People | Objects | Stories

I am a researcher/maker/educator and Senior Lecturer at Manchester School of Art on BA(Hons) Product Design & Craft (previously BA(Hons) Three Dimensional Design). Central to my practice is my interest in people and objects, storytelling and complexity. Working with a wide range of people, I am fascinated by the connections we can build to others through our interaction with objects, the impact that others have on the formation of our selves and our acknowledgement of this.

My PhD thesis (2018) My, Your, Our Stories: a processual investigation of artistic interventions with everyday ceramics, explored authorship, value and collaboration through the use of everyday ceramic objects in combination with narrative utilising both hand and industrial processes. How ceramic objects can connect people and enable them to construct their own narrative.

I have undertaken numerous commissions for ceramic lighting and tableware for private individuals and corporate clients as well as exhibiting internationally. Within education, I enjoy working across disciplines, at a range of levels and have a particular interest in professional practice, giving talks on creative business development, as well as contributing to start-up schemes such as Making It, Northern Ireland; Project Network, ICRC, Denmark and Hothouse, Crafts Council, UK.

Born 1978, Belfast

Education
2018 PhD by practice My, Your, Our Stories: A processual investigation of artistic interventions with everyday ceramics, Manchester School of Art
2000 BA(Hons) Three Dimensional Design, MMU

Key Projects
2018-ongoing Clay Networks
2015-2017 (Y)Our stories
2011-2015 The Plate Experiment
2010 The Pol Project, part of Ahmedabad International Arts Festival, India, collaborative project with Dr Amanda Ravetz
2010 The Walls Are Talking, Project with Accrington Academy and the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, UK
2008-9 Grafitti*d Project commissioned by British Ceramics Biennial, Stoke On Trent
2008 Wesley Meets Art Project with Wesley charity including Auction, Special Collections Gallery, Manchester
2008 Kirkens Project with Kirkens Korshaer and Guldagergaard, Skælskør, Denmark
2004 Solas, Large scale installation, Andor Technology, Belfast
2001 Solas, Large scale installation, Manchester Art Gallery restaurant and café, Manchester

Awards
2018 Sabbatical funding, Design Group Research funding, Manchester School of Art
2016 Craft Research Group research funding, Manchester School of Art
2010 Scholarship for PhD by Practice, MIRIAD, MMU
2008 Award III, Visiting resident, International Ceramics Research Centre, Denmark
2006 ELLE Deco Design Awards: Lighting, shortlisted
2003 Business Initiative Award, Roses Design Awards
2002 100% Design Foundation Bursary
2001-3 Next Move residency, MMU/Crafts Council of England
2001 Individual Makers Grant, North West Arts Board

Exhibitions/events
2019 Clay Networks, Residency and Installation at BCB 2019, Stoke-On-Trent, UK
2017 The Reader, Installation at BCB 2017, Stoke-On-Trent, UK
2016 (Y)Our stories solo exhibition, Apple House Gallery, Guldagergaard, Denmark
2016 (Y)Our stories events Whitworth Art Gallery Manchester, UK; Chorlton Library, Manchester, UK; ICRC, Denmark
2015 (Y)Our stories Manchester School of Art, UK
2013 Pairings III Conversations & Collaborations, CAA, London, UK
2013 Seamless, Museum of Art & Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2012 Pairings II Conversations & Collaborations, Museum in the Park, Stroud, UK
2011 Transformations & Metamorphosis, Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany
2011 The Plate Experiment, at Fresh Research British Ceramics Biennial, Stoke On Trent, UK
2011 Chai Patterns part of the Asia Triennial Manchester, MCDC, UK
2011 The Plate Experiment, part of State of Play exposition, Cube Gallery, Manchester, UK
2010 The Pol Project, part of Ahmedabad International Arts Festival, India
2010 Pairings, MMU Special Collections, Manchester; Otter Gallery, Chichester, UK
2010 Embracing Technology Crafts Council of Ireland Galleries, Kilkenny, Ireland
2009 Transformations, Flow Gallery, London, UK
2009 Christmas Bounty, Harley Gallery, Notts, UK
2009 Non-Object-Ive Lodsk Festival, Poland
2009 Sterling Irish, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Ireland
2009 Object Factory: The Art of Industrial Ceramics, MAD, NYC
2009 Fragiles Kuwait Art Foundation, Dubai
2009 Tabletop Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
2008 Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, Manchester, UK
2008 Kirkens Project Guldagergaard, Denmark
2008 Object Factory: The Art of Industrial Ceramics Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Canada
2008 Wesley Meets Art exhibition and auction, Special Collections Gallery, Manchester, UK
2008 Wesley Meets Art: staff edit Urbis community gallery, Manchester, UK
2007 Design Camp House of MG, Ahmedabad, India
2007 Go Digital Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, China
2007 HauteGREEN NY Design Festival, NYC
2007 Handled with Care DesignBoom, Designers Block, London, UK
2007 Slavery: 100 Years Bluecoat, Liverpool, UK
2006 100% Design London, UK
2006 Design UK at Liberty London, UK
2006 Top Notch Lighthouse, Glasgow, UK
2005 Make Me C Manchester Art Gallery, UK
2005 Storytelling & Poetry Grimmerhus, Denmark; ICRC, Denmark
2005 100% Design London, UK
2004 Chelsea Crafts Fair London, UK
2004 Design UK London, UK
2004 100% Design London, UK
2004 Le Show Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2004 Tendence Frankfurt, Germany
2004 Cj O’Neill Canary Wharf window display, London, UK
2003 Light Rufford Craft Centre, Nottinghamshire, UK
2003 100% Design London, UK
2003 In the Making FAD, Barcelona, Spain
2003 Chintz Made, Bristol, UK
2003 Garden Inspiration Walford Mill, Dorset, UK
2003 Domestic Bliss The Pearoom Lincolnshire, UK
2002 Store Me Albert Square, Manchester, UK
2002 House Urbis, Manchester, UK
2002 100% Design London, UK
2002 In the Window Bluecoat, Loverpool, UK
2001 Make Me Too Ferrious, Manchester, UK
2001 100% Design London, UK
2001 One Year On BDC, London, UK
2000 New Designers BDC, London, UK
2000 Degree show Manchester, UK

Publications and Papers
2019 Clay Networks, Keynote lecture and installation at Restating Clay: Ceramic Communities conference, Cardiff School of Art
2016 Matching Process to Design Ceramics Monthly February issue
2013 Collaborative Value Paper at SAAG conference, Manchester School of Art
2012 Expanded Craft, Dispersed Creativity: A South Asian Residency co-authored chapter with Dr Amanda Ravetz, Collaboration Through Craft published by Blommsbury
2012 The Plate Experiment article in Crafts Magazine Issue 257
2011 The Plate Experiment: from the girls’ perspective paper at Listening Symposium, Manchester
2011 Collaboration and Value co-authored paper with Amanda Ravetz at Pairings Conference, Manchester

Teaching
2013-present  Senior Lecturer, BA(Hons) Product Design & Craft (previously Three Dimensional Design), Manchester School of Art
2018-present  External Examiner MA Design: Ceramics, Jewellery, Furniture, CSM, London
2012-2016  External Examiner BA(Hons) Contemporary Applied Arts, Belfast School of Art
2010-2013  Senior Lecturer, MA Design and Craft, Manchester School of Art
2006-2010 Programme Leader, GDip Creative Business Development, Manchester School of Art
2005-present  Visiting lecturer/professional practice adviser/mentor: Hothouse; Making It; Next Move; ACE Setting Up Scheme
2002-2006 Business Development Tutor, BDes(Hons) Three Dimensional Design, Manchester School of Art