Julia O’Connell
Commissions
2016 Time Union & Food Union – a banner project with The Pod, Coventry
2016 Small.Scale.City – City Arcadia, Coventry
2015 The Sleeping Place (London Road Cemetery) – R & D with playwright Vanessa Oakes
2015 The Visible Maker, a live craft performance, Coventry
2014 Artist in Residence, War Memorial Park, Coventry
2014 Resident artist – Random String, Ludic Rooms, Coventry
Video of early explorations with treadle sewing machine ‘Memphis Sphinx’
2013/14 Resident artist – 100, Theatre Absolute, multi-discipline film, theatre and textiles centenary project for World War One
2009/13 Resident artist – Faculty of Engineering & Computing, Coventry University, Coventry, England
2009/12 Principal designer & project manager – Coat, Godiva Awakes, London 2012, an Arts Council England, Artist Taking the Lead project
2009 Resident Artist – Red Teapot, Coventry
Awards
2014 Recipient of Pluspace bursary
2013 Recipient of a-n Re:view bursary
2009 Nominated for the Cecil Angel Cup, Coventry University
2007 Volvo (UK) Art & Design – winner
Education
2003 – 08 BA (Honours) First Class, Surface Decoration & textiles, School of Art & Design, Coventry University.
1981 – 85 Diploma (Distinction), Performing Arts, The Webber Douglas Academy for Dramatic Art, London.
Other information
Employers and Public Liability Insured, Designated Premises Supervisor & Personal License holder. Clean driving license/car owner. Software knowledge: Publisher, PowerPoint/Keynote, Photoshop, Excel, Word, iMovie, WordPress.
Related information
Visiting lecturer – De Montfort University, Leicester and Coventry University. Speaker on textile practice and residency commissions with WI, Embroidery Guilds and local history groups. Workshop tutor for English Paper Piecing, basic quilt making, and handmade journals.
Freelance projects manager and producer for Theatre Absolute, an independent theatre company. Theatre Absolute operates the UK’s first professional Shop Front Theatre in Coventry, West Midlands. Projects managed include socially engaged arts projects, events, and theatre performances. Awards include two Edinburgh Festival Fringe Firsts and a Time Out Best New Play Award.
Management skills include arts administration, funding applications, finance, budgets and monitoring, fundraising, local and national PR, social media, audience development, volunteers recruitment, and activity evaluation report writing.
Mentor of project management to individual artists and theatre arts organisations.