2021–22
Step Change Fellows

In Pursuit of the Perfect Sound (2022)
Charlotte Grayland
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Exhibition event
Photo: Charlotte Grayland

Cardiff School of Art & Design

The Step Change Programme has given me the skills, the confidence, and the time and resources to build upon my practice in a way that would not have been possible on my own. I am so grateful to have had this chance to explore new ways of working, develop a sustainable working practice, and create a body of work that I am proud of.

I have achieved things I couldn't have imagined, such as completing all my goals for the year and having my first-ever solo show. I feel I am on such a positive trajectory which I hope to continue in the future to continue a career in the art world.

Single Bed (before dye) (2021)
Lily Roberts
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Photo: Lily Roberts

Cardiff School of Art & Design

Exploring personal histories, my work is surrounded by and constantly informed by my own working-class background — an integral part of my being that feeds into my work through themes of shame, jealousy and pride.

Utilising second-hand materials to touch on these mundane aspects of life, the physicality of these repurposed materials is a further reflection on the ideas of ‘making do’ with my surroundings.

Through my practice I aim to make work towards immersing itself within the community, aiming to consider its place amongst contemporary art and how as an artist I can take active steps to create more accessible work for working class audiences, in a time of increasing social disparity and in a traditionally middle to upper class field.

Ceramic and Copper vessel (2022)
Sarah Kirk
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Photo Sarah Kirk

Liverpool Hope University

My year as a recipient of the ABF has gone quickly with the extra time allowing me space to think, develop my work, and look forward to a future in the creative industries.

I produced work that has been accepted, exhibited, and sold in galleries and I was able to continue as a support worker for learning-disabled adults.

Being able to continue at Hope University enabled me to use their fantastic facilities which led to experimentation with different materials and processes, something that would have been very difficult otherwise. I have also been able to visit exhibitions, read about, attend lectures, and stay up to date with what is happening in the world of art and craft

As a result of my time as an ABF Fellow, I have decided to complete a Craft MA which will push my creativity again.

Untitled (2022)
Sophie Elsden
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Oil and acrylic on canvas
Photo: Sophie Elsden

Liverpool Hope University

My experience throughout the Artist Benevolent Funding programme has been successful moving forward as an Artist. I have been in exhibitions in London which have led to further exhibitions in 2023 which is incredible, and I would not have found myself in this position without the Fellowship. My art practice has evolved and my thoughts towards making have differed slightly in turns of materials and self-reflection now plays a visual part whereas previously this was kept abstract and behind the scenes. I have been commissioned paintings that also have an impact on other paintings along the way.

As an Artist, my main aim is for the viewer to connect with something whether a colour or movement, and allow this to begin a journey through the painting. I take inspiration from daily life; journeys by foot, car, or train where steps are made in a desired direction going somewhere, also conversations, the visual world which subconsciously sticks in my mind and is translated in colour, texture, pattern, or gesture.

I’m holding on for dear life (2022)
Hannah Sarah Day
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Exhibition photo

Loughborough University

This opportunity has given me the time to explore, consider and experience many facets of my extended practice. This time has been invaluable and enabled me to make clear decisions on my practice and future career as an artist. I am looking forward to the next chapter the Fellowship has unexpectedly unfolded for me and to embrace these changes based on the experiences and lessons I’ve learned through this opportunity.

On reflection, I grounded myself within my art by moving back into the core of my practice: analysing the parent/child relationship and its transference into intimate adult relations.

Moving forward, I intend to move to London next year and apply for a MA in Art Therapy at Goldsmiths University. At present, I am looking and applying for experiences to work alongside an art psychotherapist, as a requirement for my potential MA.

Holding on (dog) (2022)
Samuel Thompson-Plant

Loughborough University

The support from the ABF has acted as a bridge between university and life as an artist. The funding I received has enabled me to maintain the momentum built over my degree by allowing me to balance work and creative practice. It has been invaluable in the construction of my creative identity outside higher education.

The funding has given me the chance to develop my creative practice, and has also meant that I have been able to save money from working to fulfill my dream of moving to London and practicing as an artist here. It has also meant that I have been able to teach at the university, which has been invaluable, and because of this experience, I have been able to secure a job at the ICA in London. I have also come to a place where I feel much more solidified in my creative identity.

Banana pendant lights (2022)
Megan Keeling
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Photo: ME Studios

Loughborough University

The ABF residency paired with access to the university facilities, support from their staff and technicians, and access to workshops gave me the time to continue my material investigation into the use of waste materials within ceramics. This resulted in my new range of products.

The ABF funding allowed me to buy essential equipment for my business, such as a kiln and plaster lathe. I’ve also insulated my home studio, meaning I can now make from home. Over the time of the residency, the funding I received also allowed me to take part in a range of shows and markets helping me to promote and sell my work to a larger audience.

