoice initiative involving children and young people facing social exclusion. Over the course of a year, I collaborated within a detached youth work framework within a local community. Empowered by disposable cameras, the young people captured striking images reflecting their daily realities. The images were curated into a postcard pack catalogue, complementing an exhibition that toured multiple venues. The exhibition not only showcased their perspectives but also were the catalyst for change within their immediate community.
Lead Artist
2002
Led and facilitated a photovoice initiative involving children and young people facing social exclusion. Over the course of a year, I collaborated within a detached youth work framework within a local community. Empowered by disposable cameras, the young people captured striking images reflecting their daily realities. The images were curated into a postcard pack catalogue, complementing an exhibition that toured multiple venues. The exhibition not only showcased their perspectives but also were the catalyst for change within their immediate community.
Other Projects
2016 Radiant Space, Effervescent, Plymouth
Dog Show, an exhibition which looks at our relationship with man’s (and woman’s) best friend, Designed and curated by a group of nine and ten-year-old children from Plymouth, I worked with the local community by offering a 'pooch Photo Booth' as part of the exhibition.
2016 Switch Festival, Tate St Ives
Devised a consultation tool in the form of a custom made photobooth to encourage the general public to engage in Switch Festival run by Tate St Ives, the booth was also used as a signpost to Tate St Ives gallery.
2008 – 2014 Trelya, Penzance
Established a creative and informal way of allowing children and young people at risk of social exclusion to work within a welcoming studio space and engage with contemporary art. Young people have been involved in a wide range of opportunities, from entering (and winning) National Art Competitions, having their work shown at the Saatchi Gallery to working towards Arts Awards. As a result of this intensive arts programme Trelya has just been the first youth justice provision to be awarded Artsmark Gold Status.
Sept 2006 – March 2007 Arts for Health, Cornwall
Consultancy with the local community and users of a proposed local Health clinic to inform an Arts and Health Strategy for the building and to develop detailed proposals for specific arts interventions on the site.
Feb 2003 – April 2004 St Buryan School
Art residency collaborating with Creative Partnerships & Newlyn Art Gallery - featured in Engage Publication "This is My Gallery"
2016 Radiant Space, Effervescent, Plymouth
Dog Show, an exhibition which looks at our relationship with man’s (and woman’s) best friend, Designed and curated by a group of nine and ten-year-old children from Plymouth, I worked with the local community by offering a 'pooch Photo Booth' as part of the exhibition.
2016 Switch Festival, Tate St Ives
Devised a consultation tool in the form of a custom made photobooth to encourage the general public to engage in Switch Festival run by Tate St Ives, the booth was also used as a signpost to Tate St Ives gallery.
2008 – 2014 Trelya, Penzance
Established a creative and informal way of allowing children and young people at risk of social exclusion to work within a welcoming studio space and engage with contemporary art. Young people have been involved in a wide range of opportunities, from entering (and winning) National Art Competitions, having their work shown at the Saatchi Gallery to working towards Arts Awards. As a result of this intensive arts programme Trelya has just been the first youth justice provision to be awarded Artsmark Gold Status.
Sept 2006 – March 2007 Arts for Health, Cornwall
Consultancy with the local community and users of a proposed local Health clinic to inform an Arts and Health Strategy for the building and to develop detailed proposals for specific arts interventions on the site.
Feb 2003 – April 2004 St Buryan School
Art residency collaborating with Creative Partnerships & Newlyn Art Gallery - featured in Engage Publication "This is My Gallery"
