C.Byrne

I am a children’s playwright, poet and community creative writing facilitator. With fifteen years experience working in the sector, I have had multiple plays for primary school age children to perform published and have had works for children and families commissioned from theatres and arts organisations. My playwrighting focus is on inclusive history that is curriculum-adjacent or locally relevant and I’m particularly passionate about amplifying the stories of marginalised women and girls from the past. I work with schools and in the community delivering a range of bespoke workshops to young people, families and to those living with dementia and their carers.

I am a musician, songwriter and creative practitioner inspired by the landscapes, folklore and communities of the New Forest and the surrounding counties of Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire. My practice centres on bringing people together through music. Current projects include hosting regular ‘From Story to Song’ workshops exploring local folklore and songs, facilitating ‘Songwriters’ Circles’ and workshops at Coda Music & Arts Trust, and directing The Chicken Soup community choir and ‘Drop In and Sing’ sessions across BCP, Dorset and Hampshire. I also work in creative development with children and young adults, supporting confidence, creativity and self-expression through songwriting and music-making.

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.