I am a visual artist, primarily a painter and mixed media artist but work in other mediums such as photography, crafts, jewellery, ceramics and outdoor projects. My passions are with arts for health and connecting people with their communities. I am able to work to a brief, and design creative activities that complement the aims and objectives of the organisation I am working for.
My work enables me to engage the whole person, and due to the colaborative nature of community arts, people develop transferable skills and experiences in cooperative decision making, leadership and clear communication. I like to focus on the process, guiding people of all ages to enjoy and gain confidence in their decision making and planning. The arts are a powerful and essential mode of communication which transcends language and cultural barriers, allowing us to express visions, ideas and emotions.
I am based in Birmingham but work all over the UK. I am originally from South Yorkshire where I studied Fine Art and Art History at A level, then went on to study Social Psychology at Loughborough University. I have in depth experience of working with people facing social issues, I worked for 5 years in local authorities homeless services. Homelessness often goes hand in hand with issues such as alcoholism, drug addiction, physical and mental health problems, domestic violence, family breakdown and asylum and immigration. I'm currently working with homeless charity Crisis and mental health charity Full Potential Arts delivering creative workshops. I and have worked commercially as a visual artist, scenic artist and mural artist before bringing these qualities together to begin working as a Community Artist in 2010.
