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''I encourage people to develop and voice their own creative spirit and guide them to feel empowered by their life experiences''

                                                                                       

 

I am a professional and experienced multidisciplinary teaching artist, creative practitioner, mentor, curator and wellbeing and mental health advocate.

I teach creativity and I  firmly believe that exploring and expressing creativity in children and adults, leads to a happy, healthy and successful life.

 

Over the years I have liaised with many organisations including local charities, community centres, Sunderland BME Network, Sangini, Sunderland Culture, Cultural Spring, FODI, YAV, Action for Children, ICOS, Women’s Network, Groundwork NE, Climate Action NE, CHANCE, Bishop Auckland Schools Cluster, CCT, Sunderland City Council, Sure Start, universities, faith groups, scouts associations,  other organisations, local communities and schools,  initiating creative and positive community communications, collaboration and interactions.

 

I have worked with participants of all ages and abilities, including physical and mental disability groups, disadvantaged and marginalised communities. I use my knowledge, skills and experience to create bespoke classes in  creativity, creative language, self-expression, various art techniques, music, design, digital media and crafts,  especially embracing re-use, re-purposing and upcycling.

 

 

Awards

2018 - Thank You award, awarded by CHANCE Community Centre, Sunderland.

2017 - Community Role Model Award, awarded by Sunderland BME Network, VCAS & Sunderland City Council.

 

Selected Projects

2020

Textile Wallhanging Project. The Sunderland Women's Centre.

2019

•Jute Filligree, women's project,  Sunderland Area Parent Support Group, Secret Gardens, Sunderland. Sangini Project.

•Jute Filligree, women's project, The Sunderland Women's Centre. Sangini Project.

• Is Plastic Fantastic?, Clean and Green Environmental Awarness Project, West Area  Educating visiting schools and wide public about history  of plastic and  exploring arts, crafts, environmental issues, health and sustainability. Sunderland City Council.

•Creative Eco Fun Workshop. International Children’s Day Event. Sunderland City Council.

City by the Sea Heritage Project, THE BEAM @ VAUX, Sunderland. Leading participatory workshop sessions with schools in Sunderland (Broadway Junior and Bexhill Academy) creating permanent exhibition at The Beam, Vaux Site, Make it Sunderland. Sunderland City Council.

Arts & Crafts sessions. SWAG Women’s Group. Sangini Project, Sunderland.

2016-Present

•Freelance Community and Participatory Visual Artist/Eco-artist/Workshop Leader/Instructor. Sunderland Women's Art Group (SWAG), SANGINI.

2011 – 2019

• Freelance Community and Participatory Visual Artist/Producer/Workshop Leader/Lecturer/Coach/Ecologist/Instructor working in partnership with ICOS, Sunderland. Developing creative language and working with communities and diverse groups (including children, vulnerable, etc) exploring arts, crafts, environmental issues and sustainability.

2018 

• Mikolajki Family Christmas Event.  Bede Tower, Sunderland, ICOS.

•Christmas Crafts. Community family event, Trinity  Church, Sunderland, Groundwork NE & Cumbria.

• Eco Christmas Arts & Crafts. SWAG Women’s Group. Sunderland, SANGINI.

• Armistice Day 2018 celebration week. Community and Family event, Millfield Communities, Parker Trust & Sunderland City Council.

•In Residence. Holy Trinity, Sunderland, The Church's Conservation Trust.

•Textile DesignProject.  Canny Space, Sunderland, The Church's Conservation Trust.

• Creative ESOL Project for families.  Sunderland, ICOS.

•Design Project for 25th Anniversary Mosaic . Sunderland, CHANCE Community Centre.

•Creative Eco Fun Workshop. International Children’s Day Event. Sunderland City Council.

•Eco Arts & Crafts.  Sunderland, CHANCE Community Centre.

•Series of Ecology and Art Workshops with Grangetown Primary School, years 4,5 & 6. ICOS and Sunderland City Council.

• Refugee Week Eco Family Event , Backhouse Park. In partnership with FODI, Friends of the Parks, ICOS, Sunderland City Council.

• Woodlands Project. Friends of Backhouse and Barley Mow Parks, Sunderland City Council .

•Fairy Doors Project. In partnership with Blue Watch Youth Club, Friends of Backhouse and Barley Mow Parks, Sunderland City Council.

2017

• Creative Textiles, Sunderland, Sangini.

•Community Spirit Christmas Stage. Up-cycling project. Make Culture - Sunderland Bid.

•Mikolajki Event. Eagle Building, Sunderland, ICOS.

•Visiting Artist. Ludovit Fulla Gallery. Ružomberok, Slovakia.

•Meet Your Neighbour Festival, Cultural Producer, Curator, Artist and evaluator. In partnership with ICOS, Slovak Embassy, Sunderland City Council, Big Lottery Fund, Sunderland City of Culture Bid 2021, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens,  University of Sunderland.

• Textile Art Course. CHANCE Community Centre, Sunderland, Cultural Spring.  

• Series of Ecology and Art Workshops with Grangetown Primary School, years 5 & 6, Sunderland, ICOS, Sunderland City Council.

•Series of Ecology Workshops plus Recycling/Upcycling workshops; Millfield Communities, Sunderland, ICOS.

•Community Upcycling Workshops; Marsden Road Health Centre, South Shields; St Oswald's Church Hall, Sunderland. Cultural Spring,

•160th year Celebration of Mowbray Park, Sunderland. Jack Crawford Medal making.Sunderland City Council.

• Flag making workshops; Hudson Road Primary School / Nursery; Sunderland.ICOS.

•BBC arts Get Creative workshops; Library Houghton-Le-Spring; and Creative City Space, Sunderland Bid.

• Creative Dental Activities Project;  Newcastle upon Tyne. Dental health based educational activities and art creative workshops, including story telling for community families with children. Action for Children.

•Make Art Happen ; WHIST South Shields. Helix Arts.

2016

•  Mikolajki Christmas Family Event.  Sunderland, ICOS.

• Artist Consultant. Low carbon project, Sunderland BME Network.

•Visual Artist. Collaboration project with Z. Hruskova. Ruzomberok, SK.

 Children’s Creative Language Course and Health Publication. Speciality ESOL in Health Literacy for Families with Children. ICOS.

•Community Re-use Circular Economy Project, Sunderland City Council.

•Ecology/Recycling Project, Diamond Hall Junior School, Sunderland, ICOS.

2015 

• Mikolajki Christmas Family Event. CHANCE, Sunderland, ICOS.

•African Tales Illustrations. Sunderland, MICC Chapel of Light .

•ECO project, CHANCE Community Centre, Sunderland, ICOS.

2009 - 2014

• Mikolajki Christmas Family Event. ICOS, Sunderland.

• Bishop Auckland Schools Cluster Group European Project/ Festival .The VAR Initiative.

•Fl10s: False Lights Seaham. East Durham Creates.

2004 -  Disability Association Project, Cape Town, South Africa, Disability Association.

2002 - 2006

•Community participatory artist and creative practitioner. Sure Start, Lowestoft, UK.

•Community participatory artist and creative practitioner. C. Hamburger Community Projects, Suffolk, South-East, UK.

1991 – 1998        

•Music Director and Conductor, Thurrock Community Accordion Club and Orchestra, Essex, UK.

 

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