Julieann Worrall Hood
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Working fluidly across media and materials, Julieann Worrall Hood’s gestural work draws on her training in tapestry to weave together nuanced narrative strands through sculpture, drawing, textiles, and soundscape. Lyrical explorations of change, vulnerability, and experiences of motherhood emerge in the act of noticing the metamorphosis of the sky or the emotions buried in a complex relationship. Her practice looks to capture fleeting moments, from incising words left unsaid into a small concrete block like a worry stone, to notating the cycles and migratory patterns of natural phenomena.
- Anna Souter (2025)
Much of my work revolves around hiraeth, an intense longing for a particular sense of home. I find glimpses and whispers of this longing in the elemental and ephemeral rhythms, patterns, and sounds of nature, making connections between migration, memory, and place.
During secondary school, I would always rush to the front seat at the top of the double-decker bus to watch the changing cloudscapes and see the world from a bird's-eye view. As an art student in Edinburgh, I created scribbly sketches of the dramatic winter sunsets from Greyfriars Bridge and of the stormy waters, winds, and skies from Portobello Beach—on the edges of things.
I am curious about the elasticity of time and the plurality of memory as I gather sensory experiences. Quickly captured plein air drawings become graphic scores for layered soundscapes, the basis for time-intensive, eccentrically woven tapestries, or are transformed into sculpted tokens made from cow parsley, concrete, scrawled words, and butterfly wings—these are my pocket poems. Whether drawing by moonlight, collaborating with poets, performers, and scientists, or engaging in socially focused projects, I am eccentrically weaving together multi-sensory experiences.
Sharing creativity as a social activity that can enhance people's lives has always been a fundamental part of my practice. I am passionate about the way interactive, multi-sensory experiences can break down traditional barriers and foster intuitive, improvisational responses. This approach opens up new possibilities for building confidence and curiosity.
Julieann Worrall Hood Bio
Julieann Worrall Hood lives and works in rural Wiltshire and next to the Irish Sea on the Llyn Peninsula.
Public commissions include sculptures in Salisbury, The National Forest (Leicestershire), Cotswold Wildlife Park (Gloucestershire), in Basingstoke, Stratford on Avon and for Denver Museum of Childhood (USA), with corporate commissions for Conran and Chanel in London, Manchester and Dublin.
Julieann often works in partnership with her husband, gardener and poet Nick Hood. Projects include the acclaimed ‘Flowery Meads’ installation in the grounds of the beautiful Watermill Theatre, Newbury and a series of living sculptures for Conkers, the National Forest visitor centre in Leicestershire.
Cross disciplinary collaborations with Kneehigh Theatre Company and the Watermill Theatre have led to numerous indoor and outdoor installations, events, objects, and costumes for performance. She continues to explore shaping sound through the language of sculpture: creating evolving installations in Bath and pieces for Coldplay for international performances in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
As a socially engaged artist, Julieann has devised and led projects in schools, museums, galleries and communities, nationally and internationally. She has held the positions of Head of Education at Roche Court Educational Trust (New Art Centre, Wiltshire) and Contemporary Arts Practice lecturer and subject leader at Bath Spa University, plus many artist-in-residence posts including in Kerala (India), Santarem (Portugal) and at the V&A (London). She has given numerous talks on her work and creative engagement, including at the Berlinische Galerie (Berlin) for the British Council, at the the V&A for the International Museums Education Conference, at the Victoria Art Gallery (Bath), the Crafts Council, NSEAD National Conference, the Being Human Festival and at the Natural History Museum, London. In December 2022, as a member of the Multisensory Art Project Team, she received the national Marsh Award for Excellence in Visual Arts Engagement for annual projects for children with PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties).
Her work is held in public and private collections and features in Graham McLaren’s publication Creating Spaces: The History of the Bath Schools of Art & Design (Wunderkammer Press, 2020) Shadowlands ( Drawing Correspondence, 2024) and Brink (Shadowlands II, 2025).
Julieann is an artist, educator and creative consultant with thirty years’ experience of devising and leading projects: working to public and private commission, teaching and lecturing, in schools, colleges, universities, museums, communities, theatres and art galleries.
A creative force who thrives on interdisciplinary collaboration and socially engaged practice, Julieann has held the positions of Head of Education at Roche Court Educational Trust (New Art Centre), and as associate lecturer, subject leader and module leader on the Contemporary Arts Practice B.A at Bath Spa University.
Commissions have included sculptural installations for Chanel and Conran, and mixed media textiles and bespoke musical instruments for Coldplay for videos, promotional events and two world tours.
Qualifications
2016 MFA Bath Spa University
2013 PGCE Greenwich University
1987 B.A (Hons) Edinburgh College of Art. Edinburgh University
Drawing, Tapestry & Structures
Employment and Positions Held
1989- now Self employed artist
2022 – 2025 Organisation Manager (p/t) of the charity Arts Together. Supporting lonely and vulnerable older people through weekly artist led groups in six places in Wiltshire.
