I am an Artist and Sculptor who spent the first 10 years of my career working as a Public Artist in regeneration and community development projects in Hackney. My speciality was setting up and running businesses in the creative industries staffed by, and run for the reintegration of young offenders back into society. I also took on large sculpture and landscaping commissions such as the regeneration of Shoreditch Park and Shepherdess walk, and within these projects, worked with local people, especially the most marginalised, as my core design team, including educational programmes, training and employment. After 10 years i left that field to set up my own sculpture studio and hope to expand it to a point where i can start to employ, young unemployed people as apprentices and old people as skilled craftsmen on the production.
I am seeking the necessary funds to turn the studio into somewhere well equipped and safe to have other workers in. I havent been able to afford to take anyone on thus far, however with the fund 'stretcher' section of crowndfunder, i should be able to equip the studio and take on at least one trainee who may then train others. I have a history of creating peer learning courses and would like to continue that with the Arch.
I intend to use the funds to create a proper floor which is wheel chair safe, clean and resurface the interior of the arch, make the power safe, create accessible workbenches and a good dust separate room, as well as make a nice area to meet clients and administrate the business. My fund is for capital startup costs only with the added 'stretcher' funds for taking on trainees and supporting apprentices' wages and helping to set up their own practice.
This is me in the shed
