“I worked with Mark as a mentor during my year of support through a DYCP grant from Arts Council England. Through my sessions with Mark I was able to develop a much deeper understanding of my how the different strands of my practice practice are connected. I now feel more confident and able to think more strategically about my career as an artist in terms of identifying the right opportunities, maintaining focus and networking within the art world. Mark is an exceptional listener and a highly skilled mentor with an in depth knowledge of artist development. He always seems to know the right question to ask to get to the heart of the issue and working with him has accelerated my artistic development in ways that would not have been possible without his support.
Following this I was selected for Dialogues 2022, where Mark created a safe environment for us to speak bravely, honestly and openly about our practice and the wider challenges that we face as artists. The effect of this regular support for my work has been nothing short of transformational. I now have a deeper understanding of what it is that I am doing, a sense of direction for my practice and the confidence to express my opinions on contemporary art. Dialogues has provided me with much more than the opportunity to reflect on and develop my practice, it has introduced me to a community of artists that I know I will continue to work with in the long term.” [Stevie Ronnie]
We first met Stevie at a discussion event as part of our Dialogues 5 programme at The NewBridge Project : Gateshead in 2018. Stevie later received Arts Council England, Developing Your Creative Practice funding for a year-long project in which Mark provided bi-monthly one-to-one mentoring sessions in Manchester and Newcastle. These sessions included studio crits, nurturing his artist voice and strategic planning. Most recently, Stevie took part in our Dialogues 2022 course.