May 2024
I led the outreach programme again earlier this month, for Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green, running workshops at Hastings Museum, Hastings Academy and Stade Hall, and was part of Hannah the Giant's crew again, for the procession. It was Hannah's 30th anniversary this year, and her original creator, Derek Binns joined us for a while. It was so incredibly wet that Hannah very nearly didn't come out to the procession, but with her own oversized umbrella she did make it in the end. I made a mini Hannah on a long stick this year, and a hand-stitched cloak featuring all kinds of creatures, curios, puppets and characters from recent years.
My 'Leafy Jack' design was used for all the JITG publicity this year too, and merchandise.
I'm working toward a set of hand puppets for the Textile Junction exhibition at Electro Studios in July. They're based on former residents and larger-than-life characters that I found as part of my research for Rediscovering West Street in 2018. I'll also be taking part in Open Studios again this year, but for the first time I'll be based in my studio building at no. 33 with fellow artists Fi Brown and Rod Morris. There are several other studios opening up on the street and (if funding is received) road closures with performative dance, live music, and a bar on the street.
Also this summer my partner, daughter and I are travelling to Belfast to take part in a project with filmmaker Andrew Kotting. Our initial filming was in Hastings, last spring. Have never been to Belfast, so we're thinking of making a longer trip of it.
December 2023
I took part in Winter Weirderland in December 2023, a small group of us put together a seasonal illuminated installation at the Yard in Hastings town centre. I contributed angels made from found materials (see image, left), found objects and an alternative Christmas cake.
October 2023
Moving Mountains, edited by Louise Kenward is published this month by Footnote Press. It's a beautiful book, a first-of-its-kind anthology of nature writing by authors living with chronic illness and physical disability. This project was funded by ACE and has gradually come together over a couple of years, with twenty five written contributions. I was commissioned to produce a series of eight original drawings which are interspersed throughout the book.
August 2023
It's that time of year again where I'm working towards open studios as a part of Coastal Currents festival in Hastings. Our studio on West Street will be open the first two weekends of September, I will be showing experimental books, drawings, puppets, critters and curios. Perhaps some more souvenirs that sold out last time. My daughter Ivy has also taken part in an oral history project 'Tressell's Children' taking place at St Andrew's Mews, she read out the memories of a child who lived there, and the recording will be part of an installation that begins on 1st September. Click the link to find out more/ book a free place.
May 2023
I recently completed a special project to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Hastings Jack in the Green. I led a team of volunteers to run oral history interviews, conduct research and gather images which came together in a 40 page commemorative publication. Written and edited by me, designed by Luke Herriot of Studio Ink, with images by dozens of local/ national photographers and from family archives. We also ran a series of creative workshops in local museums and schools, put together a digital trail and commissioned local artist Leigh Dyer to make a beautiful foliate head for the door of the Fishermen's Museum (where we had a special exhibition of photographs and ephemera throughout May). Jack in the Green is a very special celebration for local people, and it was a real pleasure to work on this, to speak to so many people who have been involved throughout the years. We gathered so much information that we could only squeeze a relatively small amount into our 40 pages, so we'll be looking at ways to share this further in the future.
February 2023
Two exciting projects - Last year I was invited to join the Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green committee. It's an event I've enjoyed ever since I moved to Hastings, and one very special to my household. This year is the fortieth anniversary and I have put together a celebratory project supported by the Heritage Fund to produce a publication, exhibition, digital trail and series of events. Plus we have commissioned local metal artist Leigh Dyer to create a foliate head for the door of the Fishermen's Museum, the spot where the door is rammed and the Jack is released. So that's my big project for the next couple of months, getting everything ready for the May Day weekend.
In other good news, Moving Mountains, the Arts Council funded book I was commissioned to work on on last Spring has been announced to be published by Footnote Press in October. I produced a number of drawings that will be interspersed between the text. It's an anthology of nature writing by disabled and chronically ill authors, edited by Louise Kenward.
