Jemima Burrill

Great Western Studios

2009 - 2012

At Great Western Studios, I shaped a new public-facing cultural programme that connected resident artists with the wider community. I curated exhibitions with strong visual and press impact, showcasing figures like Orsola de Castro, Bill Amberg and Pearson Lloyd, whilst building meaningful partnerships with schools, creatives, and local businesses.

Through talks, workshops, and open studios, I fostered a dynamic, collaborative environment that celebrated cross-disciplinary thinking. I also led communications strategy, securing major press coverage and raising sponsorship, always guided by the belief that great programming and thoughtful promotion go hand in hand.

Orsola de Castro - exhibition and talk - creative director of From Somewhere, the revolutionary label she started in 1997, and the first to address the issue of pre-consumer waste and reproducibility in recycling for the fashion industry, is known as the Upcycling Queen.As part of Great Western Studio's talk series Talking Ideas: Lucy Siegle talked with Orsola de Castro about issues of fashion, issues of how clothes are made, issues of how to make ecological decisions when buying clothes. They discussed the inhumane and environmentally devastating story behind the clothes we so casually buy and wear.
Notes on colour Prints by Sophie Smallhorn
Wormwood Scrubs: Photographs by Bettina von Kameke
As part of Great Western Studio's talk series Talking Ideas: Drink Food Design —A talk about designing to make food and wine beautiful and sell. Speakers: Julian Metcalfe, Afroditi Krassa and Fernando Gutiérrez Chair: Hester Gray will look at how to design for food and particularly wine and how the commissioning process works.
As part of Great Western Studio's talk series Talking Ideas: Portraiture with sculpture Tom Price, painter Jennifer McCrae, and photographer Claire Newman-Williams. These events helped cultivate a dynamic, collaborative environment — connecting resident creatives with wider networks and encouraging an interesting exchange.