The Artists
30 Years of CreationWillow Arts is the work of myself Chris Oldham, I work locally in Stoke and Newcastle as well as running projects in the West Midlands, London and the North. I also work in mental health support and recovery, for Brighter Futures housing association, delivering therapeutic art groups for customers with complex needs.
My art practice involves working with communities to build large scale living willow sculptures and environmental spaces. The intention of my work is to bring the community into a closer experience with the local ecology and natural landscape. I aim to develop new audiences and take the public into new spaces to experience art.
Willow Arts achieve this with natural materials provided by the local landscape that are woven into a space that gives shelter and allows the public to enter into the artwork.
The feel and flow of the materials that make the sculpture define a space that belongs to both nature and people. The time the audience spends looking at the artwork in a natural environment is part of the process and enriches the experience.
Audrea Oldham
Audrea is a Crafts Designer and applied mixed media artist. Together we have designed a sensory garden for a disabled community in Cannock and made a ‘Beach in a hut’, with a community of two special schools and two High schools working together.
We have also run a Crystal Maze Maths challenge Project with Birches Head High School. Audrea has a gallery of her work else where in the site, check it out.