Alia

I’m an artist based in Southampton, and I work freelance as a specialist in Artist Support, helping other creative people with their work. Drawing on my 20+ years experience as an animation director, creative business owner, university lecturer, and work with local and national arts organisations, I provide one-to-one advice and support with: finding opportunities and building networks planning a project or activity feedback on your work making an application for funding managing work-life balance I also run workshops, deliver training and host panel discussions events and crit groups, and I provide access support for funding applications. I’m happy to meet in-person or online. Feel free to get in touch if you’d like to know more.

I am an illustrator, author and creative practitioner whose compassionate, hand-drawn work explores neurodiversity, mental health, education and the human experience. I have created commissions and talks/workshops for the NHS, Cambridge University, galleries and charities alongside work for children’s books and film development. I also host drawing workshops for young people and adults, combining creative expression with therapeutic practices to explore neurodiversity, identity, emotions and wellbeing. My workshops offer an accessible, thoughtful space to reflect, connect and communicate through drawing and making. I welcome opportunities to collaborate with organisations seeking meaningful, engaging and inclusive creative work.

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.