Curriculum Vitae

A graduate from the BA Hons Public Art and Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design, I aim to create innovative work to uplift and inspire. Having graduated in 1996, I am currently working freelance creating site-specific work for a variety of contexts.

Commissioned Projects

Jan – April 2005 HomeGrown: Made In Littleport - Littleport Textile Project, ADEC Cambridgeshire
Invited to develop a range of temporary concepts and community development opportunities to celebrate the textile tradition of garment manufacture in this Fenland village. The aim of the project has been to celebrate and engender local pride, whilst also encourage the creative use of skills normally associated with work. Relationships have been formed throughout the village including the business community, the result - a temporary street installation and accompanying exhibition showcasing the creative process and community involvement.


October 2002-2005 Populating Places - Lead Artist Grange Park District Centre, South Northamptonshire Council
Commissioned to work as part of the developers design team to identify opportunities for artistic input within the District Centre development of this new settlement. Funded partly by Arts and Business, my brief to inform decision making on a broad and specific scale, influencing the design of integrated items of street furniture as well as create a sculptural intervention. The development of a shopping bag design with input from the community and sponsorship from the new businesses in the centre will be launched in the autumn to consolidate the project.

June - May 2000/1   airborne - Year of The Artist residency at the Imperial War Museum Airfield, Duxford An opportunity to work alongside the conservation engineers researching and experimenting with traditional fabric and metal manipulation techniques used in aircraft restoration. Exploring the development of flight and form as a starting point, examining connections between the natural and manmade worlds, outcomes include a new sculptural work for the museum and a programme of associated educational workshops.

May - August 2000   'Bugs' residency - The Gallery, Stratford on Avon District Council
Commissioned alongside artist Rachel Higgins to make new work '11:45 12:00 12:20', inspired by the Butterfly Safari for exhibition as part of the 'Bugs' exhibition. The exhibition was complimented by a one-day workshop series with local children aged 8+ funded by the District Council.

February 2000   Connexion 2000 - Millennium Festival Residency with ntl
Commissioned by First Take Films, as part of its Connexion 2000 programme of residencies. The framework for the project is to work within this dynamic communications company to create a work of art to mark the relocation of the company headquarters. Simultaneously, a video artwork linked to my work is being put together by First Take films for transmission on Anglia Television in the autumn.

January 2000  Cultural Mapping - Leicester City Council - Tesco Hamilton District Centre Gateway Commission
Selected to produce outline concepts for a new Tesco development in Leicester. The sculptural metal and tensile forms for the roundabout and sculptural seating area are designed to form a bridge between the old and the new. They aim to reflect the different communities in the area, knitting together, yet retaining their distinct qualities, separate elements combined.

Sept-October 1999  Herefordshire Council - Courtyard Centre for the Arts - Flying High 2000 Textile Project
Commissioned to produce design ideas for a site-specific textile work for The Courtyard Centre for the Arts, Hereford. A focal point commission as part of the Flying High 2000 initiative running throughout the year, the design I proposed aims to sum up the vibrance and energy of the project.

Dec 98 - 2000  Fenland District Council - March Capital Challenge Market Place Enhancement Scheme
Invited by Fenland District Council to work with their planning and engineering teams in the development of concept ideas for the Market Place in March, a thriving Fenland town. A £400 K project, my initial brief was to appraise existing plans and develop concepts to lift the possibilities for creative input into the scheme. Stage two was to develop visual impressions to show Members and the Public to inspire debate, followed by a period of public consultation and participation in elements of the design process. I then developed detailed designs, following production through to installation on site.

From October 1996 to November 1998 I was Associate Designer Maker for Parker Barry Creative, Cambridge. The company, a multi-disciplinary design studio, gave me the opportunity to generate and develop site-specific projects for myself and other artists. Whilst with the company I developed the following projects:

August 98 - 2001  Commissions East on behalf of Fenland District Council - Chatteris Enhancement Concept Development
Appointed to the design team at Fenland District Council to develop proposals for a series of integrated commissions for the Chatteris Town Centre Enhancement. Looking at the design development, involvement of other Artists, and community involvement; I worked with the Arts Development, Planning and Engineering officers in the preparation of an outline scheme.

April 1998  Howick Contemporary Art in collaboration with BAA Lynton Plc - St. James' Sculptural Textile 'Spiraglo'
Selected by Howick Contemporary Art Consultants to design and construct a ceiling hung sculptural textile feature incorporating lighting. Working with Studio Downey Architects, the work aims to enhance the space as part of a revamp to find a new owner for the building. The piece spirals from the ceiling as an extension of the architecture, bringing the building to life.

Oct 97 - Nov 98  Swavesey Village College - Exterior sculpture project and Enhancement scheme - 'Transition'
Commissioned by Swavesey Village College to design and construct an external entrance feature for their newly expanded Art and Design department, as well as consider the social spaces around the playground area. Acting as a focal point for the 40th anniversary celebrations for the College, the work has been developed alongside a workshop programme with year eleven students, exploring ideas based on change and transition - reflecting the growth and development of the College as it enters it's 41st year. The project, heavily involving the PTA and volunteer help in its creation, has been a catalyst for further initiatives. Enabled by sponsorship from Tarmac Quarry Products and Topmix and a host of local sponsors.

Sept 97 - Mar 98  Hills Road Sixth Form College Cambridge - Sculptural Textile Commission - 'Potential'
Following a successful lottery application developed in partnership between myself and Hills Road, I worked with members of the College community to create a site-specific work for a stairwell in their new Art and Design Centre. Exploring ideas around the theme of 'What goes up must come down' I introduced the students to the considerations of working site-specifically, as well as helping them push their perceptions about working sculpturally with fabric based media.