August 2022
I've just finished working on a project about the 1921 Census run by Strike-a-Light and the Centre of Memory, Narratives and Histories (University of Brighton). I gave a talk about creative ways of researching local history projects assisted with two days of workshops for schools at Hastings Museum and was asked to make a creative response to their participants research findings. My response was a set of eight glove puppets based on women and girls who lived in Hastings and St Leonards in 1921. These included suffragists and political campaigners, an author and illustrator, a nurse, an aristocrat, a ten year old school girl, a dance teacher and a woman living in the heart of the fishing community. I made a 30 second recording for each character, read out by a woman or girl living in Hastings/ St Leonards today. These were added to sound modules secreted within the puppet, so you could listen to her story whilst handling the puppet.
This month I ran a series of children's workshops as part of Hastings Art Club summer club at the Dirty Old Gallery. Last year we made puppets, this year we spent three days working on books and zines. We made some big books, but mostly lots of little ones. Some traditional and some experimental bindings: We had concertinas, collages and cartoons, monsters, rockets, cats and geese. Books for keeping secrets, instructional books, books for ideas and drawings, books about mushrooms and books with tiny hidden pockets. Much fun as always. The after school art club returns in September.
I was commissioned to make a series of drawings for Moving Mountains, a new book project that brings together nature writing with people living with chronic illness and physical disability. Funded by Arts Council England. More to follow...
My collage 'The Day my Queen Wore a Sponge Finger Crown' sold at the Dirty Old Gallery's 'Who's Your Queen' exhibition, in June.
I will be taking part in Coastal Currents open studios during the first two weekends in September, as part of a collective of West Street artists in Hastings Old Town. I'll be showing/ selling petting zoo rejects, critters and curios, handmade books, rosettes, hand puppets and finger puppets.
I'm still developing my Hedgerow Puppet Show ideas... Part costume, part performance, puppets in pockets, unexpected rural locations... Some examples of recent puppets, critters and curios plus other recent work below.
I led the outreach programme again earlier this month, for Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green, running workshops at Hastings Museum, Hastings Academy and Stade Hall, and was part of Hannah the Giant's crew again, for the procession. It was Hannah's 30th anniversary this year, and her original creator, Derek Binns joined us for a while. It was so incredibly wet that Hannah very nearly didn't come out to the procession, but with her own oversized umbrella she did make it in the end. I made a mini Hannah on a long stick this year, and a hand-stitched cloak featuring all kinds of creatures, curios, puppets and characters from recent years.
My 'Leafy Jack' design was used for all the JITG publicity this year too, and merchandise.
I'm working toward a set of hand puppets for the Textile Junction exhibition at Electro Studios in July. They're based on former residents and larger-than-life characters that I found as part of my research for Rediscovering West Street in 2018. I'll also be taking part in Open Studios again this year, but for the first time I'll be based in my studio building at no. 33 with fellow artists Fi Brown and Rod Morris. There are several other studios opening up on the street and (if funding is received) road closures with performative dance, live music, and a bar on the street.
Also this summer my partner, daughter and I are travelling to Belfast to take part in a project with filmmaker Andrew Kotting. Our initial filming was in Hastings, last spring. Have never been to Belfast, so we're thinking of making a longer trip of it.
December 2023
I took part in Winter Weirderland in December 2023, a small group of us put together a seasonal illuminated installation at the Yard in Hastings town centre. I contributed angels made from found materials (see image, left), found objects and an alternative Christmas cake.
October 2023
Moving Mountains, edited by Louise Kenward is published this month by Footnote Press. It's a beautiful book, a first-of-its-kind anthology of nature writing by authors living with chronic illness and physical disability. This project was funded by ACE and has gradually come together over a couple of years, with twenty five written contributions. I was commissioned to produce a series of eight original drawings which are interspersed throughout the book.
