Jill Impey
Exploring the role of the artist revealing truths, through notions of shifting borders, boundaries and thresholds; my film installations look at the formation of human identity, in relation to place, culture, art, heritage and migration. Drawing on personal experience of displacement and difference as a neurodivergent artist, the work considers location, reality and façade, inclusion and otherness, evolutionary development and the unquantifiable sublime.
My practice strives to make manifest the interconnectivity between humans, nature and wellbeing. I have a participatory process, based in research, encouraging engagement through the handling and creative interpretation of historic artefacts, contemporary artworks and natural found objects, that often relate to a social and sensory archaeology of place and time. This process culminates in filmed and recorded interviews and collaborative artworks. In exhibition these recordings are often juxtaposed with audiovisual installations and representations of natural phenomena in heritage or unusual exhibition spaces, and re-activated by residencies or workshops. My gently inclusive workshops bring together diverse individuals in expressive creative activity, within stimulating curated environments, to draw, print, respond through words, photography, film and sound recording. In some of my work I assume a prerformative persona, using costume and props to heighten thematic links and investment in the experience. I am a Reiki and Shiatsu practitioner, with a holistic approach to wellbeing and self-development.
My aim and ambition is to further develop collaborative working around the decolonisation of the museum and further research inclusion and inclusive practices to build into my projects.
Work
2012- present: Artist in film, installation and participatory practice
2015-present: Co-Director & founder of Participate Contemporary Artspace CIC
2016-present Creative Practitioner for Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, Meadow Arts
2003-2015, Course Leader & Lecturer UAL AB L3/4 Diploma in Art & Design, Shrewsbury College
Qualifications
Bronze & Silver Arts Award Assessor 2017
Iatsu (Shiatsu) and Reiki, Level 2 practitioner 2016 & 2017
Masters in Fine Art with Merit, Staffordshire University 2008-2010
PGCE, University of Wales, 2006
City & Guilds 7307 Further and Adult Education Teachers Certificate, 2002, Leicester College
TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Bradford College, 1995
BTech Hons. 2:1- Textile Design, Science & Technology, Bradford University, 1981-85 with Industrial placement
Funded Projects:
2024-25 Timelines DYCP ACE Lottery Funding, to develop an immersive inclusive, timeline experience.
2024-25 Hey! Earthlings, Participate Contemporary Artspace CIC, Heritage Lottery funded project, with Shropshire Supports Refugees to facilitate cultural exchange in Shropshire Heritage locations.
2022-23 The Weather Report : Inclusion, Colaboration, Connection, ACE Funded film tour with performative engagement workshops, UK and New Zealand, culminating in the development of a decolonisation and inclusion, tool-kit.
2018-2021 The Weather Report, ACE funded in 2020, a curated a creative space (online or live) in which people from coastal and immigrant communities (in England in 2021 and New Zealand in 2018) reflected on relationships with heritage. They explored feelings about the weather, the sea, immigration, colonisation and notions of connection and took part in recording sessions that contributed to a film. Hosted by Lucida Impey, a mental health nurse just returned in 1948, from New Zealand.
2020 Participate Contemporary Artspace CIC, Getting Out There, COVID19 funding from ACE and Shropshire Council to support the gallery and studio artists to deliver online exhibitions and workshops during the lockdown period and beyond.
2017- 2018 The Beat of The Butterflies’ Wings, Tour of Midlands, ACE: Intergenerational project focusing on the importance of self-expression on wellbeing, & reflecting on the words of Wilfred Owen
2018, An Undertaking…..re:collect collaboration, St. Chads Church, Shrewsbury, Mentored project, ACE
2016- 2017, The Beat of The Butterflies’ Wings, ACE : Intergenerational project exploring and sharing thoughts and experiences of war & peace through creative expressive processes, interpreting stimuli from a travelling collection of contemporary artworks.
2014-2016, Curiosity, re:collect interventions, ACE: re:collect site responsive exhibition with a touring Cabinet of Curiosity
2012-2014, beinghuman, cultural identity project, ACE : project involving young people in a contemporary art and heritage context. in partnership with Wolverhampton Art Gallery, The New Art Gallery Walsall and the new Museum & Art Gallery in Shrewsbury
Commissions:
2023-24 Grace Currie, A work in progress, short film documenting the development and sharing and impact of Artist Grace Currie's creative communication, after Brain Injury.
2019-20 Creative Conversations , 2 films of participant engagements with creative wellbeing workshops for the over 55’s developing digital and analogue skills.
