Artist and Author Residency

Each year Inspire commissions an artist and author to create and deliver a programme of visual art and literacy activity with our libraries for children and families, inspired by and linked to the Summer Reading Challenge.

Stimulating creativity and imagination, we ask that they enhance our existing library programmes, influence new directions using their professional expertise and to leave a legacy of collaborative work.

Take a look at the projects below which have been supported by our funding from Arts Council England.

Inspired by the 2018 annual Summer Reading Challenge theme Mischief Makers, the Inspire Arts team commissioned local artist and author, Duncan and Emma Pass, to create crazy comic strips with 6 primary schools in and around Worksop, Nottinghamshire. The work created at these schools combined to create the Mischief Makers Summer Reading Challenge Exhibition which launched at Worksop Library on 14 July 2018 and ran until 9 September 2018, with over 25,400 library visitors having the opportunity to see it.

Emma and Duncan then went on to deliver 12 free family workshops across Inspire Libraries, from 27 July to 31 August 2018, aimed at children aged 5+ and their families. Emma helped families create a story with magnificent heroes and mischievous villains, whilst Duncan showed them how to turn their drawings into a comic strip printed on one of their hand-built printing presses, made from a 200-year-old washing mangle!

Click here to see more images and to find out more about our Mischief Makers project.

Year 3 and 4 pupils at Round Hill Primary School in Beeston worked with digital artist Trevor Woolery and children’s author Steve Smallman to create the Out of This World Exhibition!

Trevor and Steve worked with 150 Round Hill pupils over 7 days, helping them to design and write a plot for an animated film. The pupils painted scenery and created characters, space craft, planets and fantasy foliage. They wrote and beautifully illustrated imaginative space stories and humorous poems.

The exhibition was on display at Beeston Library Gallery from 16 July to 12 September 2019 with over 30,800 library visitors having the opportunity to see it.

Steve and Trevor also embarked on a tour of 12 Inspire libraries from 29 July to 29 August delivering workshops to children aged 7+ and their families. 

Steve is a silly poem expert as well as a brilliant illustrator, and encouraged participants to draw planets, spaceships and lots of aliens to write silly poems about in his Space Stories workshops. 120 children attended his workshops with 198 attendees in total. 

Artist Trevor encouraged participants to make an alien out of modelling clay and design a speedy spacecraft to zoom off into space. These creations were turned into Alien Animation GIFs. 96 children attended his workshops with 161 attendees in total.

Click here to see more images and find out more about the Out of This World project.

Activity in year 3 was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, our teams worked hard to transfer as much as they could online so our funded work could continue, here's what they achieved;

Erin Fleming and Frances Stickley were the 2020 Artist & Author in Residence for Inspire. They were commissioned to produce an exciting new digital resource to actively encourage reading and making throughout the summer.

The beautiful 'In Residence' digital book they produced was packed full of stories written by Frances and illustrated by Erin and shared online as well as a 3,750 print run which was distributed and handed out to families across Inspire Libraries when they were able to open briefly between lockdown closures. 

Each week throughout the summer holidays we also released a free online creative workshop and writing activities designed by Erin and Frances for families to join in with from home. Erin also produced a series of video tutorials on how to make some of the wonderful characters from the book. 

The online book is featured below and you can click here to view the interviews, readings, and tutorials produced as part of the project.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmmZ5rr6WBIVp87c_caV1fhF3IXjOVYLQ

Alex Godwin and Caryl Hart were the 2021 Artist & Author in Residence for Inspire.

Stimulating creativity and imagination Alex and Caryl used their professional expertise to actively encourage reading and making throughout the summer and left a legacy of work linked to the Summer Reading Challenge theme, Wild World Heroes. Alex and Caryl delivered live online workshops for families in the school summer holidays.

Alex showed families how to draw wild animals and Caryl ran a fun writing master class.

Inspire gave away free arts kits. Participants collected a pack of materials from the library that had everything they needed to join in with the online workshops, including some special pens to create great artwork, cool stuff to write on and lots of ideas for making great poems. 

Alex and Caryl worked with pupils from Jesse Gray Primary School to create art and writing to positively explore environmental themes. Influenced by the children’s work the exhibition at West Bridgford Library Gallery featured commissioned paintings and writings by our resident professionals. 

Pete Gray and Alice Harman were the were the 2022 Artist & Author in Residence for Inspire.

Stimulating creativity and imagination Pete and Alice used their professional expertise to actively encourage reading and drawing throughout the summer and left a legacy of work linked to the Summer Reading Challenge theme, Gadgeteers.

During summer 2022 Pete and Alice delivered free family workshops that were packed with smart sketches and spectacular science facts.

Pete revealed the secrets behind his illustrations, and shared some clever tricks that were guaranteed to make drawing super easy and great fun! Participants hunted for fun facts with Alice and turned scientific information into a creative and entertaining double page book spread!

Pete, Alice and primary school children from Mansfield brought you an exhibition that was truly a clever collaboration. They worked together to explore spectacular science facts and very smart sketches. In the exhibition you could discover the interactive artworks and writings inspired by the inventive Summer Reading Challenge theme.

Amy Lee Young and Donna David were the 2023 Artist and Author in Residence for Inspire!

Stimulating creativity and imagination, Amy and Donna used their professional expertise to actively encourage reading and drawing throughout the summer and left a legacy of work linked to the Summer Reading Challenge theme, Ready, Set, Read! They co-created the summer programme and exhibition, On Your Marks with the help from school children from;

• Arnold Mill Primary School
• Eskdale Junior School
• Robert Miles Junior School
• Lady Bay Primary School

During the On Your Marks family workshops Amy made bright paper mobiles. With pre-cut shapes and symbols from all the colours in the rainbow. Participants had the chance to design their own joyful mobile that represented them and everything they love about games, sports and play. The mobiles were adorned with poetry created with Donna.

Donna shared her books and inspiration. Participants were encouraged to write poetry, inspiring lines and WOW words. These words and lines were used to inspire and complement the mobiles created with Amy. 

Amy and Donna worked together with the school children to create a colourful collaborative exhibition of paper and poems.

Through positive participatory school workshops Amy and Donna redesigned conventional sports and games and set new goals through creative play and community spirit, inspired by the sporting Summer Reading Challenge theme.

Amanda Rigby and Mark Grist were Inspire's Artist and Author in Residence for 2024. Amanda and Mark used their professional expertise to actively encourage reading and drawing throughout the summer and left a legacy of work linked to the Summer Reading Challenge theme of Marvellous Makers. 

They delivered public family workshops over the summer holidays where Amanda Rigby helped children draw their own emotional monster, expressing feelings through mark-making and colour. Poet Mark Grist shared his captivating picture books, Rhinos Don't Cry and his brand-new release, Bears Don't Get Scared. Families played rhyming games and Mark helped young writers contribute to group poems that focus on what makes us feel brave and uplifted. 

Amanda and Mark also worked with groups of primary aged children to make explosive artwork and poems that celebrate the wide range of emotions we feel every day as human beings. Through playful use of metaphor, personification (and a little imagination!) they collaborated to create an expressive exhibition displayed at Newark, Retford, Southwell and Worksop Libraries.