Bridging education & business and redefining what work means

As 2024 draws to a close I feel very grateful for another year full of exciting and meaningful illustration projects. I haven’t been able to share them all just yet but here is a bit more about my last live illustration session of the year for The Mead Educational Trust.

TMET exists to make a positive difference to the life chances of children and young people in Leicester. The multi-academy trust organised an all-day workshop last week, focused on building strategic partnerships to benefit Leicester’s students and local economy. The day featured fascinating discussions, idea-sharing and the development of collaborative projects at addressing city-wide priorities, including mentorship programs, work placements and effective career education.

There was a true buzz of energy in the room, that I joined remotely, where the wellbeing of young people was at the heart of every conversation. Redefining success and the notion of work were, in my humble opinion, some of the most impactful and inspiring ideas. It was a pleasure to capture this day with live illustration. Find out more about TMET’s #MEAD2030 here.

Creative Pedagodies in Education

As part of the development of their offering to schools across the UK, change-making research centre Story Makers wanted to visually express how they can support the education system. The brief was to represent the ecosystem of this Creative Pedagody offering, highlighting where research and practice can connect and rewild the curriculum.

I took the concept of “ecosystem” literally and created a school project-like diorama to represent the different layers of support Story Makers can offer to various education institutions and professionals.

I have truly enjoyed collaborating with Story Makers for a while now, and am very grateful to take part in projects that align with my values of supporting the holistic learning and wellbeing of children through the arts.

Helping children to recover after an injury

Earlier this year I collaborated with the Department of Health at the University of Bath who were developing pain information documentation with young people. The aim was to produce an illustrated flyer for children and one for their carer(s) to help them get back to their usual activities after a musculoskeletal injury (e.g. broken bone, sprain). When seeking ideas from families on this project, the research team noted the importance of having illustrations to make the flyers more attractive, but also more accessible to children.

The flyers are currently being trialed at the Bristol Children’s Hospital where feedback is being gathered from kids who have experienced fractures and their carers before rolling them out to further hospitals and clinics.

Green Jobs Map

This Autumn I collaborated with researcher Dr Ed Atkins on his project exploring experiences of changing jobs and skills in the South-West. I was briefed to create a regional map, illustrating key locations of the area’s project work - and the infrastructure which links them together.

With the climate emergency, people’s jobs and skills will change. A just transition means that it is important to ensure that nobody is excluded or unsupported. Identifying areas where people’s jobs will be impacted can support positive changes for workers and their families, whilst anticipating where right-wing populist politicians and movements will endeavour to link net-zero policies with the cost-of-living crisis.

Demystifying right-wing narratives can thus start with an illustration!

Planning for the Future

CW: This article and featured illustrations talk about the end of life

Two month ago I joined the Ageing & Movement Research Group and PRIME for a very special workshop on planning for the future when living with Parkinson’s. In the safe space of the study group, participants were able to address fears and concerns about the end of life. Within this caring environment, professionals from palliative care and law joined the academic team from PRIME to answer questions people often feel not able to ask.

I am very grateful to have been invited to share this space and live illustrate these discussions aiming to empower participants to feel more in control and confident about what lies ahead.

AAC & Aphasia

Last summer I had the pleasure to collaborate with speech & language therapist Shani Ackford from the AAC West (NHS). Supported by a grant from NIHR, Shani researches the use of AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) in aphasia. During a focus group, Shani identified the type of AAC people use, what does it help them with, what do they want their AAC to help them with and what would help to make it better.

It was fascinating to live illustrate the discussions of the participants and give another dimension to their lived experience of aphasia. Shani summarises her findings in this video.

Bristol Local Access programme

Bristol Local Access Programme is a citywide investment programme supporting organisations doing good. It focuses on developing a stronger and more sustainable social enterprise sector in Bristol through a combination of investment and business support. It aims to create a more diverse and inclusive economy by removing the barriers to funding and support that social enterprises often face.

I was commissioned to create an illustrative road map that helps potential organisations and stakeholders to find out about the programme and influence its continuation, with a Bristol feel, so of course it features hot-air balloons and my favourite place Watershed!

