Presented with Minimelt Glass for Brains in a Dish outreach programme 2022-23
Charlie’s art practice is inspired and informed by an eclectic array of subjects including human & animal interaction (The Art of Tickling Trout..), the spaces and dynamics of intimacy (Anatomy of Desire / Kiss-in), acrobatic chains of movement (The Big Wheel), dressage (Pantomime Ponies), maritime peace gestures (To Kiss a Sailor & Salute) and the cellular impacts of dementias (Brains in a Dish & Neuronal Discos)
She develops a wide range of inspiring and inclusive participatory projects for museums, arts & science institutions, festivals & schools.
She recently developed & delivered a major education and outreach programme to complement two exhibitions Brains in a Dish presented in Barnsley (funded by ACE project grant & Barnsley Museums). This project has evolved through collaboration with UCL Professor Selina Wray & her lab team, Robin Bussell, Barnsley Museums, Dr Eric Hill (LoughboroughUni ) and neuroscientists at Aston Uni (supported by ARUK) .
Further ollaborations with Dr Leigh Wilson, Professor RIchard Wingate, Phd Students at Kings College (London) and students & staff Sunnydown created Sunnydown Synaptic, a collaboration with autistic boys from a special school, investigated brain anatomy through dissection, collage, movement, electronics and light programming.
During COVID lockdowns, Charlie also developed innovative online activities for The Old Operating Theatre Museum (London) using video conferencing tools, performative strategies and props to encourage and improve participant engagement and connection online. Working in collaboration Robin Bussell, they devised mechanisms to project participant’s imagery inside and onto museum vessels , inspiring a variety of visual art & text responses presented as a major physical exhibition Message in a Bottle: Visions from COVID lockdowns..
As visual arts co-director of Created Out of Mind, an interdisciplinary arts, science and dementia research team at Wellcome Collection, 2016-18, I gained valuable insights into project management for large teams & major public engagement event. Our research explored public perceptions of dementias, demonstrating the value and impact of creativity , deepening public understandings of the brain and reaffirming the value of people with dementias . Charlie developed multiple co-creative projects with groups and individuals from Rare Dementia support groups and public audiences using dance, letter press, glass, fibre optics, ceramics & graphic design to visualise of the enormous challenges and unexpected impacts of living with dementias.
Further participatory projects include vehicular storytelling for Back Seat Confessions , Pantomime Pony costume, portraits & choreography workshops, Taste Safari explorations of the mouth & a Seaside Sheep Show in Southsea, …