Sept 1997  Commissions East on behalf of Fenland District Council - Whittlesey Enhancement Concept Development
Appointed by Commissions East to put forward a proposal to become members of the Whittlesey Enhancement Group. Working with Artist Isabella Lockett, the aim was to put forward a basic framework out of which designs for flooring, lighting and a co-ordinated range of street furniture would emerge, with proposals to involve the community in the developing process.

August 1997  South Cambridgeshire District Council - Art In The Park - 'Polleni'
Temporary outdoor commission for the Arts Development Unit, one of six commissioned pieces for the 'Art in the Park' family arts weekend in Milton Country Park. Neither plant, insect, or alien; the series of sculptural forms interact with the elements, reflecting the relationship between the manmade and the natural in the park.

Workshop Based Projects

May 2001      Flying forms      Special Needs Program at The Imperial War Museum Duxford
Sculptural workshops with 12 - 15 year olds with special needs.

May 2001      Breaking The Barriers      Engage/ Arts 2000 National Museums and Galleries Month One day 6th Form workshop at the Imperial War Museum Duxford as an extension to the airborne project.

December 1999      Woody Plants for Winter Impact Cambridge University Botanic Garden Education Programme
Working alongside Norman Villis, former Head Supervisor of the Botanic Garden. Using simple model making techniques to encourage participants in this one day course to consider the impact of structure and form on the design of their gardens, with particular emphasis on how to make these elements work in the winter garden.

August 1999      Pheonix Centre Eating Disorder unit, Fulbourn Hospital Cambridge - Sculptural Textile Project
A weeklong project funded by South Cambridgeshire District Council working with group of girls aged between 13 and 16 years. The project, which focused on creating a series of aerial shapes to enhance the living room space, aimed to occupy the girls during non-structured summer holiday time, whilst enabling creative development, and helping to build confidence. Using a combination of heat transfer dying and bonding the girls were able to 'loosen up', working for the first time as a group to create their abstract underwater shapes.

April - May 99      Trinity Church of England School Esher, Surrey - Banner Project
Approached via The Sherriff Rosebriars trust to work with students from years 8 - 10 to create a series of banners for use by the school and local community church. Developing ideas around the theme of growth, we designed a series of six abstract banners constructed from heat transfer-dyed and bonded fabrics.

Dec 98 - June 99      Hills Road Sixth Form College and Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge - Sculptural Textile Project
Continuing my links with the College as Artist in Residence, I co-ordinated a commission for Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge, involving a group of first year GNVQ students. Funded following a successful application to Barclays New Futures Award, the project has enabled the students to create a site-specific piece of sculptural textile for integration into the hospital's refurbishment programme.

I have an ongoing relationship with the education departments of both the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Media (selected)
Fiberarts Magazine - Notable Events - Nov/Dec 2001
Art and Architecture Journal - No.55 2001
Anglia TV / First take Films - 'Connexion 2000 - Art at Work' - Dec 2000
The Guardian - The Guide exhibition review - January 2000
Crafts Magazine - Shortform - Nov/Dec 1999 Craft Notes Commissions News . Nov/Dec1998
Artists Newsletter - Review Soundings - November 1999
Blueprint Magazine - Exhibition News - September 1999
Landlines - Landscape Design Trust Journal - Dec/Jan 1999
ism Independent on Saturday Magazine - 'Pinstripe Medicis' feature on Corporate Art. May 1998
BBC2 - 'The Art and Antiques Show' feature on sculptural textile . November 1997

Exhibitions
'Orthinology' - Michael Brown Gallery, Hitchin - 4 person show - Jan/Feb 2001
'Bugs' - The Gallery, Stratford Upon Avon - July/August 2000
'Made at Wysing' - Wysing Arts Centre, Bourn Cambridgeshire - May 2000
'Stigma' -Northern Lights Contemporary Craft project. Touring to Bluecoat Display Centre Liverpool, Ruskin Gallery Sheffield, and The Cleveland Craft Centre. Sept.1999
Crafts Council and Marks and Spencers Summer Textile Show, Baker Street, London - July 1997

Lecture
Public Art Seminar – For NALGAO Members, Organised by South Northants District Council June 2004
Public Art Seminar – For ADO’s Planners and Council Members, South Northants District Council November 2003
‘Art for different Contexts’ – Adult Special Interest Day, Imperial War Museum, Duxford June 2000
Annual Public Lecture ‘ Inside Out - Art for Different Contexts’ – Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge 1997

Other Experience
Visiting Lecturer to the Applied Arts BA degree course and Applied and Fine Art Practice MA University of Hertfordshire Jan 2004 - ongoing
The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and further Education - Visit to Buckingham Palace to receive award with prize winners Hills Road Sixth Form College for their Art In The Community programme February 2003
RIBA judging panel member for the British Geological Gardens design competition Jan/May 2002
Member of East Cambridgeshire District Council Public Art Strategy Group and ADEC Visual arts Working Group 1999/present
Artplan Consultancy - Hills Road Sixth Form College Cambridge April 1998
Managing Public Art Projects Training Day – Public Art South West . March 1997

Supported by the Princes Youth Business Trust

Qualifications
1996 BA Hons class 2:1 Public Art and Design Chelsea College of Art and Design
1993 Foundation Studies Diploma in Art and Design A P U Cambridge