All Our Footsteps

Healthy Ways booklet

In All Our Footsteps is a cross-disciplinary project taking a historical, health and policy perspective to the mapping, development, use and experience of post-war Britain rights of way. The research team, based in Oxford Brookes University and Newcastle University, produced a series of booklets outlining key themes and findings of the project; Mapping, Healthy Ways, Accessible Ways, Citizenships and Working on Paths. As well as including historic research, the booklets relate to current and future themes in planning, mapping and using rights of way.

Designed by Bristol-based ethical and sustainable graphic studio Green Hat, these five booklets are now available to read and download here. I was very pleased to be commissioned to draw a series of editorial illustrations, bringing a sense of community, movement and fun twist to the publications!

Creativity is Mistakes

Creativity is Mistakes is a collaborative project between disabled artists and visual arts organisations in Wales. The project centres the voices, talents and lived experiences of disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent visual artists in developing innovative models for collective access in the visual arts.

I collaborated on this project producing live illustrations live illustrations during online talks, creating editorial illustrations for “Dear Art Gallery...” (a toolkit for art galleries working with and written by disabled artists), and for conversations starter pack about bias (a series of cards for starting conversations in your community, workplace or studio).

Working on this project felt like an incredibly holistic experience, from the capture in real time of purposeful and often vulnerable conversations to the tangible object of the toolkit.

The Role of Epi Crim

CW: This article and featured illustrations mention the existence of sexual violence

A couple of months ago I was invited to live illustrate an event exploring the role of Epidemiological Criminology (Epi Crim) in preventing and responding to sexual violence. Led by Pr Keiran McCartan at the University of the West of England (UWE), the workshop was based on research activities that took place across the university over the past five years. The aim was to bring professionals, policy makers and academics together to focus on a range of topics in the prevention of and response to sexual offending including for example the role of trauma informed practice, intervention with population a risk of offending and restorative justice.

As France is currently facing the horrors of the Pelicot trial, highlighting the systemic process of sexual violence and the reality of how victims are being treated by the justice system and society at large, I am reminded of this project and the absolute necessity to look at crime holistically and from a public health perspective.

Thank you to Pr Keiran McCartan for having me live illustrate this important event, find out more here.

Illustrating Medical Humanities

The Intercalated BA in Medical Humanities is a one-year course proposed by the University of Bristol and led by Dr John Lee. It is aimed at medical students and focuses on the contribution of humanities to the accomplished practice of medicine and medical research. Their aim is to produce better doctors - emotionally and cognitively intelligent, culturally aware and philosophically enquiring.

Since my first collaboration with Dr John Lee for the #MedicineOnTheWalls project, I had the pleasure to capture the students’ end of year meetings with live illustrations as well as occasionally teaching comics workshops during the first term.

As the course is starting again this week for the new academic year, it is an opportunity for me to share the latest end of year meeting. In the past few years I have witnessed future medical professionals sharing their appreciation for the course. They describe it as a safe space to pause and reflect on their medicine journey and to open their eyes to other career paths that medicine can offer.

On Brain Health...

The Prevent Dementia study aims to identify the earliest signs of dementia, which scientists believe may occur in the brain decades before symptoms appear. Their hope is to find ways to predict who is at greater risk of dementia, so that we can intervene and prevent the disease taking hold.

As part of prevent, a group of researchers is leading the NextGen Brain Health study, an international research project exploring brain health in young adults aged 18-39 years. Over the past few years, I have been lucky enough to collaborate with Dr Laura Booi, providing live illustration and editorial illustration services for her team’s various focus groups and publications. It’s been a fascinating collaboration and I have learned so much by Laura’s side, especially on lifestyle risk factors for dementia in young adulthood.

Last but not least, they have a lovely palette to work with! Above are some of the latest illustrations for Laura’s team, used in a series of posters for their recent study about living in a bigger body and practicing contact sports, and thoughts about how this might affect brain health.

Prevent Dementia are always looking for participants to join their study, they have five study sites across the UK and Ireland: the Universities of Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and Trinity College Dublin. Find out more here.

