Mansfield Museum

Digital Exhibition

Youth Open Call 2024

This is an online exhibition showcasing the work of young artists living, working, being educated in, or having another close connection to Mansfield. To showcase the wide range of talents and creative practise of young people in Mansfield

Alex is a designer, maker and performer who creates work which is bold, impactful and incredibly emotive.

'In my design work, I have a keen interest in the power of traditional scenic painting mixed with emerging technology, creating strong, primarily architectural stage designs. I am continuously intrigued by how we can combine new developments with traditional ways of working to improve all types of theatre. I believe that performance should be accessible for all, especially children, having written my university dissertation on the topic and driving me to also work as a facilitator and a performer, primarily on touring shows and focused audiences.'

Jess is a young photographer working in Nottinghamshire, capturing depth through landscapes and portraits. 

I make an effort to surround myself with a variety of new materials and methods. I am a capable artist, though I am always looking for new opportunities to learn from my mistakes and successes. My vast knowledge in both traditional and digital resources stands to prove my adaptability and allows me to extend my works past the conventional expectations of art.' 

 Image one- NO: 'This sample was created to represent the saying that states “no is a full sentence”. I wanted to demonstrate that it does not require explanation or defence and is simply an answer. The idea behind using this context was to influence others to create boundaries and focus on what is important to them instead of acting for other people's wishes which can have a negative effect on your own happiness.' 

 Image two- Pollution Piece: 'With this sample, I wanted to delve deeper into the subject of oil pollution by using one of these renowned structures as the foundation of my design since most people are aware of the negative environmental effects that power plants exhibit. Oil pollution in the ocean results in a thin layer of oil covering a large region of the water's surface, and the texture that is reflected in this design represents this specific reality.' 

 Image three- Spiritual Shutter Speed: 'This sample's purpose was to capture the range of potential hallucinations, such as tactile, gustatory, olfactory, visual, and auditory. For a variety of reasons, including psychological and self-inflicted, hallucinations are a frequent issue. However, in this work, I used the typical symptoms of hallucinations to build a generic portrayal of the feelings and sensations relating to hallucinations.'

'I made two small poseable models out of various materials and posed them outside in Thompson's Grave, to create a series of comic panels to tell the story of how small acts of kindness can make a huge difference, as well as an unlikely friendship between an albino mouse and a fictional Swedish creature, The Skvader. The Mouse's house set featured in some photos was also created by me with various materials and other small objects.'