I havn’t blogged for ages but I am officially back in the room!

Despite the ‘apocalypse’, we have achieved so much and I think it is worth celebrating! ( Largely thanks to my team of magical fairies and some fabulous funding streams).

Lets recap on the year of biblical proportions! We even had an Ark in Ipswich!

Photo Credit John Ferguson https://www.johnfergusonphoto.com/

So Quay Place closed and our creative community were plunged into lockdown. Our wonderful milk bottle elephant project emerged online to fill in the gap. Our ‘Herd Community’ movement attracted new members and adults from all over discovered the joy of creative play. https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/herdcommunitygroup/
At the beginning of the first lock down we were commissioned by Arts La’Olam to deliver ‘Between Spaces’ online art for wellbeing workshops. It was a steep learning curve but we launched the project with a real community spirit and had a ball. The Herd Community got involved too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLFDF8oMfK8&list=PL4dq1woTTlrstMT8v_c8WdEKo6yjRg6YH
I got a First Class BA/Hons Degree in Arts Practice Class of 2020
Our Herd Community Project was on public display (October-November 2020) at The Hold, Ipswich waterfront and Anna Middleton even produced a video game for us all to play! Many of our Herd members have been accepted as artefacts for Ipswich Museum and a Herd Community Book by Naz Abulkhairi has been accepted into the Suffolk Archive Collection! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZwUaRhmg94
https://maiko-design.itch.io/herd-community-amazeing-exhibition https://www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/displays-online/the-herd-community/
Amazingly in December 2020 I was selected to be on The Board of Trustees for a National Portfolio Organisation called Unlimited; to champion disabled Artists. https://weareunlimited.org.uk/
In Feb 2021 We were entrusted with over £28K from The National Lottery Project Grant Fund supported by Arts Council England and we delivered an incredible x16 weeks + of digital content, social justice videos, art tutorials, animations and the world famous ‘Live Stream Show and Tell Online TV Shows’. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh8iIEaTkGp3lPDPk1sT54g
The British Council awarded me a micro-commission to work internationally with Performance Artist Estela Laponni from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The project aims to encourage me out of my comfort zone as we explore live art and performance development. https://www.britishcouncil.org/arts
I had the opportunity to work as a freelance guest speaker, facilitating workshops about access and inclusion at Arts University Bournemouth.
As a participant of the Mercury Creatives professional development programme, I have been invited to consult on improving access provision and benefited from industry expertise. I am looking forward to being a panellist at the annual conference in August 2021
I had the privalidge of working with world class photographer John Ferguson to capture live art performances that had been developed with Estela Laponni and Paula Souza-Lopez.

11. I was commissioned to share a research paper with Tate Research and The South Bank Centre as part of The British Working Class Art Network entitled ‘The Regeneration of Ipswich Marina: Art as a Vehicle for Change

12. Despite the lockdowns I managed a Solo Show last summer, have exhibited in The Global Events Exhibition, Vogue by Boomer Gallery in White Chapel, and am booked for The Contemporary Art Exhibition on 6th Aug Nr London Bridge.

Ok so I think x12 is enough but I think it is fair to say it has been a tough and yet very productive year! I will be updating my future events page in the next few days and have lots of exciting things planned on the horizon. The blogger is back in the room and we are done with doom and gloom!