Maker Space is our accessible studio, facilitated by Arts Council Wales, where artists, makers and designers from all backgrounds can develop their practices with a window onto the world.
Our Maker Space artists
Rachel Harris
Hi I am Rachel. I am a textile poet. I create visual expressions of my poetry.
Inspiration comes from the sea, nature, interdependence within the world, fairy/folk tales myths legends and family life. I use the flotsam and jetsam washed up on the beaches or lost and found items including textiles to create mixed media at quilts and rope art.
For the past 3 years I have been fascinated by European Eels which are a critically endangered incredible species. At the beginning of lockdown i heard a podcast by Steve Martin about the Prince Lindworm Danish fairytale and the hook for me was the 12 dresses created by the poor bride to be, which resonated with the 12 weeks(then!) of shielding so I spent those first 12 weeks making dresses and clothes out of ghost net. The fairytale has lots in it including rewilding the soul and more and In my retelling the Prince just wanted to be an Eel and his bride a fisher girl. I have since then produced a children’s book Eirian the Eel using my artwork and my poetry based on the lifecycle of the eel.
I work mainly with found and recycled materials. Myths legends and fairytales are all intertwined in the work that I do.
This time at the Maker Space is such a wonderful opportunity on many levels.
I have space to create!! I mean real space!!”
Ffion Pritchard & Menai Rowlands
“It’s been a wonderful 3 months at the Maker Space, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the community at Tŷ Pawb and create work inspired by their stories. We’ll miss the studio terribly!”
Our project, titled ‘The Story Generator’, is an ambitious, multidisciplinary community art project, concluding in a series of puppet films inspired by stories collected through collaboration with the local community. Look out for us around Ty Pawb with our story generating wheel!”
Giles Bennett
“I returned to visual arts after a break of many years where I worked as a circus performer and in the environmental sector building straw-bale and timber structures. I also worked at the Center for Alternative Technology during this time.
“On my return, I Initially worked as a photographer documenting other people’s installation art and performances, specialising in night-time/low light shows but after a few years I wanted to create my own work again so I enrolled on an MA in photography in Cheltenham to focus (pun intended) on my own practice. During this time I pushed my night-time photography creating large landscape photographs lit by the moon in one project and by the lights of roads, factories and cities in another.
During my MA, the first lockdown happened which stopped the work I had started on – creating video projection installations in mines. Restricted to a garden in west Wales was a challenge as a photographer so a decision to push an experimental process called solargraphy, which uses pinhole cameras to generally create images over weeks and months. I was interested in exposures of 24 hours. I started to wonder about moving the camera. My first experiment using a rotary clothes dryer didn’t give me a great image but definitely proved that the idea had potential. after much experimentation, I developed and built a series of cameras, some solar-powered others moved by clockwork mechanisms.
Since finishing my MA earlier this year (with a distinction) I’ve been able to push the moving-image/installation side of my practice having shows in Newport and Rochefort in France.
I was impressed by the openness of the people and the space, I’m excited to meet more creative people and make new connections. It’s always rewarding to talk to people about creativity and share ideas. I want to use the space to experiment more with cyanotypes and create a new series prints. I will also be exploring new ideas for projections and ways to present moving-image work while I’m here.
I’m enjoying people wandering into the space and the conversations that have come about and I’m enjoying the vibrancy of working here at the Maker Space in Tŷ Pawb.”
Ali Pickard
“I’ll be using the time as a way to reset my art practise and create a new body of work. I’ve been through various periods including as a metal sculptor in Edinburgh where I was part of a women’s welding collective for many years, then worked as a recycled fairtrade designer in different countries of South America, and lately as a Community Artist in and around Wrexham. I’ve enjoyed all these parts of being an artist, and it’s time for the latest metamorphosis as I return to making my own sculptures, but with new materials.
“I’ll be creating a new body of work on a smaller scale using wire, wood, fabric and embroidery, incorporating movement and texture. I want to introduce ideas of storytelling as I’m interested both in the use and subversion of traditional fairytales, and also the tales we tell ourselves as a modern society, and what we leave hidden. I want to use traditional skill techniques to draw people in and look at hidden stories. I’ll also be working on mechanical movements so you may find me in Maker Space scratching my head trying to work out how to make things move.”
Instagram; @theyaffingale
Tara Dean
“The outline for my time at Tŷ Pawb will move around development of new work reflecting drawings from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021.
In the Maker Space are curtains and other printed hangings that are patterned with the drawings made by some of the residents I met during the cARTrefu project with Age Cymru (where artists work with care homes across Wales www.cartrefu.org.uk).
“As part of my work I screen print cards and during the residency I will look at creating card designs of Tŷ Pawb while developing a collection of cards in reflection of the cARTefu Age Cymru project.”
Instagram: @tadean7
Lorna Bates
The space at Ty Pawb has been wonderful and the staff really friendly and helpful. I was a little nervous at the start but everyone was very accommodating and helped me settle in very quickly.
The space is wonderful. The large, tall space has been very suitable for the rolls of wallpaper I am making. There is a great desk space to get on with admin, plenty working surface and wall space to spread out. It is well lit and comfortable to be in. I particularly like the position of the space. There is a large window facing the public as they walk past into the building and the entrance to the maker space is off the main entrance and reception so I don’t feel tucked away out of sight. There is always a healthy buzz around the place and no 2 days are the same.
I have had excellent mentoring from Tracy Simpson who has made me examine my practice and consider future options. My time here has increased my confidence. It has been so lovely to meet all sorts of people and I’ve had some fascinating conversations with visitors to the maker space. I have formed a successful collaboration with one of the other stall holders.
I have also had professional photos taken as part of the marketing carried out by Ty Pawb which has been fun and I couldn’t have taken photos like that myself so that has been another plus point.
All in all it has been a wonderful experience so far and my practice has benefitted greatly. I’m so glad I’ve done it and I am so grateful to the wonderful team here at Ty Pawb, all experts in their field and invaluable.
Instagram: @lornabatesartist
Georgia Nielson
A Fine Art graduate at Glyndwr University, Wrexham, Georgia’s practice specialises in textile-based art, with an emphasis on rug-making and applique banner-making.
Instagram: @georgianielson