Amelia Hawk
I am a socially engaged artist based in North Yorkshire, UK. I'm interested in how objects, artworks and events can hold space* for conversation that is uncomfortable, happily political and frequently about mental health. My practice explores what tools and objects we might use to instigate these conversations, and what spaces and structures of support we might need to generate. Many projects often integrate counselling strategies within them, as a way of creating spaces for conversation that isn’t afraid.
By exploring how to hold space and what this might look like, I often investigate how conversation and listening can act as a support structure, and create new ways of listening and places to hear* from. These conversations are often supported by an action, activity, event or object this could be the act of creating a tea, holding an object, being present in water. These actions and objects aim to create enough of a container, and feeling of comfort for discussion to begin from.
To support this way of working I have trained to Level 3 in Counselling, ethically underpinning my work and creating a way of supporting others to run alongside and at times weave into my practice. I am also trained in Forest Therapy, and integrate learning from this into my wider work.
*to hold space is to listen without judgment, to be present
*including non-vocalised forms of listening and hearing
I also run the organisation Holding Space which develops creative opportunities to support people's mental health.
Education
2015 MA Fine Art, Kunstakademiet, Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo, Oslo National Academy of the Arts
2007 BA Hons Fine Art, Lincoln School of Art
2025 Forest Therapy Certification
2022 Level 3, Counselling Skills
2021 Level 2, Counselling Skills
Fellowships and Awards
2024 – Spike Island Engagement Fellowship
2018 - EYA, European Youth Award
2015 - Blixprisen, Blix Fond
2015 - FKDS (Fondet for Kunst- og design), Project Award
2015 - PNEK Atelier Award
2015 – Start Point Art Prize, finalist, National Gallery Prauge
2014 - Ungkunststipend 2015 (Young Artists Scholarship) – Festspillene i Nord-Norge (The Festival of North Norway)
Residencies
2024 – Spike Island Engagement Fellowship, Bristol, UK
2019 – DanceXchange Collaboration Residency, DanceXachnage, Birmingham, UK
2017 – Development Residnecy, Tenthaus, Oslo, NO
2016 - Pushkinskaya 10, St Petersburg, RU
2016 - Art Oxygen, Mumbai, IN
2016 - Expressions of Research, FAB/ ICIA, Bath, UK
2015 - R.E.D., Residency Eina Danz, Eina, NO
2015 – PNEK Atelier, Oslo, NO
Solo Projects / Exhibitions
2026 – 60 Messages of Hope, Harrogate International Festival, UK
2025 – Gentle Waters, Helmsley, Historic England, UK
2023 – Nature and Healing, social prescribing, MAC, Birmingham, UK
2018 - Kampen om Grønland, Interkulturelt Museum, Oslo, NO
2017 - P is for; Press, Politics, Propaganda, Tenthaus, Oslo, NO
2016 - Celledeling (Cell Division), Munchmuseet i bevegelse, Munch Museum & UKS, Oslo, NO
2016 - Publica, CST Terminus, Art Oxygen, Mumbai, IN
2016 - Tomorrow is Never Enough, Studio 17, Stavanger, NO
2016 - As One Door Closes, PNEK, Oslo, NO
2015 - Of Fire and Ice, Festspillene i Nord-Norge, Harstad, NO
2015 - Silenced Histories, Live Art Bistro, Leeds, UK
2015 - When Hostilities End, Spikersuppa Lydgalleri, Oslo, NO
2014 - The Gamblers Judgment, One Night Only, Oslo, NO
2014- 3 Sides of a Triangle, Steenstrup Galleri, Oslo, NO
Group Projects Exhibitions
2025 – Milk and Blankets, Feed / In Certain Places, Birmingham, UK
2025 – Kampen on Gronland 2.0, Intercultural Museum, Oslo, NO
2024- Searching for a space that cares, Spike Island digital commission
2023- Flavour of Emotion in BCN Show, Multistory, Wolverhampton, UK
2021- Reflecting The Past, PAO Festival 2021, Oslo, NO
2020 - 2084, The Cable Factory, Helsinki, FI
2019 - Golden Moments - Best in Sessions, Tenthaus, Oslo, NO
2019 - Members Show selected by Jessica Warboys, OUTPOST, Norwich, UK
2019 - EXIT!, Munch Museum, Oslo, NO
2019 - Barbican Open Fest: Art 50, This is an island?, Barbican, London, UK
2019 - This is an Island?, The Sage, Gateshead, UK
2019 - Streetplayer, Axisweb and Wakefield Art Walk, Wakefield, UK
2018 - This is an island? DanceXchange, Birmingham, UK
2018 - Høstutstillingen, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, NO
2018 - GU Women at Modern Clay, Modern Clay, Birmingham, UK
2018 - KAMP- min, din og alle andres, Hausmania Festival, Podium, Oslo, NO
2018 - Between the Lines, Women’s Museum, Kongsvinger, NO
2018 - Between the Lines, #metoo gruppeutstilling, Oslo, NO
2017 - Arctic Hysteria, Museum of Nonconformist Art, St Petersburg, RU
2017 - 100 Masters, Creative Black Country, UK
2017 - Arctic Hysteria, USF Verftet, Bergen, NO
