Alia

I am a painter and art educator living in Yateley, Hampshire. As a painter, I have exhibited in Hampshire, Reading, Margate, London and Edinburgh, including Women’s Society of Artists and ING Discerning Eye. Mostly working in oils, but also watercolour, pencil and printmaking, my paintings are about challenging stereotypes in representation of socially disadvantaged groups, and very often about motherhood. I teach painting and drawing regularly to small groups and one-to-one. I love to give people confidence to explore different mediums as well as their own creativity.  

I’m a Coach, Trainer and Consultant working alongside, and supporting, people in theatre, arts and culture. I’m based in the New Forest. Chat to me about Leadership and Career Coaching; Risk and Safety training and organisational support. I’ve worked in the arts for 30 years, starting as Deputy Stage Manager (DSM) then Company & Stage Manager in theatre and opera – touring the UK and Europe and in the West End for over 14 years. I’ve held senior leadership roles at some of London’s leading venues including the Roundhouse and Almeida. I’ve worked across technical and production, health and safety, operations, general management and HR.

I am a multi-disciplinary artist, and freelance illustrator and designer specialising in arts education, book arts, stop-frame animation, model making, and graphic design. I am a part-time lecturer on the BA Illustration course at the University of Portsmouth in the School of Architecture, Art and Design. I run my small-press publishing platform, Micro Library Books, exhibiting at illustration fairs in the UK and internationally, and since 2001 I have co-run an arts education partnership, Borbonesa, founded with fellow artists. The arts education projects I work on often focus on wellbeing and community, such as Stories in Transit, which aims to establish the right of displaced individuals to cultural expression.