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In 2016, Clare Taylor founded and now runs Bus and Bird Arts, a participatory arts organisation creatively connecting communities. Work has ranged from a permanent hosiery installation for Mansfield Museum’s ‘Made in Mansfield’ gallery, Lead Visual Artist for Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries ‘Home Cooked Heritage’ Heritage Fund project through to being appointed Portable Heritage Resources Project Manager for Miner2Major. Clare specialises in collaborating with people to explore history, culture, and heritage in creative and memorable ways - through art, storytelling, and co-creation.
Mills, Machines and Memories - Textiles Installation for Mansfield Museum
Clare Taylor was lead artist for Mansfield Museum’s National Lottery Heritage Fund project.
“Mills, Machines and Memories” celebrates the legacy of Mansfield’s textile industries. It takes the form of a permanent installation of hosiery created by Clare Taylor of Bus and Bird Arts and an accompanying film by John Slemensek of Bokehgo . The town’s textile heritage is represented by various items of hosiery, in the form of socks, tights and girdles of various shapes and sizes. Each item has the names, images and history of local mills and mill workers stitched, knitted and printed on to them alongside a stitched and printed record of conversations with workers from Mansfield’s textile factories. The imagery on the hosiery and the installation itself promotes conversation from visitors of all ages and acts as a collective memory of this treasured local industry.
“Mills, Machines and Memories” celebrates the legacy of Mansfield’s textile industries. It takes the form of a permanent installation of hosiery created by Clare Taylor of Bus and Bird Arts and an accompanying film by John Slemensek of Bokehgo . The town’s textile heritage is represented by various items of hosiery, in the form of socks, tights and girdles of various shapes and sizes. Each item has the names, images and history of local mills and mill workers stitched, knitted and printed on to them alongside a stitched and printed record of conversations with workers from Mansfield’s textile factories. The imagery on the hosiery and the installation itself promotes conversation from visitors of all ages and acts as a collective memory of this treasured local industry.
Home Cooked Heritage - series of 70 tea towels
Lead Artist for an Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries 'Home Cooked Heritage' project which aimed to promote the Nottingham archives. Inspiration was taken from an 18th century ledger from a well-known local stately home, Rufford Park, which detailed all the items bought during that era (akin to a future generation 300 years down the line looking at items on our Tesco bill!). Clare's role was to design, create and curate a touring exhibition of no fewer than 70 tea towels to help tell the story of Nottinghamshire's food heritage.
Celebrating Sherwood Forest
Clare was the project manager for the creation of portable heritage resources for Sherwood Forest as part of the Miner2Major programme.
The resources have been designed around a large multi-sensory learning pod, a stunningly illustrated and digitally printed arch. They are intended to enhance primary schools’ delivery of the National Curriculum and create excitement about the rich heritage and life within Sherwood Forest. The pod comes with a variety of supporting and interactive artefacts, books and teacher notes. The portable resource in its entirety provokes curiosity and inspire pupils to playfully connect with our rich local heritage in various ways and in line with the National Curriculum.
The resource is now managed by Mansfield Museum and can be hired out by schools or educational groups.
The resources have been designed around a large multi-sensory learning pod, a stunningly illustrated and digitally printed arch. They are intended to enhance primary schools’ delivery of the National Curriculum and create excitement about the rich heritage and life within Sherwood Forest. The pod comes with a variety of supporting and interactive artefacts, books and teacher notes. The portable resource in its entirety provokes curiosity and inspire pupils to playfully connect with our rich local heritage in various ways and in line with the National Curriculum.
The resource is now managed by Mansfield Museum and can be hired out by schools or educational groups.
Little Creatives
Clare is one of Inspire's Little Creatives artists working creatively to help early years' children learn new skills and have multi-sensory creative experiences.
Help your little one unleash their creative imagination and develop new skills as they splodge, splat, scribble, squidge and shine!
Help your little one unleash their creative imagination and develop new skills as they splodge, splat, scribble, squidge and shine!
Green Libraries
Bircotes and Bilsthorpe libraries have planters for growing activities with children and families. Clare Taylor worked with pupils at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School and Bilsthorpe Flying High academy to create nature tiles and butterflies for Bircotes and Bilsthorpe libraries green spaces.
Botanical Paper Making - Sustainable Art Workshops
Clare ‘treads lightly’ with her consumption of resources by reusing materials and experimenting with her own homemade inks, botanical papers and glazes created from waste products and natural materials.
Clare regularly runs workshops in hand made paper making and botanical ink making.
Clare regularly runs workshops in hand made paper making and botanical ink making.
Plastic Fantastic Flowers for Southwell Minster
Fun, oversized fantastical flowers created from upcycled plastics as part of Southwell Minster's 'Leaves of Southwell' project.
Together Again - Sanctuary supported Living
Together Again was an arts project set up to help rebuild the social lives of a group of people with disabilities. Participants were from Sanctuary Supported Living's Corner House in Mansfield, a CQC-registered care home which supports people with learning disabilities and complex needs. The participants were classed as being socially isolated, having mental health issues and complex needs. The group met at The Rufford (pub) in Mansfield for lunch on consecutive Thursday afternoons and then spent the rest of time with Clare on different art activities.
Artistic interventions (drawing, collage and clay work) had measured outcomes, completed by participants and their carers. The project enabled people to take greater control of their own health, build new relationships and have a sense of purpose whilst being socially active in a meaningful venture. Building on the participants creative and social confidence was key to their physical and mental health.
Artistic interventions (drawing, collage and clay work) had measured outcomes, completed by participants and their carers. The project enabled people to take greater control of their own health, build new relationships and have a sense of purpose whilst being socially active in a meaningful venture. Building on the participants creative and social confidence was key to their physical and mental health.
Mansfield Townscape Heritage Project
Co-designed and produced with Yasmin Ensor and pupils from The Brunts Academy. The two part mural tells the story of the Grade 2 listed building from its inception as Boots the Chemist (hence the carboys, pills and cross) through to its time as Dickie Dirts (think Primark for jeans). Included in the story is a wider nod to Mansfield itself.
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