movers & shakers community fund

Amazing news! My application for the first round of MAKE/SHIFT Movers & Shakers Community Fund was successful! 

My project - People, Place and Plants celebrates the power of plants and is inspired by the varied native and medicinal herbs taking root around Heanor Market Place, part of the sites recent update. People, Place and Plants engages local people with place through observational and expressive drawing and the creation of herbal tea blends and artwork inspired by the site. I’m curious to see if memories of local plant folk-law could be sparked and what we will share and learn. 

Click on the links for more information about Make/Shift and the fund. Applications will open for the Spring 25 round of funding on Wednesday 19th March 2025. Details on how to apply will be available nearer the time.

horizons - self portrait/photography/collage

Been having a fabulous time with students at St Martins Horizons 6th Form this term!

We are working towards self portraits inspired by contemporary British artist Maria Rivens brilliant scrapbook-style collage. 

Our first activity focused on spotting positive traits in ourselves and sharing them in a bold impactful way. Each participants hand provided the framework for their words and the positivity in the room was so uplifting!

Thank you Derby QUAD for inviting me to lead this project.

draw derby - 3 years!

December 2024 will be my final Draw Derby as creator/host/organiser, I'm stepping back as I need to focus on paid work. My ambitions for Draw Derby were bigger than I've been able to facilitate - I had hoped to run drawing workshops and put on an participatory exhibition in an empty shop in Derby city centre BUT support/funding has not been forthcoming. It's been a tough decision but 3 years is a good run. 

A group of DD regulars will be taking Draw Derby forward into 2025, same name, same time, same place!