Past Projects |
To commemorate the ending of WWI, Stockport City Council commissioned six banners to be displayed at the art gallery and war memorial.
A parade of lanterns made by three local schools and ten community groups were also commissioned alongside four illuminated screens depicting soldiers from the conflict.
Another frightening night with circus wonders to behold. Creating a horror carnival for Salford Community Leisure's annual event, The Witches Walk, with Fiona Smith and Debbie Cunliffe.
Would you dare to enter the creepy clown walkway, or turn the key on the jack in the box?
A colony of giant Bee sculptures is winging its way to the streets of Manchester this summer…
Commissioned by Wild in Art and Manchester City Council to work with community groups from Hulme library at Moss Side Leisure Centre and Gorton Library. We designed and painted two of over one hundred Bees waiting to be discovered on a family-fun trail, taking in the city’s landmarks and undiscovered gems. Each Bee celebrates the unique buzz of Manchester, from its industrial heritage to its vibrant music scene.
Join the trail from 23 July until 23 September.
To celebrate the re opening of Peel Park in Salford. Walk the Plank commissioned art works to adorn the park during the celebrations.
Working with a number of community groups, schools and Salford University Fine Art Degree Students we created beautiful bunting and lanterns to decorate the park by day and night.
With Fiona Smith and Deborah Cunliffe.
A fabulous annual event set in the beautiful Buile Hill Park, Salford. Commissioned by Salford City council to create a new installation for the event to compliment our graveyard and pirate ship scene, we created a ultra violet Day of the Dead sugar skull fiesta!
Working with Fiona Smith, Fay Flatt, Deborah Cunliffe and Becky Bryson.
Manchester Day is here again! Working with Deborah Cunliffe and Fiona Smith we once again joined forces with Venture arts and Oswald Road Primary School to make fabulous costumes based on the Japanese myth of the Kitsune Fox. This magical creature, after gaining its ninth tail can control the elements. Our wonderful group from Venture Arts concentrated on creating beautiful Kitsune foxes, and in the meantime our talented youngsters at Oswald road made fabulous costumes and headdresses based on the elements Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
An exhibition of book benches comes to Manchester! Schools and libraries Manchester wide have taken part in decorating their own book benches. Commissioned by Manchester libraries and Wild In Art and working with fellow artist Fiona Smith, I worked with community groups from six libraries to create beautiful literacy linked designs. The benches will be part of a city wide exhibition trail, then will reside permanently in their original library.
Commissioned by The Big Difference company to build a large feature lantern representing 200 years of creativity and inspiration in Preston. Working with a number of different groups to create jet engine lanterns and alongside Fiona Smith making a giant two hundred lantern for the parade.
Another wonderful Halloween celebration in Salford! Commissioned by Salford Council to create a giant Kraken attacking a ghostly pirate ship. With artists Fiona Smith and Fay Flatt and wonderful volunteers, Adele Williams, Jane Lennard and Lynda Foley.
SIRF is currently in its 29th year! Commissioned by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, I worked closely with Fiona Smith and Debbie Cunliffe and the wonderful community in Stockton, to create fabulous costumes, banners and props for our 'Cloud Cuckoo Land' section of the carnival event.
Another fabulous Manchester Day! Working alongside Fiona Smith, Kerith Ogden and Deborah Cunliffe to create costumes and big builds to compliment the Eureka theme. The children from Oswald Rd Primary School in Chorlton chose to make beautiful togas to compliment Archimedes in his bath, and spectacular umbrellas to protect themselves from his bubbles! While our fantastic group from Venture Arts in Hulme decided to make Alan Turing's brain decoding the Enigma Machine and exploding hats to enhance the overall look.
SIRF is currently in its 29th year! Commissioned by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, I worked closely with Fiona Smith and Debbie Cunliffe and the wonderful community in Stockton, to create fabulous costumes, banners and props for our 'Cloud Cuckoo Land' section of the carnival event.
