Alia

Joanna Blossom is based in Alverstoke and offers tailor-made craft workshops for children and families of all ages and abilities.  A self taught artist, she has provided craft workshops for various companies and locations including The Portsmouth Guildhall, The Kings Theatre (Portsmouth), Elson Community Library & Hub, Chichester Festival Theatre, Croydon City Council and local libraries & primary schools in and around Hampshire. Joanna has been also been involved in funded projects such as Culture Spark for Chichester District Council, Fairytales at Furzey for the Minstead Trust, Pompey HAF project at Portsmouth City Museum and  Portsmouth Creates, We Shine Light Festival.

I help people discover the wellbeing benefits of creativity through mindful art workshops.  The focus is on the exploring techniques that calm the mind, everything is abstract so there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.  Sessions are suitable for beginners and those with experience. I encourage clients to leave perfectionism behind and simply enjoy the process of playing with watercolours, doodles and mandalas – although people love their finished pieces too! I discovered mindful art whilst in recovery from brain surgery, I passionately believe it helped me with mood, overwhelm, self-esteem, resilience and focus.  Mind Unwind combines my background of 25 years in education as a teacher and education adviser with my own lived experience.

Hello! I’m a theatre maker, writer & opera singer living and working in Gosport. I co-run Gosport Creates, a community-directed, artist-run project supporting the creativity of women in Gosport. We organise workshops, performances and experiences that celebrate play, exploration & community, currently these run on Tuesday evenings at venues across Gosport. My award-winning show It is I, Seagull originated in Gosport, and toured around the UK and to Australia in 2025. I have a Masters with Distinction in Opera Performance from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and a First Class (Hons) degree in English and Drama from the University of Kent. My work is supported by ACE, the Mayflower Theatre, the Winship Foundation, & an HCC grant.