Slightly belated New Year's post

So 2016 is here already. I had originally wanted to do a end of year thank you post, but a start of the year one will do just as well I'm sure.

The past year has certainly been a spectacularly eventful one. I met a lot of people and made many new beautiful friends who have all had positive influences on me, my life and my art. A lot has happened so I'll try to keep this a brief overview and thank you.

2015 held a score of fantastic exhibitions and performances to see, even the arrival of the British Art Show 8 here in Leeds, which had everybody clamboring to have an event on. It also held some fantastic opportunities for projects and work.

First of the projects I was involved with was Artist Anonymous. A platform for talks, discussions, showing work. Natasha, Emma and I organized events where we gave participants to interpret a theme and create work and discussion around it. We had many people from all paths, creative and non-creative, and was a great place for exploration and conversation.

What A Drag! at Liver Art Bistro

I have spent a large proportion of the past year at Live Art Bistro seeing some fantastic shows with some just as fantastical performers such as Jamal Harewood, Lucy Hutson, Season Butler, Figs in Wigs, the Orbit Showcase from Leeds Beckett students and graduates to name a few. And of course not forgetting the party of the year What A Drag! An unofficial British Art Show 8 after party. During which I was part of the confessional booth and worked as the 'door whore' for a lot of the night.
Live Art Bistro are one of the best performances spaces in Leeds and programmes some of the best (and weirdest) shows possible.

I was also a part of NEWK, which is based at Live Art Bistro, a platform for testing new performance works. I had been learning to read tea leaves as part of a project on fortune tellers and took some of my tricks to NEWK for the visitors there to do small, intimate readings for them. And what an audience they were! I had a queue going the length of the venue of people eagerly awaiting what I might find in their future.

A picture of a tea leaf reading I had done.

At the same time as this I was doing a residency at the Hepworth's The Calder space as part of a two year project for Pavilion and the Follies of Youth, looking at the landscape architect Lancelot 'Capability' Brown as part of the run up to his tercentenary. I had the privilege of working with some fantastic artists, performers, historians and enthusiasts. In particular Giles Bailey on his piece for the main exhibition Out of a Morass.
My piece for the residency responded to the themes with fun and absurdity, in a similar way to Giles' piece. It was great to work on it with 3 other great performers and friends Natasha, Naomi and Adam. How often do you get the chance to dance around throwing cake and smashing teapots at the Hepworth?! ​

'Serve For The Gods' at the Hepworth

'What Do We Want?' at Leeds Art Gallery

This was an especially busy time as I was finally moving house and managed to escape a rather volatile man, thanks to my friends Sarah and Sophie rescuing me. It was such a relief to be free of the abuse I suffered at his hands.

After this I had the opportunity to perform at Leeds Art Gallery as part of PoMoGaze, a one-day queer culture festival curated by Jude Woods. I responded to a painting in their permanent collection of Lady Godiva. I donned a blonde wig and a placard which asked 'What Do We Want?' to give visitors the chance to protest in the gallery about issues they felt need to be given space in conversation. My favourite responses were actually the people who tried to actively avoid me, prompting me to follow them around more to engage them.

Disco unicorn HOARD.

My final project of the year was HOARD. For one week we took over the bottom floor of the Corn Exchange here in Leeds and filled it with the hoardings...I mean...art...of all the artists involved. For this exhibition I finally got to show off the disco unicorn chess set I had been working on. Our curator Sarah had worked hard for the project and for this exhibition and it all paid off. It was a great week being surrounded by other like-minded artists in such a vast space and talking to all the shoppers whose curiosity got the best of them and came to explore.

I then had the opportunity to help some good friends on some of their projects. Lucy, Zoe and Jason who have a beautiful project called Tea & Tolerance and held a Tea & Tolerance Party. Wonderful conversations were had by all who participated on a range of topics, with a 'putting the world to rights' cup of tea.

Lucy and Zoe are also part Yorkshire Life Aquatic, a company of women who do dry-land synchronized swimming. The Mermaids, as they are affectionately known, ran a show at Bramley Baths titled Mermaid Tales, which was a truly exploratory experience. The building was filled with dancers, projections, storytellers, paraphernalia and even a memory aquarium.  The main event was the mermaid's synchro routine in the water with members of the Bramley mermaid club.
A rather brilliant night of two sold out shows showcasing how far they have come in the past few years.

Me dressed as a crab for Mermaid Tales.

So to wrap this blog post up I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone I have had the privilege of working with this year and to all the friends, old and new, that I have had the pleasure of knowing this year and hope to know you for many more years to come! 

I'll leave you here with a selection of pictures from my year.