Crafts – Art Works Hall Green

Sophia Moffa

Sophia Moffa’s practice is focused on the connections between the plant kingdom and society, commenting on contemporary issues of privilege and inequalities within society.

She uses natural found materials which she sources within the urban green spaces, creating works that often transforms in parallel with the seasons in the city where she lives. Her work is influenced by the belief that we live in an oversaturated environment, which clouds and persistently feeds the mind. Due to this, her works are cyclical, temporary, and sustainable.

Moffa often works collaboratively with artists across different countries to build on a more collaborative art world and practice. This year she also set up “the travellers’ tree” a CIC which runs art workshops in nature for asylum seekers living in hostels across the West Midlands. Merging art, physical activities, and nature together to enable refugees to have a safe space to express themselves. She has run workshops for the Canal & River Trust, Super Slow Ways, Amal and the New Art Gallery Walsall.

Website: www.sophiamoffa.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/s_moffa

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiamoffa/

E-mail: moffasophia@gmail.com

The Travellers’ Tree

A community interest group bringing art, cycling and nature together for asylum seekers in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Website: sophiamoffa.com/the-travellers-tree

Twitter: https://twitter.com/travellers_cic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_travellers_tree/

E-mail: travellerstree.cic@gmail.com

Sharonjit Sutton

I am a Birmingham based multi-disciplinary artist and graphic designer who is interested in exploring the communal benefits of art, craft and design.

I am a Birmingham based multi-disciplinary artist and graphic designer who is interested in exploring the communal benefits of art, craft and design. A large part of my creative practice over the past two years has been working on educational, heritage, arts and community projects in the West Midlands, where marginalised communities benefit from the outcomes – such as having a platform to share their stories and/or access creative outlets that are not usually accessible to them.

Website: www.designsloading.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideasloading/

E-mail address: sutton0sharon@gmail.com

General Public

General Public is the collaborative platform of artists Elizabeth Rowe and Chris Poolman. Broadly speaking, they devise large scale public art projects that incorporate elements of fiction, myth-making, local history re-invention and heritage rebooting.

General Public is the collaborative platform of artists Elizabeth Rowe and Chris Poolman. Broadly speaking, they devise large scale public art projects that incorporate elements of fiction, myth-making, local history re-invention and heritage rebooting.

Often this process involves re-working or inverting an established model or institutional structure. Their approach is interdisciplinary and collaborative: they produce artworks (writing, film, print), devise collaborative frameworks, organise events, curate / commission other artists.

Previous projects have included:

a re-interpretation of the biennale concept in inner-city Birmingham (Balsall Heath Biennale 2011 – 2013),
a science fiction themed light festival exploring the politics of regeneration (Longbridge Light Festival, 2014),
a community competition resulting in 4000 new coins for an inner city area of Birmingham (Handsworth Currency Competition 2014 -15)
an 18-month strategic touring exhibition that uses the migratory movements of hop-pickers as the conceptual basis for a tour (The Hop Project 2016-17).
In 2017/18, they conceived & produced The Endless Village, an apocalyptic sitcom that investigates life in an imagined post-Brexit Britain of the future. This was presented as exhibitions at Eastside Projects and Aspex Portsmouth.
Over the 2018 summer holidays they delivered the ‘Heathland Festival, a ‘children’s festival of ideas’ that occurred at Birmingham Community libraries.
During 2019/20, they were artists in residence at the University of Birmingham where they developed ‘The Pomology Project’ (a reimagining of British orchard traditions in an urban context).
Their current project Let Us Play explores the history of the Adventure Playground movement in Birmingham. The oral histories and archive material generated through the project will be presented in 2021 as part of a series of exhibitions, events and a publication.

Website: www.generalpublic.org.uk

Address: 69 Station Road, Kings Heath, B14 7SS

E-mail: generalpublicprojects@gmail.com

Phone: 07769 530 557

Maddalena Women’s Crafting Project

A women only, crafting safe space. We teach knitting, crochet and sewing with the view to empowering women through skill sharing and breaking down social barriers.

