During 2017 I ran Statements in Semaphore through my role as FiLiA Artist in Resident and it was the first year that the project gained funding support from Arts Council England.
The project for 2017 had two aims, to produce a series of art workshops for women in my local area, and to develop a series of my own art work that would aim to be a commentary to and response to the year long project. The work produced by the women participants and myself was exhibited in London in October during FiLiA Conference 2017. My work throughout the year was also performed and exhibited at various events including a collaboration and exhibition in the Netherlands.
I am passionate about my Art practice being something that engages people and makes conversations happen, but not just with Artists. It was important to me to engage with people who do not normally take part in the Art world, who are not academics and I wanted that engagement to become my practice. This project is about just that and it is why I wanted to work with the charity FiLiA over 2017, so instead of being on my own, I would be engaging with other groups of women and my work would come from that. Across the year I provided 12 creative workshops for groups of women in my local community who are supported by the organisations Women in Prison and You Trust Hampshire. These workshops offered the participants an opportunity to create their own art alongside and with the support of professional artists. Together we made a space that we could create in but also that allowed dialogue. Of issues relating to all of us as women in our own circumstances.
The organisations that I worked with are:
Women In Prison, Surrey
Domestic Violence Hampshire, The YOU Trust
The amazing Artists that worked with me in 2017 were:
Leah Thorn: www.leahthorn.com
Rebecca Harris: www.rebecca-harris.com
Cate Field: www.catefield.com
Amy Dignam: www.desperateartwives.co.uk
For the work produced over the year please see my Work and Exhibitions page.
For feedback from the project during 2017 please see: Feedback Statements in Semaphore 2017
Statements in Semaphore 