Work.

“Since 2013 I have been committed to developing my own income through my creative work. Initially as a freelancer and now as the Studio Director of Boom Studios alongside some side projects.”

 “Inspired by my  journey through motherhood and my passion for social impact, my work centres on initiating and delivering projects that bring together design and creative skills with social enterprise.

My work has a number of different threads, that regular weave together through my creative practice.

I intend  to have a positive social impact and provoke change.

Inspired by ideas of repair, making and doing, she works under the tagline of: 

“Making Things. Making Things.Better”

Boom! Studios 

Following on from her experience as a "pod artist" in Project 24,Bangor, Marianne began the conversation of "what next?" Where do local artists, designers & creative enterprises work from? Collaborating with two local artists, that had also taken a pod at Project 24, Boom! Studios was established in January 2015.  

Marianne has continued to nurture and develop Boom! as the volunteer co-ordinator and is  now employed as the Studio Director. Boom! currently offers twenty studios for local creative enterprises. Boom! is a social enterprise with charitable status.

messy mornings 

“Messy Mornings” are arts and craft workshop for all the family to participate.  
Messy Mornings can pop-up in a variety of locations.

art facilitaion

Marianne is  experienced in the design and delivery workshops to the local community, either independently or in partnership with a host organisation.

"I understand that the ownership of art can be challenging, instead I am focusing on the delivery of a creative service that invites individuals to participate directly in the process of creating and making."

Art Practice

Marianne’s art practice is scattered and varied. Finding time to focus on art projects alone is a challenge.

“The Lockdown has given me the opportunity to return to the core art skills, putting pencil to paper and paint to page.

My work usually consists of translating image to textiles, documenting place and taking inspiration from my immediate surroundings and experiences”

Marianne Kennerley

Marianne is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer, based in Northern Ireland, with a passion for:  

Making Things.  Making things,better.

Qualifications

BA(Hons) - Fashion Design  1999, University of Central Lancashire

Master in Arts - Multi-Disciplinary Design   2013, University of Ulster 

Diploma in Sustainable Investment for the Third Sector,  2015, University of Ulster, Business School

Clore Fellow ( Emerging Leader) 2020

Awards

October 2011  -  UnLtd Level One Funding Award

January 2012   - European Week for Waste Reduction Category Winner

March 2012    -  European Week for Waste Reduction - Highly Commended

March 2012    -  Awarded Studio Space at Project 24, Bangor

August 2012   - Bangor Business Awards - Category Winner - Bangor’s Big Idea

March 2014    - Support for the individual Artist North Down Borough Council.

December 2015 - Support for the individual Artist North Down Borough Council.

October 2016    -    Bangor Business Awards, Best Creative Business

December 2016 -  Support for the individual Artist North Down Borough Council.

October 2017   -  Bangor Business Awards, Social Enterprise of the Year.

Transferable Skill Set.

Creative Entrepreneurship - including start-up, business operations & business development.

Communications -   written, public speaking, social media, group or faciliation setting.

Innovation and Creativity - including design thinking, design development and service delivery.

Arts Programme Design - needs analysis and delivery design.

Social Entrepreneurship - including governance, start-up, operations and business development.

Art Skills - including drawing, colour theory, design development and specialising in textile art ( thread-sketching )

Art Facilitation and Workshops

Marianne is experienced in the design, co-ordination and delivery of community workshops and activities. She believes that it is an important part of the social value of her creative practice. She is experienced in working with the education, corporate and community sectors, with a good understanding of creating value, outcomes and outputs whilst working to a budget.

Messy Mornings - Weekly family art sessions held in Boom Studios. This has now developed new strands of work, including Arty Parties, public events and more recently corporate training clients.

Programme Design - Marianne is now experienced in designing and delivering programmes for organisations and partners. Working closely with other artistic and creative facilitators to deliver meaningful experiences for participants. Partners have included North Down YMCA, Ards and North Down BC, Sostrene Grene, Main Street My Street, Bangor, Open House Festival and Ulster University.

Sector Development

Boom! Inc,  Studios, Community Arts and Professional Development. - Studio Director & Co -Founder, Secretary to the Board

North Down YMCA - Income Generation Sub-Group Member

Ards & North Down Borough Council   Economic Development Forum Member. / City Centre Advisory Group / Please Plus Partnership Member.