We understand the issues faced by women and the forms of abuse and trauma they experience. We donate our makes to charitable causes also. Women coming together from all different backgrounds to help one another and their community; local and global.

Facebook: (Private group) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1281740178856033

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddalena_project_moseley

Address: Pachahouse Kitchen Garden at The Friends Institute, 220 Moseley Rd B12 0DG

Hall Green Art Society

A local society whose members meet to paint, discuss art and develop their skills through a varied programme of demonstrations, workshops and exhibitions. Artists of all abilities very welcome.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hallgreenart

Address: Meetings at Chatterton Hall, 93b School Road, Hall Green, B28 8JQ. Exhibitions usually in Moseley, Kings Heath or Hall Green.

E-mail: mandywearing@btinternet.com

Phone: 0121 778 3811

Flo:FibreArtist

Flo is a self-taught vibrant crochet and fibre artist from Birmingham. She took up crochet over 10 years ago and has never looked back. After covering all her family and friends in crochet she then took to the streets, bringing colour wherever she goes. Flo is inspired by nature, feminism, pop culture and whatever is on her mind at the time. Check her out for commissions and make your world a softer place too!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/flofibreartist

Instagram: https://instagram.com/flo.fibreartist/

E-mail: Flofibreartist@gmail.com

Phone: 07709 107 170

Jane Thakoordin

I am a participatory artist, working mainly in textiles. I combine my creative skills and knowledge with my background (& current work) in adult mental health social work.

I combine my creative skills and teaching to run an arts practice that is rooted in coproduction, therapeutic mental health and trauma informed and socially engaged.

I mentor and am an associate artist with GAP Arts. I have a community studio space at TOPW where I create protest banners.

I qualified with a degree in Visual Arts from Lancaster University and have many years experience of reseaching, facilitating and evaluating arts projects, workshops and events.

Following a career as an arts administrator, I built on my community arts experience by qualifying in Social Work from Glasgow University. I went onto to manage a number of community based mental health services both in Glasgow, and more recently in Birmingham. I have a commitment to creativity and engagement and have been recognised nationally for my work in creative approaches to organsiational change and consultation. I deliver learning and engagement opportunities with diverse groups of adults, young people and older adults.

Appearance

I am

In 2016, I established The Black and Blue Collective– a collaborative live arts organisation that works in co-production with artists and people with lived experience of mental health issues

Website: www.janethakoordin.com

E-mail: thakoordin@gmail.com

Saheli Hub

Sähëlï – A friend dedicated to improving community health and wellbeing by providing innovative services and solutions that educates, motivates, inspires and empowers.

Art activities include:

Talking through what’s on your mind using Art through movement
writing
photography
natures crafts
crochet
painting
printing

Website: Saheli.co.uk

E-mail address: Shebina@saheli.co.uk

Address: Saheli Hub, 257 Edward Road, Balsall Heath, B12 9LF

Twitter: @SaheliHub

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sahelihub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saheli_hub/

Sajida Asif

Sajida Asif is a Birmingham born artist based in Moseley.

After graduating with a Master’s degree in Fine Art, Sajida held exhibitions of her work both locally and abroad, with previous exhibitions held in Amsterdam, Walsall New Art Gallery, a six week solo exhibition in Winterbourne Coach House Gallery, Birmingham and other West Midlands and Birmingham based galleries such as Direct Art Action, The Art Yard and Moseley Exchange.

Sajida has carried out lots of commissioned projects with schools and other organisations. These projects have involved murals, fabric hangings and art, painted benches with the Big Read and an outdoor public piece as part of Stechford Art Trail in Birmingham. Sajida has also been commissioned to create tapestries for Birmingham’s Soho House Museum.

Sajida has worked with many different mediums and art forms. Recently Sajida has also begun creating quilts and tapestries as mediums used to explore history, culture and heritage. Sajida has carried out lots of artist workshops with adults and young people through working with Birmingham Centre for Art Therapies.

Craft, Fine Art, Visual Arts

Website: https://saj-art.wixsite.com/sajida-asif

E-mail: sajidaasif925@msn.com

Phone: 07875 031 574