POSE | SCT Creative House @ The Old Pay Office | 25.10.24 - 27.10.24

I took part in POSE 2024 (Portsmouth Open Studios Event) on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of October. As I don’t have a studio of my own, the brilliant team at @cityartsportsmouth placed me in a space at @sustain_conserve_trust (SCT) alongside a group of welcoming and generous artists. SCT is based in The Old Pay Office at the Dockyard, just past No.6 Cinema.

Across the weekend, I was there from Friday to Sunday, making new work and displaying my wares. I invited visitors to contribute their words to become art—and many did. The Dockyard and wider city were full of creative energy, with loads happening for POSE all over Portsmouth.

It was a hugely beneficial experience for me. I made valuable connections with other artists and had great conversations that offered support, feedback, and advice. I became much more confident talking about my work in public, and I saw first-hand how it resonated with people—especially through humour and shared laughter. The footfall was massive, and I handed out a lot of business cards, so fingers crossed for eventual worldwide domination.

Here’s a photo of me and my dad (Ken!) with my work at SCT Studios during the event.

Thank you to @cityartsportsmouth for organising such a stomper of a weekend (only just recovered), and to @sustain_conserve_trust and all the artists for hosting me so warmly. And thank you to everyone who visited.

I produced a new piece inspired by the weekend—a tongue-in-cheek "visitors book" based on the conversations I had with the public.