Rhyme & Reality

Back in July I was invited live live illustrate a beautiful event hosted by Spotlight in London in collaboration with researchers at QMUL as part of the HEAL study. Rhyme & Reality: Youth Work in the Booth was a thought-provoking evening exploring what is the role of the youth worker when supporting young artists in the music studio. Young & established musicians, creative youth workers, and sector professionals shared best practice and found solidarity & inspiration through various performances, panel discussions & interactive workshops. Taking place in the cradle of Grime music in Bow, East London, the conversation highlighted the profound power of music, in total opposition with the weaponisation of lyrics as criminal evidence. Dr Levell was one of the panelist and wrote a brilliant article about the evening.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to listen to gifted artists and fascinating stories.

I carried a watermelon

My favourite Bristol cultural landmark Watershed are celebrating the brilliance of camp classic Dirty Dancing and supporting Medical Aid Palestine this summer with a new Tshirt featuring an original illustration by me! The watermelon is a symbol of Palestinian history, culture and resistance and I am so honoured by this collaboration.

Come have the time of your life on 29 Aug at Summer Camp Film Party presented by Party Girl Productions. Expect camping-themed games, summer camp-inspired cabaret performances, friendship bracelet-making and Dirty Dancing:

https://lnkd.in/g2sqiU-x

dldl means Bridge

In June I had the privilege to live illustrate the Project dldl annual conference. Led by Dr Romina Istratii, the project is dedicated to the development and strengthening of religio-culturally sensitive, domestic violence alleviation systems in East Africa and the UK.

The word dldl means ‘bridge’ in Tigrigna, a term that reflects the project’s aim to bridge different disciplines, sectors and stakeholders in order to achieve a more reflexive, decolonial and integrated approach to addressing domestic violence in faith communities.

The aim of the conference was to build bridges between domestic violence and abuse (DVA) researchers, secular providers, religious institutions and ‘by & for’ organisations catering to specific religio-cultural communities.

This two-days conference was rich in heartfelt testimonies, emotional stories and uplifting conversations. Find out more about the dldl project here.

PPIE Showcase

Last month I was invited to live illustrate a Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Showcase hosted by the Ageing & Movement Research Group, whom I had the pleasure to work with at the end of last year. The aim of the event was to share best practice in how research is conducted with community partners and the public across the city. Contributions from key stakeholders helped understand how to work effectively with different communities with a focus on underserved groups. The day involved a range of short talks, networking activities and an amazing lunch from Houria, as well as a brilliant performance from the Misfits Theatre Company.

Rights For Time

Rights For Time network is an international network of academics and practitioners established in 2020. Their aim is to shift the discourse and practice of humanitarian protection by exploring how time conditions war, displacement and violence. Their research delves into the extended impacts of conflict, urging policymakers and governments to recognise and act on the prolonged timelines of atrocity and recovery.

I have been collaborating with them for a little while and this year I was commissioned to create an illustrated poster for their annual summit as well as a series of spot illustrations for the agenda, highlighting the network’s key themes and researches such as trauma, estrangement, resilience and legacy.

Find out more about Rights For Time here.

Yoga for Long Covid

Researcher Josie Watts is exploring how to make yoga accessible to people with long covid. I was invited to live illustrate a focus group where patients with long covid shared their experience of practicing yoga, highlighting the challenges and barriers to accessing the discipline. They also exchanged practical tips and advises for adapting classes to their condition. These feedbacks will inform the next steps of the research and will hopefully change the way we practice and teach yoga to help people with long covid.

Displays of Power

EDIT: After publishing this article I was shocked to find out that LSE was the first British University to evict its student encampment for Gaza after activists lost a court case. The students are on the right side of history. Free Palestine.

Last week took place the LSE festival, an intellectually stimulating series of events, which engages a wide public audience with LSE research & expertise. This year’s edition’s them was Power & Politics and proposed and exhibition titled Displays of Power, a deep dive into types of visualisation of different forms of power impact on politics and shape our world.

I was commissioned by the school to create an illustrated poster of PhD student Asher Kessler’s research, who explores how our vision of the future has been shaped by the Silicon Valley & how we must break free to imagine the future in alternative ways.

Women in Maritime

I was honoured to be invited to live illustrate this year’s edition of the International day for Women in Maritime, taking place at the International Maritime Organization headquarters in London. Throughout the day, industry professionals & state representatives explored the theme of safety at sea & how gender equality is essential to shape safe horizons for life at sea and on shore. Find out more about the day here.

Image copyright International Maritime Organization