Talks & Workshops
The aim is to enrich people's social or academic life with exciting personal creative experiences, where boredom is not on the agenda.
'Thanks Chris for such a great talk and workshop today. Teaching us new artistic techniques'
MA Illustration student from Kingston University
'Thanks so much Chris for such an inspiring talk and great workshop. The students really loved it.
Louis Netter Senior Lecturer, Portsmouth University
Hot wire your creativity.
Having a creative stitch?
It's the pure enjoyment of just doing and not being too precious, working together in a group and having a laugh. It's always great when working in an inclusive, positive, spontaneous and playful way and enjoying the challenge of a fun quirky creative workshop.
It’s all about feeding your curiosity and learning new skills? The most important thing is seeing the fantastic ideas the group members come up with. It's also about achieving great results quickly and creating strategies to work efficiently to create the maximum visual impact in a short period of time.
Workshops
It's all about you
In this popular workshop, I ask the participants to te share with the group something about themselves, their likes, dreams, aspirations, fears, and phobias.
I was inspired to run create this workshop after a walk down Brighton Pier and seeing the fun that was being had with the Tintamarresques or to you and me the 'face-in-hole' boards!
This workshop gets people talking about themselves and what makes them tick. It's great for the group to get to know each other that little bit more and enhance their sense of belonging.
This workshop is ideal for groups of 15-20 people.
The Vinyl Countdown
Alright pop pickers! This very popular workshop is based upon the 'charts'. Not arf.
The participants are asked to buy or are given a 45 vinyl record. After listening to it, they rework the cover sleeve in a poptastic way to reflect the song's title or artist's name.
At the end of the workshop each student in the group then votes 'HIT' for the re-vamped cover and song. The person with the most 'HITS' for each gets their disc sprayed gold
and put in a frame with their cover.
Talks
Blimey! Where do I begin..
I talk about the creative process and teaching yourself to be fearless and the connection and love we all have of being creative in whatever form it takes. I talk about trying, failing, fixing and learning and blimey what a roller coaster ride that can be, but like a roller coaster ride it can be exciting, exhilarating and memorable.
I'm a fully qualified teacher and former Illustration degree course leader at the Southampton school of Art & Design. The course was the winner of 'Best Stand' at the prestigious
'New Designers' exhibition in London in 2017'.
That was basically 144 art and design degree courses battling it out with each other exhibiting their best students artwork for the top prize, that my small course won. Yipee!
As an artist I exhibit my work not only here in the UK but in Paris, Venice, Shanghai and Vilnius.
When I'm not painting or making collages you will find me lecturing on the Fashion Communication course at Brighton University.
It's all about me..
I have been a key note speaker and workshop leader at some of the most renowned creative universities in the world, from the London College of Fashion to the Shanghai University
of Art & Design. My talks have focused on the importance of enjoying what you do and being positive and encouraging to others and how stick-ability and problem solving can be fun
and enlightening..
I teaching with a smile on my face and my nature is to be encouraging and help students bring out their own creativity and creative identity.
As a child I grew up in the British care system which wasn't too much fun, being mixed race
and struggling to find my place in the world. Due to a sequence of great art teachers in primary school and secondary school and a liberal sprinkling of talent I managed to get myself to study illustration at Manchester Met University where I gained first class honours and a Masters Degree.
So art and design was my saviour and you can see how important it is to me to help people
fulfill their lives and dreams through their creativity.
Workshop details
My workshops are suitable for all ages.
The workshops are perfect for team building events, festivals, universities, colleges, creative studio's and anywhere you can think
of that could do with an enjoyable, and uplifting day of creativity.
Depending on the workshop most of the materials are provided in advance.
You don't need to have any previous skill in art to do any of the workshops.
The Vinyl Countdown is suitable for a group of up to 15.
It's all about you is suitable for groups of 20.
Recent talks and workshops
Lisbon School of Art & Design
Brighton University
Portsmouth University
London College of Fashion
Shanghai School of Art & Design
Kingston University
And finally...
Here is my recent performance at the staff and student Southampton Art School caberet.