Place Portraits St Anne’s

A multimedia collaboration representing elements of St Anne’s, through the eyes of artists, this playful exhibition explores the concept of ‘portrait’. Most of the work was made in spring 2025 and can be viewed as ‘snapshots’ or ‘sketches’.

Anna invited artists Holly Humphries, Caitlin Dawkes, Jo Chalkblack and Anastasia Dahl to
contribute new works and collaborate with works in progress.

The idea for Place Portrait exhibitions comes from many years of creative work with different communities. A lot of this work has focused on helping local people share their stories, especially about their environment, changes, and regeneration.

From this, I’ve learned that places are complex and have many sides. Calling it a ‘portrait’ is a way to show what a neighbourhood is like right now. It also reminds us that the artist is sharing their own view of the place, even if they try to be as honest as possible.

“The show is for everyone – our hopes that locals can relate to the work and that visitors can
appreciate the life and joy to be found here in St Anne’s” – Anna Haydock-Wilson, June 2025.

Artworks:

MISSING- Street Trees (cage sculptures), Nurturing (St Anne’s House plants sculptures), A4 Portraits-
Place & People (phone photos), St Anne’s, Slowly (video), Impressions (clay disc tiles) and
Reimagining a Bridge (charcoal drawings).

Holly created Wild Weeds, oil pastels depicting weeds found on verges in St Anne’s Road and Caitlin crafted Moss crocheted textile balls.

Jo contributed Women in Nature, iPhone photos and objects from a project with refugee women exploring St Anne’s Woods and films – C.L.A.N.G and Green Connections binaural recording documentary in collaboration with Roshni Singh and sound artist Gavin Brockis,
Open Body Warning a film performance collaboration with the local community and Emma
Holbrook.

Anastasia Dahl brought her gallery based dance workshop series, Movement Mediation, into the exhibition.

Those to attended really enjoyed the invitation to interact with the show and children and adults played with and moved the objects and structures, shared ideas and conversed with the artists.

“What a lovely show of a profound and very positive project” – Anon, exhibition visitor