Andrew Shaw Merseyside, United Kingdom
Andrew Shaw is a visual Artist, Musician, Curator and Producer. Socially engaged practitioner, working with communities, using culture as a creative catalyst for ambitious, and thoughtful project. My practice is multi-disciplinary but heavily centred on people, anthropology and sense of place.
I am an Artist, Curator, and Producer located in Wirral, Merseyside.
My curatorial practice is shaped by making works that are co-produced with communities and groups. Fostering a sense of community and care. I have delivered commissions and collaborative projects with schools, galleries, community groups, and charities. These projects have had an emphasis on sustainable circular practice, social justice, mental wellbeing and building opportunities where they didn’t exist before, with participants guiding the outcomes of this work.
I feel strongly about socially engaged practice informing my work and I feel deeply about working alongside others and collaboration as a way to create positive creative opportunities in the communities I work and live in. I believe that art has an enormous role to play in our lives and how we communicate with one another.
My approach as an artist and as a curator is often shaped through workshops, consultation and playful curation or creation. I want to get to know people, places and communities on an individual level and make decisions ultimately inspired by and put forward by others that shape ambitious, inclusive and thoughtful art projects.
My art practice alongside my curation is multidisciplinary but often is channeled through sculpture (mild steel), publications, photography, and painting/mark making.
Highlights:
~ I Co-founded and was a Director of Convenience Gallery in 2019. ~ In Cahoots Programme Curation 2021-22, Birkenhead (Convenience Gallery (Co-Curator)|) ~ Horizons Youth Arts education programme (Convenience Gallery (Co-Curator)) ~ The Town is the Gallery (Convenience Gallery (Co-Curator)) ~ Designed Independents Biennial 2025 Visual Identity ~ Independents Biennial 2023 - present (development work)
~ Interactive Arts, BA at Manchester School of Art 2017 ~ Deutsche Bank Award for Creative Entrepreneurs Winner 2022 ~ Liverpool City Region, Culture & Creativity Award Winner 2025 'Borough of Culture Star of the Year', Convenience Gallery. ~ Liverpool City Region, Culture & Creativity Award Runner Up 2025 'Arts Organisation of the Year', Convenience Gallery. ~ Liverpool City Region Photo Awards, Highly Commended 2025
Artwork
Independents Biennial 2025 Visual Indentity, Graphic Design & Typography, 2025
Office Enquiries, Publication, 2025, £12 (per copy)
‘I will tell it, as I heard it told to me’., Mild Steel, 2024
Projects and exhibitions
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The Town is the Gallery, Convenience Gallery01/03/2024 — 30/09/2024 Launching on 22nd March 2024, TTITG is a project that was nearly 18 months in the making. With artists first submitting proposals for the project in December 2022. Convenience had worked with support from the DBACE award 2022 and MEWE 360 to develop a business plan and from this came the Town is the Gallery, a streamlining of the most... [Read more] |
Former Marks & Spencer, Borough Pavement. Birkenhead Priory & Birkenhead Central Library, Birkenhead, Wirral | Details |
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Manchester Contemporary Stall16/11/2023 — 19/11/2023 In November 2023, Convenience Gallery took part in the Manchester Contemporary at Manchester Grand Central. This was our (Andy & Ryans) first curation at an art fair. We represented some of the incredible talent from the region. Including, Luke George @lukegeorgelukegeorgelukegeorg, Leo Fitzmaurice @leo.fitzmaurice , Roxy Topia & Paddy... [Read more] |
Manchester Central, Manchester | Details |
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CRAFTBAR, Convenience Gallery01/01/2023 — 22/12/2023 CRAFTBAR creates space to explore, experiment, play and learn about sustainable and circular making processes. Initially a collaboration between Convenience Gallery & Ryla Dilkes. The programme became a wider curation from Andy and Ryan working with independent makers, artists, thinkers, chefs, scientists, herbalists and writers to run a... [Read more] |
Pilgrim Street Arts Centre, Birkenhead Park, Pink Sands Studio, Bloom Building., Birkenhead | Details |
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Uncovering Birkenhead's Working Class History01/10/2022 — 30/06/2023 Here working with Ryan again on co-curation, we applied to Historic England's everyday heritage grants to build a project exploring Birkenhead's Working class histories, which were so often overlooked or misrepresented. Across the period as Convenience Gallery working with a team of volunteers, we were delighted to be working with Historic... [Read more] |
Multiple venues, primary: The Stork Hotel,, Birkenhead | Details |
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Not a cloud in the sky01/08/2022 — 31/08/2022 Using Curator Space (as Convenience Gallery) we curated an exhibition for the Birkenhead Parks 175th Birthday, and brought some programming along for the ride. Birkenhead Park is a place of historical and International significance as the first municipal park in the world and we’re really excited to bring a project and artists to their... [Read more] |
Birkenhead Park visitor centre, Birkenhead | Details |
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In Cahoots01/08/2021 — 01/05/2022 In Cahoots was a programme i co-curated and designed for Convenience Gallery. The programme featured a modular framework that artists responded to. This project was supported by The National Lottery Awards for All. And featured artists: Jon Edgley, Patric Rogers, Angelo Madonna, Mat Lomas, Ellie Towers, Reece Griffiths, Dan Chan, Nil00, and... [Read more] |
Bloom Building, Birkenhead, Birkenhead, Merseyside | Details |
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Horizons Youth Arts Education Programme01/06/2021 — 30/06/2023 Horizons is a project i organised with co-founder Ryan. We curated artists, and collaborated with a number of local charities and community groups to engage a number of cohorts of young people with alternative arts education oppotunities. Horizons introduces young aspiring artists to new skills and ways of thinking. Throughout our 3rd... [Read more] |
Multiple, Birkenhead | Details |
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Birkenhead International Film Festival23/10/2020 — 26/10/2024 Annual short film festival hosted in Birkenhead. Working with a small voluntary team i was one of the festival directors. We held the festival, online, and then at the following locations, Bloom Building, Pilgrim Street Arts Centre, and the Williamson Art Gallery. Showcasing filmmakers from across the globe, to coin the catch line "Bringing... [Read more] |
Rotation of Birkenhead based venues, Birkenhead | Details |
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Convenience Gallery31/05/2019 — 30/08/2025 Convenience was s a not for profit, creative arts platform based in Birkenhead, Merseyside. That I (Andrew Shaw founded with Ryan Gauge in 2019). We produced high quality arts and culture programmes to enrich and empower communities. We use our platform to promote and advocate for creative people nationally, and to inspire those in our local... [Read more] |
Birkenhead (multiple venues 32 across the area), Birkenhead, Merseyside | Details |