Artist in Residence - The Curious Puppeteer
May to September 2023
Samantha is a multi-media artist specialising in immersive technology. In her art practice, she combines traditional painting with Virtual Reality (VR), where she creates expressive acrylic paintings that are photographed and transferred into a VR headset. They are then transformed into a 3D immersive experience allowing the audience to lose themselves in her work.
You are invited to join Samantha to create a VR experience exploring the turbulent 17th century. She’ll be running VR workshops, and fun drop-in creative sessions exploring different artistic processes, both here at the National Civil War Centre and in your community.
In addition to these exciting opportunities for you to have a go, Samantha is creating a VR experience for the National Civil War Centre about the remarkable advancements in modern science and inventions during the 17th century. Throughout this residency, you will have the opportunity to see her creative process and the final product.
For more information and updates, please follow us on social media!
About Samantha
Samantha grew up on a dairy farm in Leicester, with her parents and older sister, where she helped out whether with feeding the calves, tractor driving and running after escapees! Samantha’s always had a passion for art which has remained a constant throughout her life. Samantha went to The University West of England in Bristol to study Illustration, where she went on to specialize in Virtual Reality. Samantha advocates for youth voices and spends time volunteering for arts-based charity The Mighty Creatives, to help young people across the Midlands.
Website: TheCuriousPuppeteer.com
Email: thecuriouspuppeteer@gmail.com
Visiting the Studio
The artist’s studio is on the top floor of the National Civil War Centre and is accessible by stairs and lift. Seating is provided in the studio.
The studio is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am to 4pm. Samantha will usually be working in the studio Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays and the occasional day when Samantha is working elsewhere, visitors will still have access to the studio to see her work in progress and have a go at an art activity that will be left for visitors to enjoy independently.
Samantha will need to be in the studio to help visitors use the VR headsets, so please check here for updates in case Samantha is working off-site on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.