Knitted Wild Woods

Creative community project - April-June 2012

Knitted Wild Wood follows up on street knitting workshops I ran over summer 2011.

Funded by Essex arts development and linked to the Cultural Olympiad this creative craft based project invites knitters in Rochford/Rayleigh/Rochford to collaborate on a large scale knitted art piece to decorate a section of Hockley Woods for the Wild Woods festival on June 2nd 2012.

Session dates to follow soon! Contact me for more information and/or to join the group.

Craft Club

Arts Council supported new audiences programme 2011-12

Craft Club is a Crafts Council national learning programme that champions craft in schools and communities. I have been freelancing as project co-ordinator since May and it has been great meeting knitting and craft communities across England and Wales, working with lots of talented makers, and developing my knitting! I am currently setting up family cinema Knit- along events taking place in February and March 2012. See the Craft Club site for more info - www.craftclub.org.uk.

Zinc projects

March 2010-present

I have worked with Zinc (formally Theatre Resource) on a number of projects both as project manager and as a visual artist with a variety of hard to reach groups and SEN schools often collaborating with other arts practiciones.

Tower Hamlets Park events

Family drop ins  - August 2010

These fun drop in sessions, run by myself and textile artist Shona Handley encouraged families to engage with their local parks and outdoor spaces through creative map making.

Schools Workshops

I run workshops and projects in schools focusing on creative idea and skills development usually through print, textiles and drawing, I have worked across all age groups and abilities including SEN, 'at risk of exclusion', primary, senior and FE.

Balena

Ikon Gallery Birmingham, offsite project, summer 2008

I felt priviledged to be part of this project by artist Claudia Losi. I  co-ordinated the offsite 'tailor shop', working with five lovely ladies and members of the community in Erdington. Here we made 100 small scale textile sculptures based on childrens' drawn responses to Losi's lifesize cashmere whale (The 'Balena' in the title). Losi's work is informed by the people who engage with it, this is how art should be, open and accessable to all. A very inspiring project!