2017 - Expressions of Research, Edge Arts (formerly ICIA) and FAB, Bath, UK
2017 - Nehctik, Strange Cargo, Folkestone, UK
2017 - Images and Affects, Artists Film Club, University of Leeds, UK
2017 - Live Art Cinema, Home for Waifs and Strays, Birmingham, UK
2016 - Collected Stories, Luda, St Petersburg, RU
2016 - Publica, Batashewala Complex, Floodlight Foundation, Delhi, IN
2016 - 008, Large 008, Oslo, NO
2016 - 10 års jubileum, Kunst rett vest, Dikemark, Asker, NO
2016 - Tatt av Heimdal, Performance Festival, Heimdal kunstforening, NO
2016 - NOVE SED NON NOVA, Winter Solstice Exhibition, Vandaler Forening, Oslo, NO
2016 - Uncontaminated Festival, Oslo, NO
2016 - Winterfest, Bath, UK
2016 - Schouskollektivet, Deichmanske bibliotek, Oslo, NO
2015 - Performing the Artwork 2, Article, Birmingham, UK
2015 - Start Point Art Prize, National Gallery, Prague, CZ
2015 - Sluice Art Fair, London, UK
2015 - Open, Performance Art Bergen, Bergen Prison, Bergen, NO
2015 - PAO@ Steilene Islands, Steilene, Oslo, NO
2015 - All maten du åt og tankene i hjernen, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, NO
2015 - Identitet: menneske og sted, Østlandsutstillingen, Oslo, NO
2015 - OCC Talents Archive, Onassis Culture Centre, Athens, GR
2015 - Telephone, Satellite Collective, New York, USA
2015 - Critical Costume, Aalto University, Helsinki, FI
2015 - Tempus Fugit, Syson Gallery, Nottingham, UK
2014 - Visual Poetry, Performance Art Oslo Festival, Atelier Nord ANX, Oslo, NO
2014 - Bring Your Own Beamer, Brighton Dome, Brighton, UK
2014 - ++, Black Box Theatre, Oslo, NO
2014 - Fire From the North, Store Svinvika, Vardø, NO
2014 - Utstilling, Oslo Ladegård, Oslo, NO
2014 - Echoing Tracks, Drammen Kunstforening, Drammen, NO
2014 - Seen Created, Beacon Art Project, Lincolnshire, UK
2014 - Cabbages and Kings, Kusthavn, Oslo, NO
2014 - The Big Bang, Akademirommet, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, NO
2013 - Pump House Open, Pump House Gallery, London, UK
2013 - PIP Show, Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo, Oslo, NO
2013 - Things that seem to happen by chance, public space show, Birmingham, UK
2013 - Inaugural Proposal, PI, Gallery Steenstrupsgate, Oslo, NO
2013 - Dimanche Rouge Festival, Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki, FI
2013- Past is Prologue, Woman’s Art Library, Goldsmiths, London, UK
2013 - Lot No, Lionel Dobie Project, Manchester, UK
2013 - Dance 4 Tour, Dance 4, Nottingham, UK
2013 - Performing Paper, Paper Gallery, Manchester, UK
2013 - Pot Luck 7, curated by Accidental Collective, Limbo, Margate, UK
2013 - Live Art Dogging, curated by Daniel Oliver, Reactor Halls, Nottingham, UK
2012 - SPILL Festival, Ipswich, UK
2012 - Function VI, Reactor, Nottingham, UK
2012 - Time and Time and Time, part of Compass, curated by Amanda Coogan, Beacon, Spalding, UK
2012 - World Event Young Artists festival, Waverly Theatre, Nottingham, UK
2012 - Hazard, Hab, Word of Warning, Manchester, UK
2012- Unofficial Histories, Bishopgate Institute, London, UK
2012 - Boeing Way to Gas Street, Departure Foundation, Birmingham, UK
2011 - Stockholm Fringe Festival, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden, SE
2011 - Artside Festival, Southend-on-Sea, UK
2011 - Water Tower Art Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria, BG
2011 - Poolside Emergency, Bluecoat, Liverpool, UK
2011 - 6 Degrees, Monks Gallery, Lincoln, UK
2011 - Circuit, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
2011 - Bimonthlies, Beacon, Wellingore, UK
2011 - Format Festival, multiple venues across Derbyshire, UK
2010 - The Sideshow Review, Tether, Sideshow (British Art Show Fringe), Nottingham, UK
2011 - Wunderkammer, Sideshow (British Art Show Fringe), Nottingham, UK
2011 - Emergency, Green Room, Manchester, UK
2011 - Nottingham Open, Nottingham Castle, Nottingham, UK 2009 - Pocahontas and the Masquerade Ball, Wasp Room / Tether, Nottingham, UK
2009 - Take A Walk, a part of Interrogation Walsall, New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall, UK
2009 - Open Show, Djanogly Art Gallery, Nottingham, UK
2009 - Must The Show Go On, Broadway cinema in association with Art Crawl Festival, Nottingham, UK
2008 - Proto Lab Phase 1.0, Newalk Museum, Leicester, UK
2008 - Proto Lab Phase 1.0, Radar, Loughborough, UK
2008 - Squeeze Box, MOOT / Stand Assembly, Nottingham, UK
Performing and Exhibiting; as part of Reactor
2013
- Log!c ?stem, Flux Factory, New York, USA
- The Bet, KW Institute, Berlin, DE
- Latitude Festival, Suffolk, UK
- Clubs, Gangs, and Secret Societies, MoMA, New York, USA
Work in Public Collections
Intercultural Museum, Oslo, NO
Munch Museum, Oslo, NO
OCC Talents Archive, Onassis Culture Centre, Athens, GR
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