Artist Commissions and Residencies
A selection of projects developed and created as part of artist residencies and commissions developed through working with different communities to explore themes of belonging and identity.
Lifecycle
A multi-projection audio-visual installation based upon the experiences, perspectives and aspirations of 30 people who live and work in the former coal mining town of Coalville, Leicestershire. A sequence of moving imagery of the town is combined with a surround-sound audio track. The work is projected onto seven screens that alternate between individual images and a unified whole.
LifeCycle was commissioned as part of the Transform Project arts program at Snibston Discovery Museum and launched at the Century Theatre, Snibston in May 2011. It was subsequently shown in Coalville Centre and then at the DMU Cube Gallery, Phoenix Square, Leicester in September 2011.
Where Do I Go From Here?
This installation was created during my time as artist-in-residence at Durham Cathedral. It features 60 suspended speakers, each adorned with a blue light, encircling three pools of water edged with broken slate. Within the pools, a video projection captures elements of northeast England's social and urban landscape, while the space is filled with the murmurs of voices and sparse, abstract sounds.
The voices belong to refugees and asylum seekers living in the UK, who share their thoughts, experiences, and reflections on making sense of their lives. The work invites viewers to engage with these personal narratives, creating a powerful dialogue between place, memory, and identity.
The installation has been exhibited at:
University of Sunderland Gallery (2001)
Durham Art Gallery (2001)
The Public, West Bromwich (2004)
Elders
This light and sound installation explores wisdom through the thoughts, ideas, and experiences of 18 elderly residents from the Black Country in the West Midlands. Created during my artist residency at Jubilee Arts in West Bromwich, the project was supported by artists Bobby Bird and Catherine Tarbuck.
The installation features 18 speakers arranged in a semi-circle, each with a blue halogen light attached to its rear. These lights respond directly to the sounds passing through the speakers via a sound-to-light unit, creating a dynamic interplay of light and audio. The audio itself is an 18-channel system, weaving together the voices of the participants as they share their personal perspectives on life and the lessons they’ve learned.
In addition to the audio-visual elements, the participants collaborated in creating a series of portraits, adding a deeply personal and visual dimension to the project. The result is a poignant and immersive exploration of lived experience, wisdom, and the power of storytelling.
Small Wonder
This audio-visual installation delves into the reflections of 12 participants as they explore the role of spirituality in their lives. Created during a 3-month residency with The Other Side of AIR in Inverness, Scotland, the piece features nine resin-glass screens suspended in a grid, onto which moving images are projected.
Surrounding the space are nine speakers, each with a red light attached, while four larger speakers are positioned in the corners of the room. The double-sided screens encourage the audience to move around the installation, experiencing it from multiple perspectives and engaging with the interplay of light, sound, and imagery.
The 12 participants, hailing from the Highlands and influenced by a variety of faiths and traditions—including Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Atheism, and Bahai—share their beliefs, ideas, and personal journeys with spirituality. The result is a thought-provoking and immersive exploration of faith, identity, and the diverse ways people find meaning in their lives.
Produced in Inverness, Scotland in 2007 as part of a 3-month residency with The Other Side of AIR.
It's Like Love Is
This interactive sound and light installation explores the concept of love through the voices of seven participants. Created in 2006 with funding from Arts Council England and developed in collaboration with Bobby Bird, the piece features seven suspended orbs, each housing a speaker, a blue light source, and a proximity sensor. The orbs are crafted from clear resin using a unique method developed specifically for this project.
As the audience moves through the installation, the proximity sensors adjust the brightness and volume of each orb, creating an immersive and responsive experience. The seven orbs are interconnected through a series of audio soundscapes that dynamically shift across the space. These sounds are subtly echoed by the blue lights, creating a harmonious interplay of light and sound that evolves as viewers engage with the work.
Through this innovative and sensory-rich installation, It's Like Love invites audiences to reflect on the multifaceted nature of love, connection, and human emotion.
In The Marvellous Moment
This large-scale projection piece was commissioned by Birmingham Cathedral in 2013, with funding from Arts Council England and the Jerusalem Trust. The work features the words and moving portraits of over 100 individuals, each reflecting on the significance of Christmas and midwinter.
Projected onto the sides of Birmingham Cathedral for 14 nights in December 2013, the piece transformed the historic building into a canvas of light, sound, and storytelling. The moving portraits and personal reflections created a powerful and inclusive celebration of the season, inviting viewers to connect with the diverse perspectives and emotions shared by the participants.
The project was realised with the support of artist Andy McKeown and project manager Sadie Newman, whose collaboration helped bring this ambitious and heartfelt vision to life.
The Salt Passages
Produced during a nine-month residency at the VR and Innovation Centre at Teesside University and Cleveland Arts in 1998, The Salt Passages invited participants to share their connections to the rapidly changing social and industrial landscape of Teesside. The project culminated in an interactive installation and CD-ROM, divided into three distinct chapters of audio and video elements, each exploring the personal and collective narratives of the region.
Presented at:
FUTURSONIC, Manchester, England (July 2000)
VIPER 20, International Festival of Film, Video, and New Media, Basel, Switzerland (October 2000)
Media Arts Festival, Friesland, The Netherlands (September 2001)
Through its innovative use of multimedia, The Salt Passages captured the voices and stories of a community in transition, offering a poignant reflection on identity, change, and the enduring spirit of place.
The Glass
This series of montage images was created as part of an MPhil research degree programme at the University of Derby between 1996 and 1999. Using emerging photo-imaging technologies, the project explores the power dynamics between the West and the Global South, interrogating themes of representation, inequality, and cultural perception.
The work formed part of a broader investigation into the philosophical category of realism and contributed to the paper Digital Montage. Through its innovative use of digital techniques, the series challenges traditional notions of realism and invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of global power structures.
The work was exhibited internationally, including in:
Washington, USA
Taipei, Taiwan
Rotterdam, Netherlands
In the UK, it was showcased at:
The Castle, Nottingham
Montage Gallery, Derby
This project not only pushed the boundaries of digital art at the time but also sparked important conversations about representation, identity, and the ethics of visual storytelling.