Emma Bentley Fox

My practice centres community building and collaborative working to generate moments of joy, connection, intimacy and kinship in the context of pervasive structural inequalities.

I am currently on a year-long residency at Block 336 and recently finished as part of the Syllabus VIII cohort (Wysing Arts Centre & Partners). This year I am continuing to develop my ongoing project ‘Safelight’ with NLPG funding from Arts Council England, which explores photographic darkrooms as sites for healing and intimacy, informed by somatics, notions of 'crip time' and drawing parallels with Queer nightlife spaces. I have converted my residency studio space into a darkroom, and will be documenting my processes, developing a series of photographic prints, alongside experimenting with sensory digital technologies. I am also continuing to develop my creative writing, character-building & live-art practice, through on-going project ‘Murder Dinner’.

Alongside I continue to offer bid-writing, research, consultation & training, specialising in Gender-Awareness, Disability & Accessibility and Trauma-informed Practice. I have worked with organisations like Arts Council England, Unlimited, Mind The Gap, The Baltic, Manchester Metropolitan University and NHS Trusts.

Previous work
Since 2017 I have worked with a focus on embedded documentation of Queer communities. I was a founding member of Party Moms’ Society (2017-22) and since continue to document Queer communities across The North, particularly Bradford, Sheffield & Newcastle. I've also documented disabled communities, notably commissioned by Shape Arts to create 'Taking the PIP' (2025).

From 2021-2023 I worked as a Producer at East Street Arts, leading on the Mabgate Lincoln Green and Burmantofts Neighbourhood Plan - the UKs first artist-led neighbourhood plan. I led on public engagement, including chairing a monthly residents forum, and delivering 3 intergenerational summer schools. Since I have continued working in and around artist-led urban development.