The Grateful Web

On this brand new episode I speak to the brilliant multi-disciplinary artist John Powell JonesJohn Powell-Jones is a UK-based artist whose work spans sculpture, animation, print and installation. Drawing on horror, folklore and the visual language of videogames, he creates speculative worlds populated by mutated beings and unstable technologies. His practice examines how power, ideology and myth shape perceptions of the body, the other and the future. Often working with ceramics and hand-built props, Powell-Jones combines meticulous craft with DIY worlding to produce narratives that are darkly humorous, unsettling and critically charged. He has exhibited widely across the UK and Europe, presenting projects that merge countercultural aesthetics with experimental storytelling. https://www.johnpowell-jones.co.ukhttps://johnpowelljones.bigcartel.com@johnpowell_jones  If you enjoyed this episode please follow, share, spread the word and look out for more brilliant conversations coming soon. You can find the grateful web on ACAST, spotify, apple podcasts, Patreon or wherever you get your podcasts.  Thank you so much to those regular listeners who have been supporting me in this endeavour. If you want to support me further, please do check out my Patreon page, for just £2 a month you can help me to keep this podcast going – link in bio/show notes   This podcast has been made possible with generous support from GMCA Inspire Fund and by an a-n Artists Bursary.

In this episode I’m delighted to talk to Amanda Sutton Director of Venture ArtsBased in Manchester, Venture Arts is a supported studio that provides professional facilities, long-term artistic development, and artistic support that enables neurodivergent learning disabled artists to develop their own visual languages, produce ambitious work, and build sustainable careers within the contemporary art world.Under Amanda’s leadership, Venture Arts has become nationally and internationally recognised for its exhibitions, commissions, collaborations with major cultural institutions, and its commitment to challenging who the art world is for, and whose work is valued. In this conversation, we talk about how Venture Arts works day-to-day as a supported studio, the conditions artists need to thrive, and what happens when access, care, and excellence are placed at the centre of an organisation’s practice. We also discuss what learning disabled artist Nnena Kalus’s recent Turner Prize win means for artists, organisations, and the future of inclusive contemporary art.https://venturearts.org@venturearts_ If you enjoyed this episode please follow, share, spread the word and look out for more brilliant conversations coming soon. You can find the grateful web on ACAST, spotify, apple podcasts, Patreon or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello and welcome to the grateful web. I’m Dr Jo Clements -  artist, artists coach and your grateful web host  My guest today is the brilliant Jamie Holman     A multidisciplinary artist, Jamie Holman seeks to make visible the exciting connection and propositions that manifest when heritage collides with contemporary practice. His research often proposes the emergence of culture through the celebration of topics & movements including subcultures, trades unions, folklore, activism, mill workers, football, labour & poetry.  Jamie’s work includes deep research particularly into archives, often resulting in the discovery of unknown working class histories and stories of individuals who have impacted the future of our nation, it’s culture and communities.  He often works in collaboration with communities, many of whom are categorised as not engaging in art   Recent commissions include ‘Wonderful Electric’ a four-part commission for the capital development of Blackburn Youth Zone, and his solo exhibition ‘Contagious Acts’ at The Whitaker.https://www.jamieholman.co.uk   @jamie_holman_studio If you enjoyed this episode please follow, share, spread the word and look out for more brilliant conversations coming soon. You can find the grateful web on ACAST, spotify, apple podcasts, Patreon or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you so much to those regular listeners who have been supporting me in this endeavour. If you want to support me further, please do check out my Patreon page, for just £2 a month you can help me to keep this podcast going – https://www.patreon.com/cw/JoClementsTheGratefulWeb  This podcast has been made possible with generous support from GMCA Inspire Fund and by an a-n Artists Bursary.

My guest today is the fabulous artist Jude Wainwright  Jude is a figurative and surrealist painter based in Manchester. Her work explores identity, emotion and storytelling through staged, symbolic self-portraits that blur the line between the real and the imagined. Drawing on theatrical gesture, costume and surreal settings, she examines how we construct and conceal the self, reflecting on the boundaries between authenticity, performance and control. Alongside her practice, Jude is the Studio Manager at AWOL Studios in Ancoats, where she supports a large community of artists and creatives. In 2022, she reached the semi-finals of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, and in 2025 returned to Sky Arts as a guest presenter, leading two Portrait Artist Masterclass episodes on narrative portraiture. Jude is an Associate Member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Artists, and her work has been exhibited widely across the UK and internationally.@judewainwright_  https://www.judewainwright.com. If you enjoyed this episode please follow, share, spread the word and look out for more brilliant conversations coming soon. You can find the grateful web on ACAST, spotify, apple podcasts, Patreon or wherever you get your podcasts.  Thank you so much to those regular listeners who have been supporting me in this endeavour. If you want to support me further, please do check out my Patreon page, for just £2 a month you can help me to keep this podcast going – link in bio/show notes   This podcast has been made possible with generous support from GMCA Inspire Fund and by an a-n Artists Bursary.

A warm welcome to the 14th episode of the Weaving Connections series on The Grateful Web the podcast that weaves connections with some of the fabulous people I’m privileged to call part of my arts community here in Manchester and the North West.I’m Dr Jo Clements -  artist, artists coach and your grateful web host My guest today is the artist Rowland Hill.  Rowland studied Drama and English and worked as an award-winning artist film curator before graduating in 2018 with a Masters from the Slade School of Fine Art where she received the Clare Winsten Memorial Award. In 2024 she presented her debut institutional solo exhibition Logical Song at Castlefield Gallery in Manchester which she transformed into an ambiguous attraction. In the same year she was shortlisted for the prestigious Jerwood & MAYK Bursary for artists working in radical live performance.Her projects have been supported and commissioned by institutions including the Jerwood Foundation, Raven Row, Hospitalfield, Turner Contemporary, and Flux Factory in New York and she’s performed and directed work at the Southbank Centre, Tate Britain and The Lowry among others.www.rowland-hill.com @row.land.hill Thank you so much to those regular listeners who have been supporting me in this endeavour. If you want to support me further, please do check out my Patreon page, for just £2 a month you can help me to keep this podcast going – link https://www.patreon.com/cw/JoClementsTheGratefulWebIf you enjoyed this episode please follow, share, spread the word and look out for more brilliant conversations coming soon. You can find the grateful web on ACAST, spotify, apple podcasts, Patreon or wherever you get your podcasts.This podcast has been made possible with generous support from GMCA Inspire Fund and by an a-n Artists Bursary.

Welcome to The Grateful Web,  I’m  Dr Jo Clements and In this episode I’m delighted to speak to curator Chris Bailkoski. Chris is an independent curator with over 20 years’ experience developing collaborative practices with artists to co-create dynamic exhibitions and events, predominantly focusing on grassroots visual and musical artists in Greater Manchester. He has founded several cultural spaces including music venue SOUP (2010), artist development platform PROFORMA (2017) and resident-led gallery Longsight Community Art Space CIC (2022). In 2024, Chris relocated to Norfolk and is currently embarking on new projects in the region and across the UK. If you enjoyed this episode please , follow, share, spread the word and look out for more brilliant conversations coming soon. You can find the grateful web on ACAST, spotify, AND apple podcasts.This podcast has been made possible with generous support from GMCA Inspire Fund and by an a-n Artists Bursary.