Seacourt Print Workshop - Board Member

Bangor Chamber of Commerce - Board Member 

CoDo Drops NI - Board Member 

Co-Founder - Bangor Shared Space

Bangor Connects - Founder Member

Seaside Revival - Partner Member

Exhibitions

April 2023

Boom Studios - Group Exhibition

Castle Espie

November 2022

Boom Studios - Group Exhibition.

Bangor Carnegie Library

August 2022

Boom Studios - Pop-Up Shop

Bloomfields Shopping Centre.

June 2021 - December 2021

Boom Studios Pop-Up Shop

Bingham Mall

April 2020

Listen & Draw , Bangor Seaside Revival Group Project

December 2020

Making the Future

Ulster Museum,Belfast

December  2017

Boom! Studios Group Exhibition 

Haptic, Newtownards.

August 2017

Creative Peninsula Exhibition - North Down Museum

August 2016

“Oh, the Places you’ll go”

Creative Peninsula Exhibition - Ards Arts

Project 24 “Phases”, Moseley Mill

March 2015

North Down YMCA - New facility Launch Exhibition

July 2015

Creative Peninsula Exhibition - North Down Museum

July 2014

Creative Peninsula - Out of the Box, The Loft Gallery Portaferry

Ballyholme Bay, Threadsketch 1 ( Fig.1)

Ballyholme Bay, Threadsketch 2 ( Fig.2)

March 2014

The Sketchbook Project 2014 - Brooklyn Art Library, New York ( Fig.3)

February 2014

 “A celebration of Art at the Seafront’

November 2012

“Remade in Bangor” 

“El Mandrake - Souvenirs of a Grand Tour”

All Endeavors Bear Fruitful Consequences. 

April 2012

Elemental Birds 

Jan - Feb 2017

“UnSeen Stitches”

Development and delivery  of a community arts program designed for recent mothers. In partnership with North Down YMCA

September 2017

Wrapped in Meaning

Design and delivery of a 6 week textile art course with a focus on improved mental health.

May - June 2016

“Hidden Threads” - Ulster University / Duncairn Arts Centre

Facilitator encourage group participation 

February - March 2016

“UnSeen Stitches” - Partnership delivery with North Down YMCA and Occupational Therapist

Co-Design and deliver of community facing project addressing the gap in care for maternal mental health.

September 2015 - to Date

Messy Mornings

Continual delivery of self initiated workshop program aimed at providing arts activities for mums & babies and children of all ages.

July 2015  - August 2015 Messy Mornings

Messy Mornings - Family Art Workshops

Continuing to build on the success of the previous years workshops with the addition of one off events and messy parties

August 2015

Creative Peninsula - “Sketch & Stitch” - 4 hour workshop combining drawing with thread-sketching.

Project 24 - Bring the Beach to Bangor - provision of family craft activity at a public event.

September 2014

“The Art of Repair” -  Workshop

 Experience traditional garment repair techniques with a contemporary twist.

 Rockport Community Arts Centre.

August 2014

Messy Mornings - Family Art Workshops

Continuing to build on the success of the previous years workshops with the addition of one of events and Messy Parties.

Open House Festival Bangor

Culture Day - Facilitation of family “Art Busking” Area.

Creative Peninsula

Craft in the Square - Demonstration of “thread-sketching”

July - August 2013

Messy Mornings - Family Art Workshops 

Pink Pod Collective - self initiated workshops.

These workshops ran weekly at the Project 24 community gardens with aim of bring people to the space.

Each week a different activity was offered from “Big Painting” to “Modroc Sculptures”

July 2013

Client - Peace III / North Down Borough Council /  Police Ambulance and Fire Games Outreach Project 

Role - Workshop Facilitator

A two week long workshop based in a Summer Scheme.

Through discussion, inspiration and practice and the participants( 9 - 11 year olds) developed a portrait of a person from another county.

The outcome was a collection of portraits used as a backdrop for the medal podiums.

June 2013

Client  - The Directory / University of Ulster

Community Arts project to create links between employability and creativity in local schools.

Role - Workshop Facilitator 

A week long workshop where the participants created a self -portrait on textiles and gained experience working with professional artists.

November 2012

Remade in Bangor

Clients - Firsty Creative/ North Down borough Council/ Refound  collaboration

Role - Artist Co-Ordinator

This project invited local artists to create a Refound style “work of furniture” which were exhibited and sold through a week long pop-up shop as part of European Week for Waste Reduction.