Jo Dacombe
- Website ,
- 'X' (Twitter) ,
- Blog
Jo Dacombe's interests include mapping, walking, public space, sense of place, layers of history and the power of objects. Developing from her original practice as a painter, Jo now creates work, installations and interventions through a variety of media.
From 2014-2016 Jo was Artist in Residence in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Leicester, and an Honorary Visiting Fellow until 2018.
Jo is currently working on a collaborative project, Imagining Woodlands, a cross-disciplinary project with science, archaeology, literature and art to explore perceptions of forests and woodlands in the UK. She is also publishing contemporary art and poetry in a biannual zine, IMMINENT.
Jo often works with museums, galleries and heritage, exploring the power of objects and landscapes. She works across the East Midlands, nationally and sometimes internationally.
Qualifications and training
- 1999 - MA Arts and Humanities, De Montfort University, Leicester
- 1993 - BA Hons Fine Art, Loughborough College of Art and Design, Loughborough
Residencies
- 2016-18 - Honorary Visiting Fellow, School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester
- 2014-16 - The Reliquary Project, School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester
- 2012 - The Art of Growing, Green Patch community allotments, Kettering
- 2011 - Undiscovered Networks, East Midlands Trains, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire
- 2006 - Fingerprints on the Pew, St Peters and St Andrews Church, Corby, Northamptonshire
- 2005 - Incubate, a project engaging the community of Weedpatch, California, as part of artists' group CoLab, Arts Council of Kern CA, CoLab, California, USA
- 2005 - Thinkspace, an experiential public art project, Corby, Northamptonshire
Private commissions
- 2018 - Invisibility Walks, creative walks in Aylestone Meadows, University of Leicester
- 2018 - Imagining Woodlands, a new teaching module for the Department of English and Related Literature, University of York
- 2017 - Sacred Spaces of Milton Keynes, artist's walk, Back to Books, Milton Keynes
- 2016-17 - Continuum, a time travelling walk by Miles and Dacombe, Our Woods Festival, Deep Roots Tall Trees, Corby
- 2015 - The Hunter and The Hunted by Sidelong (JDacombe & LJKlee), an artist's woodland walk, Ordinary Culture, Nottingham
- 2014 - 8 Castle Gate, installation, Congregational Federation, Nottingham
- 2013 - Walk North, a walking project, Back to Books, Northumberland and Northamptonshire
- 2013 - Dukes Wood Project, project responding to a woodland, Ordinary Culture, Nottinghamshire
- 2011 - Alwalton to Wollaston: Map of River Nene, a map celebrating the route of author BB's boat trip, Rosalind Stoddart, Northamptonshire
Public commissions
- 2014 - REfractal, artists' walk and woodland installations, Made in Corby, Northamptonshire
- 2013-14 - A Conch Shell, an audio work, Nottingham Contemporary and Nottingham University Hospitals Trust
- 2012-14 - A Book of Dost, a book of words and images, with poet Mark Goodwin, Charnwood Arts, Leicestershire
- 2012 - Dream Walking, a night walk, by Sidelong (J Dacombe and LJ Klee), Nottingham City Council, Nottingham
- 2010 - Myth Maps, three maps of walks, Snibston Discovery Museum, Leicestershire
- 2008 - Companion Stones, installations and collaborations with two poets, Arts in the Peaks, Peak District
- 2007 - Cultural Quarter Interpretation Project, creating a children's trail, Leicester City Council, St George's Cultural Quarter, Leicester
- 2005 - Belper Parks Bridge Railings, commission to design new railings for a footbridge in Belper Parks Local Nature Reserve, Groundworks Erewash, Belper, Derbyshire
Public Realm projects
- 2017 - Imagining Woodlands, a cross-disciplinary project with science, archaeology, literature and art to explore perceptions of forests and woodlands in the UK.
- 2015 - Forward Footing by Miles and Dacombe - a touring project to engage communities with urban and rural landscapes through creative walks and interventions.
- 2013-14 - A Walk Through the Underworld, Sidelong (Jo Dacombe & Laura-Jade Klee), a project creatively exploring Nottingham's caves
Recent Exhibitions
- 2019 - Microseasons, School of Natural Sciences, University of Leicester
- 2016 - The Reliquary Project, Sightations Exhibition, Southampton University
- 2016 - The Reliquary Project, Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
- 2015 - Size Matters? International Sculpture Network, ArtSpace Susan Williams, Kettering, Northamptonshire
- 2014 - A Walking Encyclopedia, AirSpace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent
- 2014 - The Art of Walking, The Museum in the Park, Stroud
Competitions, prizes and awards
- 2012 - Clore Award for Museum Learning, Clore Duffield Foundation, for projects with Leicestershire County Council
- 2008 - Flint Bishop Arts, Business and Community Award, Arts & Business, East Midlands