Principles found in the great Sacred Art traditions include unity, harmony and beauty. They are made to complement methods of promoting empathy, cohesion and tolerance.
Traditionally, there is no distinction between art, craft and science; they are a unified whole, as we are in essence. My focus is on personal development and my educational workshops and coaching programmes contain elements of what contemporary art calls relational aesthetics.
I have worked in freelance art-education including designing and facilitating workshops since 1990 and recently set up a city centre Gallery Education Project at Bloc Gallery, Sheffield, the report for which also served as a university placement report (MSWord 362kb). Other work includes designing, managing and delivery of Creating Identities an extensive identity / confidence / employment programme for 25 adults of Mixed Heritage; creative direction for a Sustainable Development day for 25 community leaders with Prof. Colin Beard at Sheffield Business School; and a forthcoming arts professionals’ workshop at the National Arts Education Archive at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I am represented by Artforms Leeds (Leeds City Council) and one of nine artist-educators offering specialist work to schools under the new Cultural Routes programme.
I facilitate holistic creativity workshops in schools and the community, specialising in identity and the sacred. I am particularly interested in the development of creative education as a complete programme. I also work privately in creative coaching with adults and young people.
I have had a deep interest and affinity in the mystical side to all religion most of my life and this had led to extensive studies in all major spiritual paths including Buddhism, Hinduism and mystical Christianity, but particularly within the Sufi tradition. All religions come from the same source. I have received personal mentoring from my own Sufi teacher and guide since meeting him in 1988. In 1991 I successfully completed the overland Hajj, spending two months in Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Arabia. I have stayed numerous times in Turkish Sufi Lodges on the path of self-enquiry and peaceful submission, which provides the bedrock to my life and vocation.
