Creative Community
In
Conversation

My name is Aaron, and I founded INSTINCT in 2020. INSTINCT is a brand that champions emerging artists through collaborative streetwear. While directing INSTINCT, I work four days a week in an architecture practice as a Part 2 architectural assistant. My background is in architecture, and it influences how I run INSTINCT.

Joanna Cooke is working her vocal chords hard to change all that. The singer-songwriter and keyboard player possesses a dynamic blues and soul-edged voice that seldom fails to take her fans on a soaring journey, be that on her self-penned records or via her soulful live performances.

If there’s one live music venue in Plymouth that’s known and loved for miles around, it’s the Pavilions. Since it opened in 1991, it’s seen the likes of The Beach Boys, The Prodigy, Them Crooked Vultures, My Chemical Romance, Paul Weller, Girls Aloud, Andy Williams, Motörhead, Slayer, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and the Sugababes grace its hallowed stage.

Anehita is recognised for participating in various solo and group exhibitions, as well as collaborations with Leadworks, Arts University Plymouth and the Crisis charity in the city, just to name a few. Gaining inspiration from significant historical art movements, Aletor developed a keen interest in art from an early age. 

Pearce, who’s training to be a yoga instructor, is known by so many bands in the city as it’s him they often deal with first when signing up to play the venue, booking tickets or sorting out their gigs on the night. Owned by Andy and Julia Kelland, who also own The Underground and The Dog & Duck venues in Mutley Plain, the Junction has been going since the mid-2000s, when it was rebranded from a previous name — and Pearce has been there practically ever since.

Kate Ferguson is a singer-songwriter from Plymouth, who combines fingerstyle guitar with her unique soprano vocal range; resulting in an easy listening folk-pop inspired sound. On 17th July at The House in the University of Plymouth, she will be performing songs from her latest EP ‘The Liminal Lady’. 

Bracken Jelier went to meet Sue to find out more about her exciting new project. It's been two years in the making after a very successful Crowdfunder and this September it will launch during a week's residency at Grow Plymouth.

Dr. Smita Tripathi is a lecturer in Leadership and Human Resource Studies, Academic Lead of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Plymouth Business School and long standing Trustee of the South Asian Society of Devon and Cornwall and Member of the PTFA at DHSB.

Denista first came over to the Uk to do a course in Theatre and Performing Arts at Dartington, near Totnes. Luckily for her she was picked to extend her residency at Dartington Hall and that took her down a path to living in The South Hams permanently. 

Plymouth based Jay Stone is a full-time videographer and drone operator working with businesses and people all across the UK. It all began at school, learning basic camera skills from his Grandfather but has grown into him being one the the city's most sought after photographer, creating some of the best known images of the city and its thriving cultural scene

Hazel is a transgender woman originally from Birkenhead. She had hopes of becoming an electrician or maybe an electronics engineer. Through a series of unexpected events she has ended up in Plymouth as a musician, artist and a poet. During lockdown in 2020 she wrote poems as she tried to make a connection in what had become a very upside down world.

Blessing Okumbor is an international chef, specialising in the food of West Africa. She is amazing not just because of her passion for cooking but, also her desire to ensure people around her are not hungry which is where her cheffing business emanated from.

In this interview, Made in Plymouth Community Reporter, Chi Bennett, explores the fascinating world of Slain McGough Davey, the dynamic figure behind WonderZoo, an arts organisation rooted in Stonehouse, Plymouth. Slain is also Chi's husband.

Terry Flower is an artist born in Plymouth in 1961 and has lived in the city most of his life. From an early age, Terry spent his pocket money on paper and pencils as he loved drawing and recreating images from his comic books.

From working in hospitality, events, entertainment and property, Kate Pierce has forged a career that encompasses all of those experiences into one and puts her firmly in the middle of what makes Plymouth - and in particular its creative heart - beat. Here she shares with Bracken Jelier how this role has developed within the context of Alma Yard and what her dream is for Britain's Ocean City over the next 10 years.

