Building confidence, celebrating first steps, and making space for creativity

Resilient Roots

Building confidence, celebrating first steps, and making space for creativity

Resilient Roots is a co-created programme and group exhibition for people taking their first steps into showing their work.

After ten years of running artist programmes, A has learned that beginnings are often the hardest part.

Confidence wobbles. Applications feel out of reach.

Many people don’t even call themselves artists yet. That’s why we’ve built something that meets you right where you are.

Eight artists will come together to learn, share, and grow.

Along the way there will be mentoring, group crits, workshops on choosing work, and hands-on experience of curating and hanging. It all builds towards an exhibition in our main gallery in January 2026.

This programme is for anyone who makes it. Whether you call yourself an artist or not doesn’t matter.

What matters is your creativity, your enthusiasm to learn, and the joy of making.

Bring your energy. Take initiative. Have fun. Together we’ll grow strong roots for your future practice.

Programme Outline & Key Dates

One-to-One Mentoring October–November 2025 (scheduled individually) A chance to talk through your work, your goals, and where you’d like to grow next with an experienced artist or arts professional.

Group Crit / Networking Saturday 25th October 2025 (morning) Bring a couple of works-in-progress, share them with the group, and get supportive feedback. This is also about meeting your peers and building connections.

Workshop: Selecting & Editing Work Thursday 27th November 2025 (evening) A practical session on how to choose and prepare work for exhibition. Together we’ll explore what to include, what to hold back, and how to make confident curatorial decisions.

Workshop: Curating & Hanging (Taster) Wednesday 7th January 2026 (evening) Roll your sleeves up for a hands-on introduction to curating and installing. We’ll decide on layout as a team and get your show up on the walls.

Exhibition Opening – Main Gallery, APS Friday 9th January 2026 The celebration! Your exhibition in the main gallery at The Mill Gallery, made together with your group.

What You’ll Gain: Confidence in preparing and presenting your work, Experience of curating and installing in a professional gallery, A supportive peer group of like-minded makers, The chance to co-create and shape an exhibition as a team, A deeper sense of resilience and joy in making art

Resilient Roots is about encouragement, exploration, and growth. It’s a place to plant the seeds of resilience, take your first steps into exhibiting, and have fun while learning together.

This project is supported and funded by the Postcode Lottery.