2017 - 2020 Head of Education, Roche Court Educational Trust, New Art Centre, Wiltshire
2016 - 2017 Subject Leader and Module leader Years 1 -3, Mixed Media Textiles, Contemporary Arts Practice BA, Creative Arts BA, Bath Spa University
2012 - 2016 Associate Lecturer and Module Leader, Bath Spa University, Bath School of Art & Design. Creative Arts and Contemporary Arts Practice BA courses
2001- 2011 Freelance Engagement Lead and Theatre Designer, The Watermill Theatre, Newbury
2001 -2003 Board Member, Southern Arts (Arts Council England, Regional Arts Board)
1999 - 2001 Public Art Advisory Panel member, Kennet District Council (Wiltshire County Council)
1988 - 1990 p/t lecturer at Jacob Kramer School of Art, Leeds on Art and Design Foundation and B’Tec courses and B.A Drawing Tutor at Bretton Hall College, Wakefield
1988 - 1990 Assistant to Jonathan Silver and David Hockney, 1853 Gallery, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Bradford including the live, international fax transmission filming of Tennis in 1989
Awards
2023 Engage Marsh Award for Excellence in Visual Arts Engagement
2014-2015 Theo Moorman Award (Tapestry)
2006 Southern Arts Individual Artist Award (to create new sculptures for a solo show)
2000 - 2001 Arts Council Year of the Artist Award (Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and BBC Springwatch)1993 Southern Arts International Travel Award (International Performing Arts,Kerala, India)
1989 Yorkshire Arts Individual Artist Award
1989 Crafts Council Setting Up Award (now known as Hothouse)
1986 Andrew Grant Travel Award, Edinburgh College of Art (Paris)
Selected Commissions, Exhibitions, Talks and Projects
2025 Brink (Shadowlands II) international artists experimental drawing collective
2024 Shadowlands, Drawing Correspondence project and publication.
2023 Insect Odyssey: connecting art and entomology. The Natural History Museum, London. Illustrated talk.
2022 KALEIDOSCOPIC, solo exhibition and community project. Salisbury Arts Centre
Bringing together residents from the neighbouring communities of Bemerton Heath and St. Peter’s Place in Salisbury to explore their multi-layered experiences and stories of where they live. A collaborative project with Wiltshire Creative, Create Studios and Roche Court Educational Trust towards the creation of a film, soundscape and kaleidoscopic sculpture exhibited at Salisbury Arts Centre from September – November 2022.
2022 Insect Odyssey. Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire. Group exhibition.
2022 Multi Sensory Art Project, Roche Court Educational Trust. Multi sensory engagement, objects, installation and trip to the woods for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Film and soundscape.
2021- 2022 Coldplay, Glastonbury Live, promo and world tour preparation. Design interpretation and creative lead at The Piano Shop Bath - bespoke multi-media hand-crafted pianos for performance.
2021 Multi Sensory Art Project, Roche Court Educational Trust. Multi sensory engagement, objects, installation and online sensory resources, films and sounds for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties.
2021 Connect: people, art and place. Group exhibition. The Vanner Gallery Salisbury
2020 Multi Sensory Art Project, Roche Court Educational Trust. Multi sensory engagement, objects, handling packs for home use and online sensory resources, films and sounds for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties.
2019-2021 The Salisbury Museum, Look Again! project. Redesigning the Fashion Gallery displays and engagement methods with the involvement of a group of local young people and in collaboration with Museum volunteers and learning, heritage, design, theatre, sound and digital professionals. Project moved online due to Covid-19 restrictions
https://lookagaintsm.wordpress.com https://vimeo.com/lookagain
2019 The British Council, Germany. Invited speaker at Museums Reach Out! at the Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, sharing innovative and inclusive practise in creative museum outreach with museum educators from across Germany. Talk entitled ‘Believing six impossible things before breakfast.’
https://www.britishcouncil.de/en/uk-germany-2018/museums-reach-out
2019 Coldplay, Everyday Life live album launch Amman, Jordan and internationally. Lead artist with the team at The Piano Shop Bath, creating pianos for performance and textile set dressing for the band Coldplay- theme: repair, kintsugi, mending, textile techniques from across cultures.