Chi Bennett is not your average director of an arts organisation. Yes, she is articulate, confident and charming but she also rejects shoes, explains the benefits of consuming psilocybin mushrooms and wants to set the world free from dogma, discrimination and hierarchies, so that we can all live our best lives. Made in Plymouth Community Reporter, Jojo, went to meet her.

As the internet developed, so did the opportunities for ordinary people to have a significant chance to shape the content that we see. We no longer need massive media companies to provide us with news and entertainment, instead we are happily consuming content made by everyday people.

Ben Shearn is a trailblazer in the hospitality sector in Plymouth. He has designed, project managed and opened many venues within the city including bars, restaurants, pubs and cafes. He has been a serving board director of Plymouth Waterfront Partnership since its fruition, a Trustee of Jeremiahs Journey, Member of the Plymouth Area Business Council and was Chairman of the Association of Barbican Businesses for 11 years.

Rose Bonsier is Deputy Head of Lighting at Theatre Royal Plymouth. On a visit to the Theatre in December, Tricia Stubberfield talked to her about her job, and climbed into the highest parts of the Lyric to see where she does it!

Theatre Royal Plymouth is thrilled to announce that Dame Darcey Bussell DBE will become Chair of their Board of Trustees from 1 April.

My name is Louise Rabey, I am an illustrator specialising in children’s illustration and also currently working on writing and illustrating my own comics. I have been working professionally for about 7 years and originally studied BA (Hons) Fine Art at Plymouth University which I graduated from in 2013, most recently I graduated from MA Illustration with Falmouth University in 2021. 

My name’s Gabi Marcellus-Temple and I’m a freelance visual artist, writer and translator. I’ve been doing this for… ages and ages! I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil and began my working life as a translator, gradually working more and more in writing in general and the visual arts. My practice as a visual artist is really diverse - it can include drawing, installation, performance, ceramics…

We are a weekly art club within Devon and Cornwall refugee support, run to engage asylum seekers in various creative pursuits. We got involved with the British Art show to give a focus to our activities and engage everyone in appreciating art as well as creating it. We could experience each others’ views and share our own.

The object of my affection is this diary by George Winne, who was the merchant of Plymouth. And it's written in 1788 to 1789. And it's about the relationship between his daughter and Prince William, who later became William IV. In the diary, it sort of traces that royal romance that we wouldn't really know much about if we didn't have this fantastic diary.

I arrived in Devon at the age of 16, having run away from home. It led to a family rift which lasted 41 years, and meant that I was excommunicated from my family and wider community where I grew up. 

The street art scene is truly thriving in the UK, led by the emergence in the last 30 years of artists like Banksy.

Flying the flag here in Plymouth is Kevin Davison, a stencil and street artist whose creations can be seen across the city and beyond.

Borrow Don’t Buy is Plymouth's Library of Things. We believe "You should have access to the stuff you need without costing the Earth". 

If you want to become a successful artist, you need to put in the hours. But having inspiration for your work is just as important.

All artists will have days when they perhaps feel uncreative or uninspired. So, it’s crucial you find something to spark your imagination and get your creative juices flowing.

Stand-up is undoubtedly one of the hardest forms of comedy to truly master. It’s intimate, intimidating, and there’s nowhere to hide if it all goes wrong!

One thing’s for sure… you’ve got to have bags of confidence, not to mention pretty thick skin to stand in front of a room full of people and try to make them laugh.

Theatre Royal Plymouth has announced that James Mackenzie-Blackman will succeed Adrian Vinken OBE as its Chief Executive.

Currently Chief Executive of Eden Court Highlands, Scotland’s largest single-site performing arts venue, James Mackenzie-Blackman’s previous roles include Executive Director of Matthew Bourne’s award-winning dance company New Adventures, Executive Director of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and six years in a variety of roles at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith.