Damian Kelly Basher

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.

Hi I’m Kelly, a resin crafter (Resin Expectations), author (Beyond the Ordinary, Crafting in a Crisis, and Selling at Craft Events – A beginners Guide) and director of The Crafters Collective – Princes Mead Farnborough. As a female, neurodivergent, creative business owner, my mission is to help people be their authentic selves. Whether that’s with my creations – inspired by goth, fantasy and steampunk genres – or giving other crafters a space to sell their work, and express themselves through their creations, I want to make the benefits of creativity accessible to all. Crafting has been a focus throughout my life, whenever things have been difficult, and I want to share its mental health benefits with everyone.

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.