Curriculum Vitae- Edward Mortimer Instalation Artist

I have experience of leading classes in skills for life with young adults with moderate learning difficulties. I have attained PTTLS preparatory teaching award and three positive teaching observations at PGCE level. I also have experience as an artist working professionally in mainstream school setting.

I have a uniquely large vocational skill base which I am willing to share with others. This includes several different sculpture techniques, utilizing a wide range of easy to use materials, puppet building and manipulation, video, photography and other media, scriptwriting for film, poetry, painting, drawing and collage. Sometimes I combine all of these together in big public arts installations These have proved popular with family audiences they were created for at South square Gallery Thornton at Halloween and 42 Briggate Gallery at Opera North, leeds.

I’m a resident artist at Bradford Playhouse where my work has been shared with children and young adults in the community on several professional outdoor events for the city of Bradford.

I’ve worked internationally and I’m interested in total theatre the Gesamtkunstwerk and I’m excited with the artistic power of experiences that can be achieved through collaboration by all. I have an international post graduate in sculpture and performance (laureate) at Jan Van Eyck Akademie where I studied with lecturers such as  the Turner Prize short listed artist Mona Hatoum amongst other practitioners significant in their field.

A really great workshop leader inspires, is able to have an overview of a class but also able to recognise and work with detail.  They can listen, offer guidance and encouragement to coax out a fresh vision of an art form and foster skills that every individual has within them and supplement with experience, technology and ideas.

This role is a great opportunity to foster values of personal initiative, lateral thinking, self confidence, personal development and empowerment. Communication skills, social and creative discovery establish common ground with people and work as a team on an end product. We help to broaden educational horizons and experiences in a particularly colourful and lively way not to be found anywhere else.

I’m already very strong artistically and have a diverse skill base and now I wish to develop myself as a professional animateur. I have professional experience of workshop facilitation and I’m looking forward to building upon this. I wish to further my ability to recognise the inherent creative capacity of children and young adults and help them to find their voice. I have a unique opportunity as a mature trainee animateur to gift my experiences and knowledge in a way that will encourage and inspire the beginning of many creative journeys.

What I’m really interested in is developing my facilitation skills alongside an experienced  animateur who understands my artforms and can facilitate my progression and ability to communicate this to children and young adults.

I want to hone my skills at bringing together children and young adults that value both process and product. I particularly wish to challenge myself with regard to group management, to make sure that the multiple perspectives and ideas dovetail effectively into a cohesive whole that takes the best advantage of the individual, the group and the material. Added to this how does an animatuer interrelate between artists, composer, experience and group.

Without a doubt I’m most interested in getting involved in the process of engaging with the participants and their responses to the work. To be part of the individuals formative experiences, to help open windows onto new vistas and worlds through creative artistic experiences which are transferable skills to any field of endeavour throughout life.  I want to raise attainment and expectation to encourage new and creative ways of thinking and to work with participants, artists and material to create unique and inspiring product both socially and artistically. I want for myself and the other artists to see how the participants will show us where these art forms are going to unfold into the future.

Education

Leeds College of Technology BTEC National Certificate: Design (Photography)                1997-1999

Pass

Jan van Eyck Akademie, Maastricht International Postgraduate Studies Institute.

Graduation: with Laureat. (Equ. Ma. 1^st)                                                                                1990 – 1992

Norwich School of Art. Ba (hons.) Fine Art  2:1                                                                     1987 – 1990.

Course: Fine Art

Dewsbury College. Foundation Studies in Art and Design. Grade: Distinction                      1986-1987

Rishworth School ‘A’ Levels – passes.                                                                                   1977 – 1986.

English literature B.

History B.

Summer 1984 Gcse ‘o’ Levels-passes x 9.

Awards & Grants

1993 STICHTING FONDS VOOR BEELDENDE KUNSTEN, VORMEGEVING EN BOUWKUNST.

WORKBOURSE                                                                                                                           £14,000.

May 1998 Yorkshire Arts – individual Artists’ award                                                              £400

May 1999 Yorkshire Arts – Galleries award ‘The Fungus Suite’                                            £400

Sept 1999 Yorkshire Arts – Script Development award– ‘The Valkyrie.’                              £500

Oct 2000 Yorkshire Arts – Individual Artists’ Award– Them!                                                 £ 300

Professional Training

SCULPTURE:

2009-10                         Harrogate College Latex Moulding and Casting NCFE 3.

2009                             Central St Martins College, London.

Vintage Novelty Handbag Making with Rowena Luke-King.

Experimental Pattern Making with Patrick Yow.

2006-8                          Harrogate College.

Ceramic Sculpture NCFE Level 3.

Riveted metal Sculpture NCFE level 1.

2005.                            Bradford College.

Ceramic Sculpture NCFE level 2.

Resin Casting Sculpture NCFE Level 3.

2004                             Ceramic Sculpture NCFE Level 1

2004                             Resin casting NCFE Level 2.

2003                             Bronze casting NCFE level 1.

2002                             Ceramic Garden Sculpture NCFE Level 2.

PUPPETS:

2007                 Bath Puppet Festival. Thimgumajig Theatre. Andrew Kim. Introduction to Object Theatre.

2006                 Buxton Puppet Festival. Nori Sawa. Puppetry Acting workshop.

2005                 Buxton Puppet Festival. Nori Sawa. Puppet construction.

2005                 Bath Puppet Festival. John Roberts, Puppetcraft. Improvisation drama workshop.

2004                 Horse and Bamboo Theatre, Rossendale, Lancashire. Object Theatre Workshop.

2004.                Harlequin Theatre, Wales. Christopher Somerville, Marionette manipulation workshop.

2003.                Little Angel Theatre, London. John Roberts. Summer Marionette carving workshop.

Recent Freelance Residencies

Bradford Playhouse                                                          2008 Ongoing:        2 days per week

Artist in residence. Build props  and participate in interdisciplinary exchange projects creating avant garde performances and installations. My most recent notable creation was a giant puppet insect that proved very popular at a celebration event for the festival against racism in conjunction with Bradford Council. I;m currently involved in designing props and set for the surrealist pantomime.

Hull College of Art October 2001 –  May 2002.

A2AA Artists’ Residence programme, Hull College of Art. I liased with other artist and produced a group show researched the properties of super 8 film and stop motion animation in combination with basi theatrical instillations.

Solo Shows.

Leeds City Art Gallery  summer 1999 ‘The Fungus Suite’

South Square Gallery Nov 2000 Them!

Group Shows

Dean Clough Galleries, Christmas 1999, ‘Christmas Group Show’.

Woolston House, Spring 2000, ‘Atom Studios – Reactive’

South Square Gallery and Priestley Centre for the Arts, May and June 2001, ‘Strangeness and Charm’.

‘The Art of the Imagination’ at the Gallery, Cork street, London.

Feb 25 – March 2, 2002.

“SKWASH!” Red Gallery , Hull.

May 24 – 31, 2002.

Interviewed Pop Artists Edward and Nancy Kienholz and spent the day at their Berlin Atelier in 1989

Television coverage.

B.B.C. Look North Summer 1999.