Module + Lighting (2022)
Soyida Akhtar
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Photo Sam Frost

Staffordshire University

The support from ABF has enabled me to further my creative practice by allowing me to continue working with ceramic processes and develop my skills and techniques. For example, I am able to refine my skills in the workshop and develop a deeper understanding of the processes I am using.

The funding has allowed me to buy materials which I can use to learn new processes such as throwing on the pottery wheel and allowing me to develop my practical skills as well as improve on skills such as consistency and accuracy in making. Being able to buy resources such as books and articles has given me the opportunity to research about subjects that have developed my creative mindset.

The creative freedom gained from ABF has helped me immensely; I have been able to explore and discover different ways of making, experiment with new methods and exercise my passion for Design.

Babels End (2022)
Natalie Martin
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Photo: Natalie Martin

University of Sunderland

The ‘unknown’ haunts us as a species, causing us to investigate and find meaning behind our existence, whether it’s through science, religion, or art.

Exploring my personal relationship with mortality and ideas explored in Plato’s allegory of the cave has consumed my practice for the past several years. The Allegory of the Cave explores the concept that we all live an existence veiled from the reality of the universe, which human perception could not begin to comprehend.

Often inspired by the juxtaposition of religious relics which are beautiful yet morbid, I create bright surreal compositions juxtaposing the solemnness which usually surrounds the inevitability of our own demise.

Funding from the Artists Benevolent Fund has allowed me time and space to develop and re-establish my practice after having to finish my degree during lockdown, both practical and theoretical aspects. It has also allowed me to gain skills in areas such as teaching and public speaking that I may not have developed otherwise.

Exhibition work at ‘Creative Futures’ (2022)
Robyn Jefferson
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Photo: Robyn Jefferson

University of Sunderland

I graduated from my Illustration and Design degree with plans to continue my studies onto a Masters in the same subject.

The Fellowship gave me the time, space, and support I needed to further develop my professional skills and gain more experience in the industry. I explored different sectors of design and spent time researching opportunities and directions.

During my time I discovered career paths and gained experience in positions I hadn’t considered during my time at University — I am now heading towards creative management with internship experience and plans to work towards a Masters.

Echoes of obscurity [Adleisiau aneglurdeb] (2022)
Owain Sparnon
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Photo: Owain Sparnon

Swansea College of Art

My objectives during this residency were to develop and build upon visual strategies initially explored within my graduate exhibition, which addressed themes of memory, place and identity. Creating works that respond to my everyday encounters — photographs, landscapes, reflective lighting, sounds, shapes and forms of everyday objects — I continue to be intrigued by the idea of layering, unravelling, intertwining, and decontextualising the boundaries between objects, events, paintings, and sculpture. My practice addresses the human condition, how recollections, thoughts, secrets, remnants, and experiences can inhabit the space of painting. Like a mist that occupies a landscape, my aim is to draw the viewer to a world where ambiguity occupies the subconscious.

With the benefit of being provided with time to reflect, and time to be patient with the works created, the Step Change Fellowship has enabled me to discover different methodologies of working. Having a studio space of my own has allowed me to work independently and work without any restrictions, time limits, or interruptions. It has also enabled me to create works on a large scale — something I was eager to do.

Encompass (2021–22)
Hannah Rollason
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Photo: Mark Hinton

University of Wolverhampton

The Artist Benevolent Fund has allowed me the time, space and means to develop my professional portfolio. This includes creating new work, refining past pieces, expanding my research, and taking part in opportunities and exhibitions.

Through this journey my practice has been influenced on both a theoretical and practical level. Fixating on the key aspects of my practice to understand and reflect on how it has progressed and in which avenue to take this further, providing a new structure and focus.

Meanwhile, with the technician's support and guidance, I have developed the processes and materials that I use within my practice, expanding skills and knowledge. In doing so creating a foundation for my MA Fine Art, further contributing towards my career progressions as an artist and arts educator.

Home (2022)
Kia May Page
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Photo: Kia May Page

Kia May Page

University of Wolverhampton

I am a multi-media artist based in Wolverhampton. My practice has explored a depth of social themes; as a Step Change Fellow my work focused on themes of ‘childhood’, ‘the inner child’ — and specifically the death of the inner child. Through the use of sculpture, installation, and distortion, I create sculptural manifestations of the mental challenges and trauma which affects the transition from childhood to adulthood.

I have taken into consideration the psychological coping mechanisms commonly seen in children, and how trauma and pivotal moments of a person’s childhood affect the recollection of their memories, to create a series of works which showcase this. The Artists’ Benevolent Fund has provided me the opportunity to continue my practice outside of higher education, whilst also receiving aid in the forms of facility access, studio space, and financial aid to progress into the professional art world.

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