Talk at The New Gallery Walsall

I spoke at the gallery that changed my life ✨

Last Saturday, I had the absolute honour of speaking at The New Gallery Walsall – the place that first introduced me to contemporary art when I was just a teenager growing up in the Black Country

11 years ago, teenage me wandered into this very gallery and saw Chiharu Shiota’s immersive installation. I was blown away! It showed me that art didn’t need to stay on a canvas. It could be a space. A feeling. A story made from string, texture and raw emotion 〰️ That moment sparked something in me – and inspired the practice I have today, working with found materials, fabrics and 3D forms.

So to be invited back, all these years later, to talk about my own practice — my love of socially and environmentally engaged art — honestly felt like a proper full-circle moment. I was lucky enough to sit alongside the brilliant Chris Poolman & Marie Smith for a Q&A, sharing ideas, tips and resources for anyone looking to build a more conscious, meaningful creative practice 🌱

So yeah… that was a pinch me moment. Forever grateful to The New Gallery Walsall that planted the seed 🌱

Swipe right to see little 16 year old Alice and her first installation 💚