Community participatory creative practice, workshops & zines

Talking About Things

A recent collaboration with Dr. Catherine Stones at The University of Leeds, Inspire North, Leeds and Community Links, Bradford. Myself and a range of artists were tasked to create storytelling illustrations and poetry alongside people recently diagnosed with dementia. Through drawing together, and sharing personal stories which included experiences of migration, family and cherished moments, we explored ideas of belonging through rituals, events and objects that matter. 

​You can find out more about the project and read the individual stories here.

Drawing & Puppets workshop @The Artworks, Halifax

Paper-based puppet workshops for children run both on-site and across Calderdale schools as part of the 'Drawing A Day' Arts Council funded project. These workshops were devised to coincide with a major retrospective exhibition of Quentin Blake work hosted at The Artworks in Halifax. We made puppets, we put on shows and I made some special bamboo reed dip pens for the occasion.
​

Built This Way Zine

Part of recent practice-research which explores the evolutionary origins of compassion. This zine unfolds as a short poem surrounding human conflict. Narrated through figures drawn from ancient offerings, human sculptures and doll figurines, it attempts a mediation, reflection, or provocation for our collective potential futures.

Catheters In Spring Zine

A short zine illuminating personal experiences of catheter use to humorously embolden and empower others. All proceeds from this zine went to the bowel & bladder helpline.

First Notes on Compassion Zine

Another recent zine exploring compassion-based research. These images show the printed version and some of the raw sketches in response to Paul Gilbert's research into the development of compassionate psychologies. 

Zine workshops @UpCo, Otley

A speedy foldy-zine workshop with drawing ink and dip pens, for both adults and children as part of the 'sun-up' exhibition @UpCo gallery, Otley. 

Read the Sun-up festival resident blog overview of the session here. 

Social comics: Draw The Line

My comic which highlights the issues of low pay, is included in the  "Draw the Line" collective comics project. This project featured over 100 comic artists coming together to showcase positive political actions anyone can take to empower self and community. The project which was developed by Myfanwy Tristram, was published as a compendium book in the UK and the US and won Broken Frontier's webzine of the year. 

Pledge Zine: Activity and reflective zine

A further recent collection of zines, made to create reflective activities and a range of memorable characters to prompt compassionate practice.