https://www.thepianoshopbath.co.uk/news/creating-pianos-for-coldplays-everyday-life/
2019 Salisbury International Arts Festival. In conversation with artist Peter Newman at the New Art Centre.
2019 London Festival of Architecture, 8-80 A City for All. Collaborative research and workshop with Erect Architecture and author Jeremy Page at Camley Street Nature Reserve and Coal Drops Yard, London with participants from the Royal College of Art, Age Concern and local Primary Schools https://www.erectarchitecture.co.uk/journal/call-60-year-olds-mind-utopian-visions/
2019 The Piano Shop Bath, Joyful Sound: In the Pink sculptural installation
https://www.thepianoshopbath.co.uk/fashion/joyful-sound-in-the-pink-by-julieann-worrall-hood/
2019 The Victoria Art Gallery, Bath. Invited speaker for the Friends of Victoria Art Gallery public lecture series. Talk entitled ‘A web of possibilities: ideas about sculpture are ideas about life itself’
2018 Forest of the Imagination, Bath. Electro Twitchers - interactive digital sound sculptures installed in public spaces in central Bath, made in collaboration with Creative Technologist Luke Woodbury and pupils from Three Ways Special School
2018 The Piano Shop Bath, Joyful Sound: weaving light
https://www.thepianoshopbath.co.uk/news/piano-art-joyful-sound-by-julieann-worrall-hood/
2017 Persimmon Homes, Salisbury. A series of 4 stainless steel tube, scribbly hare sculptures. Public sculpture commission
2017 The Piano Shop Bath, 'Joyful Sound' sculptural installation of over 1500 scrap piano keys made into an undulating wave evoking sound.
https://www.axisweb.org/p/julieannworrallhood/#projects
2017 Fringe Arts, Bath. Home: The Poetics of Space. Dark Matter group pop up exhibition for FaB17
2016 Lane House Arts, Bath. Renaissance Menagerie, exhibition with painter Leslie Glenn Damhus
2016 Chanel, London, Manchester & Dublin. Series of sculptural woven rattan forms and contemporary rattan Christmas trees for Christmas displays. Leading a studio team to fulfil this commission in a very short timescale. Chanel, New Bond Street, Selfridges Oxford Street, Harrods and Heathrow Terminal 5, London. Also Selfridges Manchester and Dublin.
https://www.axisweb.org/p/julieannworrallhood/#projects
2016 Bath School of Art & Design. MFA Degree Show.
2015 Bath Spa University. Lines of Desire, interdisciplinary Art & Geography research project with Richard Long, Sue Lawty, Dr Rebecca Schaaf and Professor Owain Jones and the learning team at Arnolfini Bristol. Additional outcomes: peer reviewed research paper and film
2015 Bath Artist Studios. Dark Matters group exhibition
2014 The Children’s Museum of Denver, USA, 3 large willow, wire and steel mice sculptures on a 5m diameter suspended steel ring for permanent exhibit.
2012 The Conran Shop, London. Design and create the Spring window installation at Conran, Michelin House, Chelsea, including 50 suspended wire sculptures.
2012 Welford Park, Newbury. Boxford Masques large scale community outdoor theatre production. Set & costume design and leading the team of volunteers.
2011 Basingstoke Council, Beggarwood Park. Letter cut green oak sculptural signposts and waymarkers in collaboration with Gary Breeze.
2010 Watermill Theatre, Newbury. Bullets and Beetroot Lips. Set and costume design.
2009 RHS Gardens Hyde Hall. Installation of 6 wire hare sculptures in the grounds.
2008 Cotswold Water Park. 3m tall Laser cut steel Bittern gateway sculptures and smaller waymarkers. Sustrans Route 45
2008 David Wilson Homes, Basingstoke. Public mosaic plaza in collaboration with students from Everest Community College
2008 Chelsea Flower Show, London. Daylesford Organic show garden kinetic willow and linen scarecrow (Silver Gilt)
2007 Watermill Theatre, Newbury. River of Dreams, West Berkshire Federation of Schools set and costume design and performance outreach art project with 6 primary schools.
2006 The Watermill Theatre, Newbury. The Romance of the Rose. Environmental art and sculpture installation in the grounds.
2005 Carnival. Solo exhibition in the grounds of the Watermilll Theatre, Newbury
Kneehigh Theatre Co. Techno wings for Wagstaffe the Wind Up Boy.
2003, 2004 and 2006 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. A series of mosaic paving and plaza mosaics for public spaces.
2001 The National Forest Sculpture Trail, Leicestershire. A series of 3 metre tall, steel, stone and willow sculptures.
2000 Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Artist in Residence, outreach project with local youth groups
1998 Christie Miller Sports Centre and George Ward School, Melksham. Artist in residence for large scale community and school mosaic project
1997 Lead Artist, V&A, International Museums Education Conference: The Raphael Cartoons. Leading workshops and talks for international museum curators and educators and related tapestry projects with schools.
1996 Tapestry artist in residence Victoria & Albert Museum, London http://www.vam.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/177693/4115_file.pdf
1993 - 94 Salisbury District Council. Artist in Residence
1992 NSEAD National Conference. Invited speaker and presented exhibition of Wiltshire LEA residency.
1991-92 Wiltshire Education Authority and Southern Arts. Artist in Residence to Wiltshire Education Authority for 12 months.
1990-91 Take Art! Somerset and Portugal Craftsperson in Residence to Somerset and the town of Santarem in Portugal, working with women and groups geographically, economically and/or socially isolated. 12 month residency in 7 villages around Somerset creating sustainable women’s groups through craft and heritage activities, building partnerships across sectors and internationally.
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