Press Release

Exhibition to show collaborative nature of Shropshire Artists


A group of Shropshire based artists and designers will be showcasing their work in an exhibition at The Hive Music and Media Centre in Shrewsbury from the 30th November to the 20th January 2012. ‘COLLABORATE’ will showcase a series of interdisciplinary projects which have been happening in Shrewsbury over the last six months. From fashion to film, branding to blurbs, the show documents a rising trend in skill sharing over monetary exchange.


“We are fortunate enough to have some really talented people on our doorstep in Shrewsbury. Through collaboration there are some really exciting new works being produced”, said Helen Foot, the exhibitions curator.


The projects are all live so the show will evolve over time, with work being added and taken away throughout the course of its opening. The public are also given the opportunity to revisit the gallery, to follow the steady progression of ideas and view resolved pieces at the end.


Exhibits include work by the ‘New Faces’, a group set up and nurtured by Sam Pooley of the hottest young designers in Shrewsbury. The group have designed all the branding for the exhibition. There is also new works by Richard Foot and Arron Fowler who recently formed R&A Collaborations following the success of their first two collaborative films being shown in The Power of Making exhibition at the V&A.

Arron said, “working in collaboration keeps your ideas fresh, helps you to understand your own practice and limitations and enables you to take risks that you might not have solo.”

The exhibition is open from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. 

For more information please contact Helen: e: studio@helenfoot.co.uk, t: 07903103291 w: www.helenfoot.co.uk

The Creative Studio, Abbots House, Butcher Row, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 1UW

Poster . . .

First two films by R&A Collaborations

Top film - "Manipulator"

Bottom film - "I Am Fluid"

Manipulator was made in a single day featuring Helen Foot working on her loom. It was the first collaboration between Richard Foot and Arron Fowler, and marked the beginning of a blossoming partnership. The film was not planned out but was an exploration between the relationship of the weaver, and the loom. The film took 11 hours to make for the 2 minutes you see on screen. 

Helen  - "This was a really interesting experience for me. I'd never had a film made about my work before, and it was so fantastic to see the final result on show at the V&A."

I Am Fluid - The second film was created under the same guidelines and was shot in a single day. This film features local glass making artist Natalie Hildegarde Liege and is also at the Power of Making exhibition at the V&A. Richard and Arron are starting a new series of films today which will be shot over the course of a week and will feature 5 makers, two of which include our Collaborate artists Matt Sewell and Christophe Dillinger.   

Questions to our Viewers...

We've been asking our artists a few questions, and we'd like the chance to ask you our viewers some too. If you could answer them in the comment box then that would be perfect.

1. If you could collaborate with anyone dead or alive who would it be and why?

2. What are the benefits of working with others?

3. List 3 things you like and 3 things you dislike.

Collaborators . . .

The list is still growing but confirmed exhibitors include:

Richard Foot, Arron Fowler, Christophe Dillinger, Sam Pooley, Kate Millbank, Helen Foot, George Clayton, Darren Gate, Mathew Pucky, Daisy Pooley, Lilly Rutherford and myself, Katie Eccleston

Profiles of the Collaborators and their interactions coming soon . . . . 

The Hive programme...

Exhibition Space...

The space is ready for the team to transform from the 24th of November. We'll be using all the walls, the plinths and the projector for video work. The challenge is incorporating a piano that's in the far right hand corner of the space and can't be moved.  Overall it's a good sized space with lots of light.

Branding COLLABORATE

The branding and printed media for the show has been entrusted to a great team who have been aptly named the 'New Faces'.  Fresh from art colleges and brimming with creative ideas the team have been building up their commercial portfolios recently.  The 'New Faces' includes; George Clayton, Darren Gate, Mathew Pucky, Lilly Rutherford and Daisy Pooley.    The group are being coordinated by marketing and advertising guru, Sam Pooley.  They have also come up with some inventive promotions ideas so watch out for some teasers . . . . 

Curator Profile: Helen Foot

Helen Foot is predominantly a textile design but since graduating last year from The Royal College of Art and moving back to her home town, Shrewsbury, she has been involved in the curation of a couple of local exhibitions.  She co-curated MATERIAL, an exhibition of contemporary textiles, in June with printed textile designer, Sophie Copage and was also involved in the selection of work for the Shrewsbury Coffeehouse's Photography Month in August.

Helen runs her design business alongside being an Associate Lecturer at Chelsea College of Art and Design and she is currently part of the Crafts Council UKs HOTHOUSE 2011 scheme for emerging makers.  She has previously done freelance designing for Alexander McQueen and Paul Smith, and was the Studio Manager for Wallace Sewell in London before doing her MA. She is currently concentrating on designing her own product line and will be launching her first collection of scarves next month.

Helen has a studio in the heart of Shrewsbury which she shares with her brother, Richard Foot, who is a photographer.  The studio is also currently hosting Osian Jones, architect, and Matt Sewell, illustrator.

Helen's Masters Collection at the RCA

To find out more visit Helen's website: www.helenfoot.co.uk

The Build Up Begins...

Hello, I'm Katie and I shall be blogging about the forthcoming exhibition, COLLABORATE, at The Hive, Shrewsbury.  I shall be working closely with the exhibitions curator, Helen Foot, and the team at The Hive to get things ready for the show.  So I shall be talking to the artists, asking them more about their work for the show and posting info on here for you to get to know more about who is involved.  The exhibition will run from the 30th November until the 20th of January 2012.

Here's the paragraph that's in the Hive Programme advertising COLLABORATE...

'Collaborate is an exhibition showcasing the crème de la crème of Shrewsburys creative talent, who by sharing their skills with each other have enhanced their commercial design practice. From a mixture of creative backgrounds; photography, fine art, fashion, textiles, digital media, and illustration, collaborate looks to document the creative process behind these exchanges. The result is a story of interdisciplinary projects.'

In my first meeting with the team on the 12th October I met a few of the exhibiting artists. I was introduced to the group and I got more of an idea of the shows theme. COLLABORATE will showcase a mixture of creative disciplines and rather than showing a final article it documents a process. Artists work may be added to throughout the duration of the show, so the work will not be final, it will be gradual and the public will have chance to see the works grow from idea to idea.