Artist’s Recent Biography

2025

Juxtapose
Aarhus Denmark

Towards an Experimental Ecology of Line
Online course and exhibition

Madresfield Woods Field Trip
with Bill Laybourne sound artist

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Drawing Prize Exhibition 2025

Members Annual Show 2025

Haus-a-Rest
Online featured artist

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Ground floor gallery
May Break My Bones

2024

Eastside Projects
EOP Summer Camp (members’ group exhibition)

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Members Annual Exhibition 2024
Prize Exhibition 2024
Summer Show 2024

Correspondence Residency (with Stuart Mayes)
Hospitalet Ateljéföreningen, Uppsala, Sweden

In Conversation
Uppsala Konstnärsklubb (Uppsala Art Club)

Elected Member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Candidates Exhibition 2024

Goodlife Community CIC
Appointed Director

Elena’s Sewing Circle – Studio workshops

2023

Platforms Project
HMS, Independent Art Fair, Athens (Group show curated by Wendy Williams)

Studio Workshops
Stolen Text
Sewing Circle

Selector and Mentor for Graduate Artists Programme
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists

Radio Public Library
Social art project in Brierley Hill library in conjunction with Workshop 24

Five, Six, Pick Up Sticks
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (solo show)
Workshop and artist talk

Elena Thomas: Full Circle The Weeks Gallery, Jamestown New York USA, solo retrospective exhibition 

The Sitting Room: a variety of band performances around Birmingham and the Black Country

2022

Fronteer Gallery Sheffield, Open Exhibition judging panel

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Members and Associates Exhibition 2022

Radio Public
Social art festival on Dudley High St in conjunction with CoLab and Workshop 24

West Midlands Open
Selected works at The New Art Gallery Walsall 

2021

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Members and Associates Exhibition 2021

Black Country Radio Xtra
Drawing Songs Interview with Bill Laybourne

Beautiful Freak 
Big City Radio (Birmingham) and Hive Radio UK (Manchester)

Collective Brum
ArtRooms Kings Heath and Red Brick Market, Digbeth, Birmingham

Drawing Songs
Solo Exhibition, Performances and Workshop
General Office, Stourbridge

Elected Associate of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Candidates Exhibition 2021

The Drawbridge
Exhibition by members of the covid lockdown Facebook Group

Drawn In
Glitterball Showroom Online solo exhibition
Enköping, Sweden

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Friends Exhibition 2021

Drawing Songs
Arts Council England funded project

General Office Stourbridge
Winter Open Exhibition Online – Highly Commended

Adventitious
Daphne Francis Gallery Online Group Show

2020

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Selected work in Prize Exhibition – Highly Commended

Drawing Songs
Arts Council England funded project

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Friends Exhibition Online

Connections  Daphne Francis Gallery Birmingham

2019

Cause and Effect (solo show)  General Office Studios and Gallery

Cause and Effect (podcast)  General Office Studios and Gallery

Drawing Your Space does The Big Draw General Office Studios and Gallery with Sarah Goudie

Drawing Your Space General Office Studios and Gallery with Sarah Goudie

PoArtry Collaboration with poet Leah Atherton

Textile Workshops:
Text and Textiles,
Ostentatious Mending,
Pockets are a Feminist Issue
General Office Studios and Gallery Stourbridge

Art Digbeth Group Show Custard Factory Digbeth Birmingham 

Birmingham Weekender Cobalt Blue group show and Sitting Room performance

2018

Black Country Radio The Sitting Room feature spot

The Sitting Room at No Covers Club, Newhampton Arts Centre, Hexagon Theatre, Arena Theatre Wolverhampton, The Platform, Tower of Song, Kitchen Garden Cafe

CD artwork for Joe Bayliss

Studio Workshops Text and Textiles; Lyric Writing, Ostentatious Mending, Crit Club

General Office Drawing your Space (with Sarah Goudie)

General Office “Body of Work” Inaugural exhibition of studio artists

Artist teacher mentoring scheme with Carol Wild

2017

Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University and New Art Gallery Walsall – Tutor

Alternative Portraits Group Exhibition, Access Gallery, Sheffield

Regeneration Open Exhibition ArtistsWorkhouse – Highly Commended

Nine Women ArtistsWorkhouse Studley Warwickshire – solo exhibition and performance with Dan Whitehouse

Text and Textiles: an exploration of memory and narrative ArtistsWorkhouse – Artist talk and workshop

Circle on the Road Arena Theatre Wolverhampton – “The Sitting Room” performance

Wolverhampton University New Art Gallery Walsall – PGCE Arts Tours

2016

Open Weekend Old Library Studios Stourbridge – Exhibition and performances with “The Sitting Room”

Family Workshops New Art Gallery Walsall

Wolverhampton University New Art Gallery Walsall – BEd. Arts Tours

a-n Professional Development Bursary

Junction Festival of Contemporary Art Wolverhampton Art Gallery – Group Show

The Life of a Song (made at mac) mac Birmingham – Featured Artist

Practice Imperfect Symposium for Artist Educators at Birmingham City University – Event Organiser

AWE1 Artists’ Workhouse Studley Worcestershire – “The Sitting Room” inaugural performance

Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University and New Art Gallery Walsall – Tutor

2015

Life & Other Art Forms ArtSpace Dudley – Group exhibition

Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University School of Art – Lead Tutor

Mouth and Music Boars Head Gallery Kidderminster – Performance of songs from Nine Women with Dan Whitehouse

Nine Women ArtSpace Dudley – Arts Council England funded project

WORN  3rd on 3rd Gallery Jamestown New York USA (Elements from Nine Women)

ARTMobile  Vasteras Sweden (Elements from Nine Women)

From the Grass Roots – Emerging Strategies for Art and Design Education Symposium Birmingham School of Art Birmingham City University – Invited speaker

2014

The Send Off Knole House Kent – First World War commemorative exhibition of contemporary art for The National Trust

Artist Teacher Scheme Tutor Birmingham City University in conjunction with New Art Gallery Walsall

Colonize Revisited Arena Gallery Liverpool – Biennial Independents programme

United States of Art Custard Factory Birmingham – Group exhibition

Freelance Researcher and Education Team – New Art Gallery Walsall

LOAF 2014 – Coach House Stourbridge – Events Organiser & performing artist

COLONIZE Dykeman Young Gallery Jamestown New York USA – Group exhibition

Collaborate Mitchell Arts Centre Stoke on Trent – Artist talk and presentation for a-n and Appetite Stoke

Collaboration Workshop  Ikon Gallery Birmingham in conjunction with Birmingham City University

Junction 5 Wolverhampton Art Gallery – Group exhibition

Expert Subject Advisory Group Department for Education – Reference member

Text and Textiles Workshop Newman University

2013

Craftswomen’s Club Rural Warwickshire for Arts on Our Doorstep

Artist/Teacher presentation NSEAD National Annual Conference,

LOAF 2013 Coach House Stourbridge – Events Organiser & contributing artist

2012

Junction Festival of Contemporary Art Chapel Ash Wolverhampton – Featured Artist

This Doesn’t Add To The Debate But… School of Art Birmingham City University – MA Exhibition,

LOAF 2012 Coach House Stourbridge – Events Organiser & contributing artist

Qualifications

2012 MA Art Practice and Education
2009 BA (Open)
1994 Cert Ed (Further, Adult and Higher Education)