2019-20 The Elephant in the Room, film & Installation for National Trust Powis Castle
2018-19, Cinderloo 1821, film and schools workshops, Heritage Lottery Funded, Telford
Exhibitions & Screenings :
2022-23 The Weather Report : Inclusion, Colaboration, Connection, The Hive & Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, The Arts Institute, Plymouth, The Dragon Theatre, Barmouth, Wolverhampton Arena Theatre, The National Maritime Museum, Aukland & The Old School House, Raglan, Aotearoa New Zealand
2021-23 The Weather Report, Shropshire Supports Refugees (SSR), National Marine Aquarium (NMA) Plymouth, The Hive, Theatre Severn Shrewsbury, Raglan New Zealand
2022 aKIN Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury, PCA group exhibition, DarwIN Festival
2021-2022, Cinderloo1821, group and community exhibition, Museum of Iron, Ironbridge, Shropshire
2021, the Weather Report, Shropshire Supports Refugees, Shrewsbury
2021, The Weather Report, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth
2021, Windows of Light, an exhibition by Participate Studio Artists to be viewed through the windows, Participate Contemporary Artspace, Shrewsbury
2021, International Postcard Show 2021, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, online group exhibition
2021, Second Sight : light through the trees, The Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury and Participate Contemporary Artspace online group exhibition for The Darwin Festival
2020, Light, Participate Contemporary Artspace, online group exhibition
2020, Hereford First Fridays, Hereford’s a Great Place, online group exhibition
2020 ?Dot?Dot-Dash, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, online group exhibition
2019-20 The Elephant in the Room, film & Installation for National Trust Powis Castle
2019, Scaffolds of Nature, Participate Contemporary Artspace, Shrewsbury
2019, Encounters, VAN Gallery, Shrewsbury
2019, You, me and those who came before, Participate Contemporary Artspace, Shrewsbury
2018 The First Casualty of War, Tile museum, Ironbridge, & Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
2018 The Weather Report, workshops & recording in Raglan and Kafia, North Island New Zealand
2018, An Undertaking…..re:collect collaboration, St. Chads Church, Shrewsbury
2017-18 The Beat of The Butterflies’ Wings tour, Library of Birmingham , HMP Leicester, Attingham Park
2017 The Beat of the Butterflies Wings’ (as Part of the Big Draw 2017)Participate Contemporary Artspace
2017, Eden………..Participate Contemporary Artspace, Open exhibition
2016-2017, The Beat of The Butterflies’ Wings, Community Gallery, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2016, Migration….Qube, Open Exhibition, Oswestry
2016, Eden………..Participate Contemporary Artspace, Open exhibition
2016, The Nature of War , re:collect at Participate Contemporary Artspace & St Chad’s Church
2015-16, re:collect, Curiosity Tour: Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury; Powis Castle; Wrexham Museum
2015: The Elephant in the Room Conversations ……. Powis Castle
2015 The Elephant in the Room Conversations tour…… Participate Contemporary Artspace,Shrewsbury
2015, The First Casualty of War is Truth, re:collect group exhibition, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2015, Grand Opening, group show…Participate Contemporary Artspace, Shrewsbury
2015, re:collect, Cabinet of Curiosity Tour, Wenlock Poetry Festival
2014/15, Curiosity re:collect interventions..Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2014, beinghumanproject 2014,…The New Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2013, beinghumanproject2012, …Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2013, beinghumanproject2012, …The New Art Gallery, Walsall
2012, Object Lessons, re:collect group exhibition, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2012, 7 on the Severn and Wye…Mid Wales Art Gallery, Powys
2012, beinghumanproject2012…Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Workshops, Talks, Residencies & Presentations
2022-23 The Weather Report : Inclusion, Colaboration, Connection, The Hive & Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, The Arts Institute, Plymouth, The Dragon Theatre, Barmouth, Wolverhampton Arena Theatre, The Old School House, Raglan, Aotearoa New Zealand
2021, the Weather Report, face to face workshops, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, Age UK, Plymouth, Ocean Studios, Plymouth, Take -A-Part, Plymouth, Shropshire Supports Refugees, Shrewsbury
2020-21, The Weather Report, online workshops Age UK, Plymouth, Shropshire Supports Refugees, Shrewsbury, Hereford First Fridays, Hereford’s a Great Place
2020, Meadow Arts, what is contemporary art? Online workshop for The Worcester Festival
2017-2018, The Beat of The Butterflies’ Wings, Tour PCA, Library of Birmingham, Attingham Hall, HMP Leicester, resedencies and workshops
2016-2017, The Beat of The Butterflies’ Wings, community workshops & Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2016-17, Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury, Scour Mills, Redditch, Participate Contemporary Artspace, a range of Object analysis and printmaking workshops, (monotype, drypoint etching and colograph)
2016 Age UK, re:collect Cabinet of Curiosity, pilot reminiscence project, Shrewsbury
2016 re:collect Cabinet of Curiosity, Museums for Health & Wellbeing Conference, Manchester
2015, The Elephant in the Room Conversations at Powis Castle-workshops, talks & tours
2015, Severn Fields Project, Arts for Health , print workshop for staff and service users
2015, re:collect, Cabinet of Curiosity Tour: workshops; Powis Castle; Wrexham Museum
2015, The First Casualty of War is Truth, re:collect group exhibition, talks, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2015, Curiosity re:collect interventions, workshops, talks & tours at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2013, New Curators Group Exhibition: Migration, at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2013, re:collect, Object Lessons exhibition, 2 half day workshops, with Foundation Art & Design from Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2013, Arts Café, The Hive, Shrewsbury, Object Lessons presentation
2012, Being Human Project 2012- 6 workshops in Galleries & Museums around the West Midlands involving young people with the Gallery/Museum collections
2012, Talk – New Curators group at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
Community & Wellbeing Workshops: Shropshire Council DBS
2018-present Cinderloo1821, Telford schools workshops on local social history and nature, Heritage Schools
2020-21, Learn Telford, creative well-being workshops online and face-to-face
2019, Creative Conversations, 12 creative media workshops for over 55’s, The Redwoods Centre & Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Shrewsbury
2018, Creatures of the Mappa Mundi, commuity quilting and discussion workshops, in Hereford for Yinke Shonibare Studio and Meadow Arts
2018, Summer Art School, Bronze & Silver Arts Award, Participate Contemporary Artspace
2018 IceAge Cave painting & Sound workshops, for Meadow Arts , Hive Worcester
2017, Summer Art School, Bronze Arts Award, Participate Contemporary Artspace
