Prehistoric cave paintings to modern day films, art serves as a vessel for storytelling and conveying humankind's relationship with its environment.
Prehistoric cave paintings to modern day films, art serves as a vessel for storytelling and conveying humankind's relationship with its environment.
Route Canal Arts is a new venture for community artist and entrepreneur Simon Tipping, focusing on art in education and family learning settings. Fine arts trained, Simon Tipping has over 30 years experience of working with people, young and old and has spent much of the last 15 years working in the carnival sector and on street arts events. Simon was a co-founder and Director for 12 years of Festive Road , which specialises in carnival and outdoor arts that aims to bring communities to life, and make ‘art’ relevant, participatory and accessible.
Route Canal Arts:
Our mission: To support, deliver transformative workshops and events of creative activity that develop the imagination, confidence and skills of participants and artists
Our vision: Nurture each community’s self-esteem and imagination to help them create, collaborate and celebrate
Our values: To deliver high quality educational art workshops and products, skill share, recycle, work with diverse communities, team build and encourage partnerships and collaborations
Route Canal Arts provides an outlet of expression influenced by history, culture and tradition; we help facilitate the best possible opportunities in creative and cultural experiences for educational and community settings. The art forms we can provide include visual arts – drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpting and textiles; performing arts – among them music (Samba and Indian Dhol), dance, puppeteering, and theatre. Some art forms will combine a visual element with performance e.g. carnival, film, lantern parades and festivals.
Professional, competent, self-motivated, Creative Thinker, leadership & project management skills, methodical, conscientious, competent and punctual. Genial personality with exceptional interpersonal skills, Problem solving, Computer Literate.
Simon has developed a diverse range of art skills and activities to create visual art not only in his personal work but also within education. In their most general form these activities include the production of works of art, the criticism of art, the study of the history of art, and the aesthetic dissemination of art.
Skills: Backpacks, Basket making, Batik, Carnival Costumes, Ceramics, Dhol drumming, Flags and banners, Glass slumping, Giant puppets/figures, Kiln construction, Lantern making (Glass, laminated, traditional willow and tissue paper), Large processional figures/sculptures, Live Willow, Masks, Masquerade Masks, Murals, Paper Boats, Paper Kilns, Plaster casting, Raku, Sculpture
Employment History
Full Time: Route Canal Arts CIC – Artist, Director, Project manager & Educational specialist
January 2017 to Present, Grand Union Canal, Peartree Bridge, Milton Keynes
Full Time: Festive Road CIC – Artist, Director, Project manager & Educational specialist
February 2005 to 2016, 28 Burners Lane, Kiln Farm, Milton Keynes
Project manager, Creative development, Event organiser, Road Closure, stock control, sales, networking, marketing, Trainer, Teacher
Full Time & Part Time: Self Employed Artist, community artist and teacher
1985 to Present, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Somerset.
Production of art, marketing, Exhibitions (Participation, organisation and display)
Teaching for: Adult Education, Bletchley Collage for Higher Education, HMP Woodhill, Milton Keynes Community workshops, Creative Partnerships (The Mighty Creatives, UKCCA, Creative Junction) and Schools
Full Time: Galley Hill workshop manager, Milton Keynes Community Workshop
1999 - 2000
Timetable and management of courses, customer development, Skill share, stock control, Site supervisor.
Education
1982 - 1985 Bristol Polytechnic, Bristol. BA (Hons) Degree 3D Ceramic design
1980 - 1982 Bedford College. Art Foundation Courses 1 & 2
Professional Qualifications
2013/2015 Arts Award advisor (Discover, Bronze and Silver)
2012 Lantra Road Traffic management
Research and Professional Development:
2014 Olinda and Rio Carnivals, Brazil
2014 Le Machine, France
2012 & 14 Lewes Bonfire Societies
2013-16 Bridgwater Carnival
2008 Dhaka, Bangladesh, International Artists workshop
2007 Bie Jing China with Kinetika Bloco
2006 Sardinia, Italy, International Artist workshop
2006 Venice Carnival
2005 Trinnidad Carnival
Training:
1985 to present Ongoing self-development
2013-15 Arts Council Catalyst training
2005 Project Management Training, SameSky
2005 Health & Safety for events, Capita Symonds Ltd, Birmingham
2005 Illuminations for Festival Structures Training, SameSky
2004 Introduction to Film, filming & editing, Living Archive, Milton Keynes
2003 Carnival Costume Training Course, Kinetika & Interaction MK
2000 Glass forming, Coffee hall arts workshop, MK
2000 Experimenting with Paper Kilns, AWT. Ltd
2000 Carnival Costume Training Course, Interaction
1996 Health & Safety at Work, woodwork Machinery
1996 – 2015 St Johns Ambulance, Emergency Aid
1996 City & Guilds 7304, stage 1, Adult teacher training
1985 Working with young people, stage 1, Bucks County Council
Computer Skills
Microsoft office (word, power point, Access)
Adobe Photoshop
Social Media – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype
Professional Memberships
2014 - 2015 Milton Keynes Chamber on behalf of Festive Road
2013 – Present Creative Learning Network: Milton Keynes on behalf of Festive Road
2012 – Present Carnival Network South, Board Member
1992 – 2008 Member of the Silbury Group of Artists
(1995 to 1997 Chairman) (2000 to Jan 2003 Chairman)
2002 – 2008 Craft Potters Association
1998 - 2001 the Hertfordshire Visual Arts Forum. Active Member.
1994 - 1998 Milton Keynes Craft guild (1995 Full member)
Volunteering
2008 – present Dhol Drummer and skill-share leader
Solo exhibitions
2002 - Earthbound Ceramics, Westbury Farm Studios, Milton Keynes
1999 - The Old Hall, Hemel Hempstead
1987 - One Person Show of Ceramics and Drawings, Queens Park, Aylesbury
1987 - One Person Show of Ceramics and Drawings, Stantonbury Gallery, Milton Keynes
1986 - One Person Show of Ceramics and Drawings, The Great Barn, Milton Keynes
Group exhibitions
2002 - Ars Longa Vita Brevis, The Kaunas Gallery, Lithuania
2002 - Milton Keynes Arts Festival, Middleton Hall, Central Milton Keynes
2002 - Tor Sapienza in Arte, Tor Supienza, Rome, Italy
2001 - 10 Years of the Silbury Group, MK-G, Milton Keynes
2001 - Memoirs of my Travels, The Barn Gallery, Milton Keynes; The Kaunas Gallery, Lithuania
2000 - City-a Vessel for Souls, Milton Keynes
2000 - The Millennium Dome, London
1999 - In/hibition, The Barn Gallery, Buckinghamshire
1999 - Inside, Outside, The Place, Letchworth
1998 - Burham On the Beaches, Slough, Bucks
1998 - Hertfordshire Open Studio's, Berkhamsted, Herts
1998 - V International Painting Symposium, Lithuania
1997 - Chicken Lady and The Mud Man, Onsight Gallery, The Road Mender, Northampton
1997 - My Pet And I (In Aid Of Cancer Research) Whiteleys, London
1997 - Short Life, The Old Leadworks, Bristol
1996 - Making 4 Changes, CBX, Milton Keynes
1996 - Silbury Group of Artists, Cornhill 77, London
Interests
Art, Theatre, Galleries, Dhol drumming, Cooking, Film, Books, Skiing, Sailing, Walking, Music, Travel
Full clean driving license and car owner, Valid CRB/DBS, Safe Guarding, Public Liability Insurance