Crafting Pathways was a project for four Birmingham based young people to develop their artistic skills, interests and identities, and learn more about what it is like to work as an artist. It provided an opportunity to broaden artistic knowledge, master new processes and techniques, and learn from the artists’ own experiences how creative careers start, grow and change. Producing their own artwork for the MitM touring exhibition, the experience challenged the young people to incorporate their own ideas into new ways of working.
We worked with The King’s Trust and South & City College Birmingham to recruit young people for the project. Each person worked one to one with artists in their studios, worked independently, and visited special places for research and inspiration.
Abigail Villarroel and Oliver Bliss
Abigail Villarroel was paired with textile-based artist Oliver Bliss and explored new directions in his painting, expanding his approach and scale.
Megan Herbert and Nobuko Okumura
Megan worked with jeweller designer-maker Nobuko Okumura at her workshop in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.
Taylor Ashleigh and Nilupa Yasmin
Working with artist and educator Nilupa Yasmin, Taylor explored hand-crafted weaving for the first time.
Owen Robins and Michaela McMillan
Owen worked with artist Michaela McMillan at her studio in Rugby.
Research, documentation and storytelling by Hayley Salter, a Birmingham based photographer, film-maker and creative producer.
Find out more about the exhibition
Meet the artists
See the artists exhibiting in Made in the Middle.
Visit: See the exhibition
Find out more about the tour.
