In Conversation with Francesca Hawkesworth: Artist, Curator, and Creative Driver

Francesca Hawkesworth is a powerhouse of Plymouth’s creative scene — a painter, muralist, community collaborator, and one of the driving forces behind some of the city’s most inspiring cultural initiatives. As co-founder of LOCI mural collective, a key player at Real Ideas and RAMP (Real Art Make Print), and the organiser of Native Makers, she’s been instrumental in shaping opportunities for artists and makers at every stage of their journey. We caught up with Francesca to talk about her own artistic practice, what inspires her, and how she’s working to create a more vibrant, inclusive and connected creative community in Plymouth and beyond.

Photo: Dom Moore. Print in Action 2024

Let’s start with your own creative practice — how would you describe your work as a painter and mural artist? What themes or inspirations are at the heart of what you create? 

When creating, I develop work which explores the interaction of colour, materials, landscape and architecture and how they can merge with one-another. I’m drawn to installation and site-specific works, which I think is why I enjoy creating murals, as you can create meaningful site-specific work with community and collaborations with artists. 

Dom Moore. LOCI

You’re also a co-founder of LOCI, Plymouth’s first mural collective. How has large-scale public art shaped your connection to the city and your approach to creativity? 

When we founded LOCI in 2017, Plymouth was experiencing a bit of a cultural renaissance with initiatives building around events like Plymouth Art Weekender, including an increase in public art projects. However, as a Plymouthian with a painting practice, I felt there was a lack of accessible art forms like murals. While other cities were embracing murals, we seemed to be playing it safe. Murals, when created in collaboration with the community, can drive positive change, encourage public participation, and instill a sense of ownership and pride. 

Developing LOCI with local partners, initiatives, and organisations was a significant step towards making the city feel more creative, especially in areas lacking public art. This collaboration as LOCI reinforced our belief that working together as artists generates momentum. The success of our murals led to more opportunities for other creatives in the city, proving that by supporting and pushing each other, we can collectively enhance Plymouth's artistic landscape. 

You’ve been deeply involved with Real Ideas and RAMP (previously Ocean Studios) for several years now. What’s been your vision for these creative spaces, and how do you see them supporting artists in the city? 

I don't mean to play the 'I'm a Plymouthian' card again, but one of my main motivations at Real Ideas is to create opportunities and provide access to specialist facilities and spaces for Artists and Makers to develop in the city. From a personal experience, it can be really tough as a graduate, you feel like you lose a platform and a network when you stop studying, so I feel it’s crucial to provide networks and support a positive creative community to develop as people interact with us, through use of spaces and interacting through our programme and platforms like Native Makers and Print in Action, to create connections to industry and routes to market. 

Behind the scenes, we’re excited about future collaborations and development of our creative programme through Real Ideas spaces in Devonport. creating new spaces to explore intersections between practice, sharing skills and knowledge. Pushing RAMP specialisms through Arts and Making, but with plans to explore new ways of linking our creative community to the immersive innovation developing at Market Hall too.  

Native Makers has become such a vibrant and beloved part of Plymouth’s cultural calendar. What inspired you to start the market, and how has it evolved since then? 

Native Makers has always been a celebration of Making and a love for highlighting all things handmade. For nearly 10 years Native Makers events have showcased talented Makers from across the region who prioritise originality, diversity, and sustaining creative practices and process. Each market features unique, handcrafted products made by hand mindfully with materials and processes reflecting a commitment to creativity and environmental responsibility. 

In 2022, we proudly inherited Native Makers from our long-term collaborator and supporter, Rosie Drake-Amery. We’d been on the Native Makers journey since day-one with Rosie, supporting with access to space, with visions aligning to create a supportive creative community.  

Since taking the lead with the platform, we’ve been dedicated to continuing the vibrant momentum that Rosie and her team established. Our mission is to sustain this dynamic platform for the future, while evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of the creative community, including more opportunities for start-ups, students and graduates to showcase their independent businesses, whilst creating experiences to highlight the Making process, particularly as many crafts become endangered and whilst new crafts are emerging through new technologies. 

Community and accessibility seem central to Native Makers. How do you go about curating events that are both inclusive and reflective of the local creative scene? 

Our Maker community is central to the development of our events, the we always reflect on the experience for Makers and our supporters (our lovely visitors), our Makers are what makes Native Makers special so when looking for people to join us we always have a clear set of values to support our curation from the beginning, searching for likeminded people who are all about handmade, craft preservation, materials, sustainable practice, innovation and independent business.  

We work with Artists and Makers every day across the breadth of the programme at RAMP not just Native Makers, so we really understand some of the challenges that creatives are facing right now, creating positive opportunities and experiences for independent business to sell and promote, is important no matter the age or stage of practice. We have such a big pool of Makers in Plymouth alone, but also have access to an incredible network of Makers across the South West and we want to celebrate this! 

You’ve worked closely with emerging artists, graduates, and start-ups — why is that important to you, and what do you think Plymouth offers young creatives that other cities might not?  

Like many, the big question I got asked when developing my practice at university was often centered around, but what are you going to do when you leave? Although frustrating at times as the creative journey is never a straight line of opportunity, stubbornly I found this question a driver for pushing a creative career forward and I want to support people with this drive too. Plymouth’s unique with its proximity to the sea and green space, combined with cost of living, so we’re in this sweet spot of inspiration, creative activity and space to make things happen. I truly believe that whilst other cities are becoming over– saturated, Plymouth has room for grass-roots, collectives and initiatives can be started here with the right energy, the cultural ecology here is collaborative, the community is strong, and we have incredible expertise, facilities, organisations, people in the city to celebrate and work with. 

With so many creative projects under your belt — Native Makers, Real Art Make Print, LOCI, and more — what excites you most about the direction Plymouth’s cultural ecology is heading in? 

We are fortunate to have an abundance of expertise, insight, skills, and knowledge across Plymouth and the surrounding areas, it’s brimming with creative ideas and actions, supported by access to internationally renowned spaces and facilities. The creative energy is huge and it’s not going to go away, with collaboration, access to opportunities and building on the development of cultural clusters in the city we can elevate and highlight what we do in really dynamic ways.  

If someone’s visiting Plymouth for the first time and wants to experience its creativity — where should they go, and what should they look out for? 

You’ve got to create a mini culture trail itinerary, including The Box, scoping exhibition visits to KARST, Leadworks and other independent spaces, explore RAMP at Ocean Studios programme of events and workshops, and an absolute must is to check out the Immersive Dome at the Market Hall. If you can follow parts of the scenic South West Coast path between venues!  

How do you personally stay creatively inspired — especially while juggling so many different roles and responsibilities? 

It’s all about the people and collaborations! We have over 32 artists collaborating and working with us on a day to day at RAMP and Native Makers welcomes over 200 Makers per season, hearing their ideas, stories, I’m proud to be working amongst such a strong network of individuals and collectives.  

And finally — what’s next for you? Any upcoming projects, dreams, or ideas that you’re excited to explore? 

We have an exciting season ahead at RAMP, packed with studio holder collaborations, workshops, and a series of large events to unite creative communities. On April 12th-13th, we will kickstart our Native Makers programme with new markets at the Market Hall and Liskeard Library. Additionally, our Print in Action festival on April 26th-27th will bring together print and creative networks from across the South West and beyond through talks, demonstrations, discussions, masterclasses, and tasters. 

I'm also thrilled to be part of developing more creative opportunities across Real Ideas spaces in Devonport. We are activating spaces in new ways and creating more opportunities for artists and makers to advance their practices.