Another fabulous Manchester Day! Working alongside Fiona Smith, Kerith Ogden and Deborah Cunliffe to create costumes and big builds to compliment the Eureka theme. The children from Oswald Rd Primary School in Chorlton chose to make beautiful togas to compliment Archimedes in his bath, and spectacular umbrellas to protect themselves from his bubbles! While our fantastic group from Venture Arts in Hulme decided to make Alan Turing's brain decoding the Enigma Machine and exploding hats to enhance the overall look.
A commission from Contact Theatre to produce a nun's wimple for the production of 'Glue' by writer Louise Wallwein. The nun's wimple was worn during the production and changed into a ship representing the authors journey through life.
Working with the children from Year 3 at St James C of E primary school in Gorton, Manchester. Over three days we designed and created a colourful banner for the entrance hall of the school.
The study of refraction, reflection, symmetry and shadow forms part of Year Four's science curriculum at St Kentigern's Primary School in Manchester. Working over two days we created light boxes, silhouettes and glittering butterfly hearts to decorate the school corridors and hall.
A commission by Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and Manchester Libraries to create a flag to celebrate the 'Wythenshawe Games' which takes place annually in Wythenshawe Park. The young people who attended the games joined in various workshops, first designing the flag then cutting out and arranging the design. A joint project with Fiona Smith and Debbie Cunliffe.
A commission as part of the 'Artist in Residence' project at Christ Church School in Ainsworth. Working with the brilliant children in Year 5 and 6 we produced beautiful costumes and props for their end of year production of The Lion King. It was a smash hit!
Another fabulous year of Manchester Day celebrations. This year's theme 'Game On' celebrated all things fun and games. Working with Fiona Smith, the wonderful crew at Venture Arts and the children from Oswald Rd Primary School in Chorlton, we created 'Planet Fun and Games' - a giant planet covered in bright game pieces from both past and present. Following closely behind were our fabulous 'Clangers' - ever curious - who were attracted to the brightly coloured planet.
'Where The Wild Things Are' is an annual Halloween event which takes place in Peel Park, Salford. The Salford Ranger Team commissioned a new installation of creepy flowers and trees to compliment the graveyard and ghosts we had made previously for the 'Witches Walk' event in Blackleech Park. Working together with Fiona Smith and Debbie Cunliffe we created grotesque human eating flowers and a collection of creepy tree costumes to terrify event goers!
Pendleton Together Housing Association commissioned artwork to be displayed at its first birthday celebration. Tenants from the houses and flats managed by the association, joined in various workshops to build a set representing their homes which would be displayed outside in the event area. Participants chose to re-create appliances from their kitchens and items regularly found in living rooms up and down the country. We also made two giant birthday cakes which were displayed alongside the event stage!
While working as artist in residence at Christchurch school in Ainsworth, these banners were commissioned to brighten the school, make it welcoming and enhance the work year 6 children are completing on the World Wars. The different artwork completed with year 5 and 6, to compliment topics they are researching each term, can be found in the schools and community section of the gallery pages.
A Commission from Graeme Urlwin and Anne Tucker to build a giant pigeon made entirely from recycled materials. Working with Fiona Smith and the children from Heald Place school we sourced and prepared the recycled bottles, Tetra Paks, plastic bags and bubble wrap and made them into pigeon feathers to cover the shopping trolley frame. Willing hands from the Levenshulme Community helped us tie the materials to the pigeonʼs skeleton and create a wonder to behold! On parade day our fabulous pigeon soared around the streets of Levenshulme and Moss Side sharing information on how to recycle and presenting those with beautiful gardens a gold star award!
Working with artists Fiona Smith and Debbie Cunliffe we created wonderful under the sea, iceberg and flying seagull costumes. With the help of the Hulme community we made over 100 glittering fish for a large make which was pushed around the streets of Manchester on a very sunny Sunday! With the children from year 4 in Oswald Rd Primary School, we made sparkling costumes of Benin to complement large carved head sculptures that were carried in the parade.
Hosted by Z Arts, Trinity Arts Week takes place annually. Students from year 7 at Trinity High School spend the week contributing to various art projects including film making, dance, drama and visual art. The students from each group had four hours to complete their individual pieces. Groups 9 and 10 from year 7 created ten fabulous willow fish and eighteen beautiful flags made from ripstop nylon to decorate the gallery exhibition space at Z Arts.
During 2010 Platt Fields Park in Manchester celebrated its centenary. In partnership with artists Fiona Smith and Anna Smith from Pow-wow Eco Arts, we created beautiful swan lanterns to float on the lake in the park, and a giant 100 installation. The project offered increased involvement from people who face barriers to participation, as the groups involved included adults with severe learning difficulties, young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), school children from the local and wider Manchester areas and park volunteers. The installations were shown at Diwali festival of lights, 'The Promise' Guide and Brownie Centenary, 'Centenary Bonfire Night' at Platt Fields Park and 'Lighting the Legend' 2010 at Salford Quays.
Pride in Our Neighbourhood Groundwork Trust, as part of the 'Pride In Our Neighbourhood' campaign commissioned 14 painted boards to be installed in various locations in Old Trafford. Collaborating with artist Fiona Smith and involving a number of community groups and Affifa High School, we identified familiar snapshots of Old Trafford and other youth-related iconic images. These resulted in simple, bold representations in bright abstract colours. The boards are exhibited in visible locations around Old Trafford and gave the young people involved an opportunity to make a real contribution to the PION campaign.
Using only recycled materials, the children from year three created these beautiful flowers which are installed on the school playground railings. The children also designed and made their own 3-D recycled flowers for the class room.
A commission to create two new benches for Ladybrook Valley in Stockport, with the children from Nevill Rd Primary school's arts club. During the initial stages of the project the children were asked to consider the environment of Ladybrook Valley and study the plants and animals that live there. They made small black and white sketches which were expanded upon to create a final design. These were created on coloured card using silhouettes of the animals and plants they had chosen. The bench was created by combining a selection of the images produced. Another joint venture with Fiona Smith!
A Commission by Walk The Plank. Working with year six from St Anne's RC Primary in Ancoats, we created beautiful fish head-dresses and tails which formed half our costumes for the parade. With Debbie Cunliffe, Sharon Drysdale and Fiona Smith fish dresses were made using similar materials to the head-dresses. Nautical Icons – a ships wheel, an anchor, the North Star and a compass were created using old maps of Manchester, to compliment the Manchester Galleon.
Blackleach Country Park Walkden, Salford. Witches Walk is an annual event which takes place on Halloween. Salford Ranger Team commissioned a group of instillations for the adventure playground area of the park. Working together with Fiona Smith we created a spooky graveyard, scary zombie silhouettes and a group of glamourous witches and goofy monsters!
North Grecian Street and Charlestown Primary Schools are amalgamating. Working with a group of children from each school, we created eight painted boards which were to be installed on the outside of the new school building. As the old school buildings were constructed on a flood plain and climate change is an important issue, the children were asked to consider nature, their surrounding area, and how we can help preserve the planet. The children created initial designs and helped paint up the final boards.
Offerton Arts Project. Working with the children from Lisburne Special School and Dial Park Primary School, to produce two mosaics and 12 painted boards for around both schools and local allotments. A collaboration with Fiona Smith.
Over a series of workshops, the children from years two, five and six made self portraits, hand and number tiles using paper collage, photography and found objects. These images were placed together to create three large banners which are displayed outside in the school playground.
Lancashire Hill Community Murals
Art on the Hill was a project commissioned by Stockport Homes to bring colour and creativity to Lancashire Hill children's play area, creating artworks to educate and inspire. The project revolved around environmental themes. Four local community groups were encouraged to discuss climate change, and develop designs that considered their surrounding area, the natural world and how we can best preserve it.
In collaboration with artist Fiona Smith we created a sustainable public artwork that was designed to impact as many in the community as possible.