August 2023
It's that time of year again where I'm working towards open studios as a part of Coastal Currents festival in Hastings. Our studio on West Street will be open the first two weekends of September, I will be showing experimental books, drawings, puppets, critters and curios. Perhaps some more souvenirs that sold out last time. My daughter Ivy has also taken part in an oral history project 'Tressell's Children' taking place at St Andrew's Mews, she read out the memories of a child who lived there, and the recording will be part of an installation that begins on 1st September. Click the link to find out more/ book a free place.
May 2023
I recently completed a special project to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Hastings Jack in the Green. I led a team of volunteers to run oral history interviews, conduct research and gather images which came together in a 40 page commemorative publication. Written and edited by me, designed by Luke Herriot of Studio Ink, with images by dozens of local/ national photographers and from family archives. We also ran a series of creative workshops in local museums and schools, put together a digital trail and commissioned local artist Leigh Dyer to make a beautiful foliate head for the door of the Fishermen's Museum (where we had a special exhibition of photographs and ephemera throughout May). Jack in the Green is a very special celebration for local people, and it was a real pleasure to work on this, to speak to so many people who have been involved throughout the years. We gathered so much information that we could only squeeze a relatively small amount into our 40 pages, so we'll be looking at ways to share this further in the future.
February 2023
Two exciting projects - Last year I was invited to join the Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green committee. It's an event I've enjoyed ever since I moved to Hastings, and one very special to my household. This year is the fortieth anniversary and I have put together a celebratory project supported by the Heritage Fund to produce a publication, exhibition, digital trail and series of events. Plus we have commissioned local metal artist Leigh Dyer to create a foliate head for the door of the Fishermen's Museum, the spot where the door is rammed and the Jack is released. So that's my big project for the next couple of months, getting everything ready for the May Day weekend.
In other good news, Moving Mountains, the Arts Council funded book I was commissioned to work on on last Spring has been announced to be published by Footnote Press in October. I produced a number of drawings that will be interspersed between the text. It's an anthology of nature writing by disabled and chronically ill authors, edited by Louise Kenward.
August 2022
I've just finished working on a project about the 1921 Census run by Strike-a-Light and the Centre of Memory, Narratives and Histories (University of Brighton). I gave a talk about creative ways of researching local history projects assisted with two days of workshops for schools at Hastings Museum and was asked to make a creative response to their participants research findings. My response was a set of eight glove puppets based on women and girls who lived in Hastings and St Leonards in 1921. These included suffragists and political campaigners, an author and illustrator, a nurse, an aristocrat, a ten year old school girl, a dance teacher and a woman living in the heart of the fishing community. I made a 30 second recording for each character, read out by a woman or girl living in Hastings/ St Leonards today. These were added to sound modules secreted within the puppet, so you could listen to her story whilst handling the puppet.
This month I ran a series of children's workshops as part of Hastings Art Club summer club at the Dirty Old Gallery. Last year we made puppets, this year we spent three days working on books and zines. We made some big books, but mostly lots of little ones. Some traditional and some experimental bindings: We had concertinas, collages and cartoons, monsters, rockets, cats and geese. Books for keeping secrets, instructional books, books for ideas and drawings, books about mushrooms and books with tiny hidden pockets. Much fun as always. The after school art club returns in September.
I was commissioned to make a series of drawings for Moving Mountains, a new book project that brings together nature writing with people living with chronic illness and physical disability. Funded by Arts Council England. More to follow...
My collage 'The Day my Queen Wore a Sponge Finger Crown' sold at the Dirty Old Gallery's 'Who's Your Queen' exhibition, in June.
I will be taking part in Coastal Currents open studios during the first two weekends in September, as part of a collective of West Street artists in Hastings Old Town. I'll be showing/ selling petting zoo rejects, critters and curios, handmade books, rosettes, hand puppets and finger puppets.
I'm still developing my Hedgerow Puppet Show ideas... Part costume, part performance, puppets in pockets, unexpected rural locations... Some examples of recent puppets, critters and curios plus other recent work below.
