'Extra Ordinary' sewn muslin, calico, cotton and chiffon mounted on stretcher by Celia Burbush, 2025
Celia Burbush MFA BA
Celia's most recent body of work can be seen here.
'Through making art, our thoughts and philosophies are made visible. They start to exist, and they start to exist in the mind of others.
I work alongside groups to form research questions followed by experimentation using immersive methods of re-enactment, making and discussion. Through projects, I bridge the objective and the subjective, exploring oral, written and visual histories as well as exploring our own interiors (thoughts, dreams, memories and philosophies).
The research process is primarily an aesthetic one. The adventure (learning, taking risks, sharing individual and communal ideas) takes place through making. This collective process is the subject of my current doctoral research with Manchester University. I have worked with many groups and communities since 2004, with a diversity of cognitive and artistic outlooks. I'm interested in what each person brings to the group, and how the creative journey evolves for them. Throughout my career in community art, the search for strategies that would foster feelings of safety in participants has always been uppermost, so that they could experience the creative journey to the fullest, in the company of others.'
Celia became Eden Arts' C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year in 2017, won her episode in BBC1’s inaugural series of ‘Home is Where the Art Is’; and received critical appraisal in Joshua Sofaer’s book Performance, Objects, Participation (eds. Mock, R & Paterson, M, 2020, Intellect Live). Most recently, she co-created The Baltic Centre of Contemporary Art’s first remote outdoor art trail and hosted their first online symposium in 2022. Celia was Co-director of New Arts North 2009-2019, receiving many funding awards for community art projects, and working with the major cultural venues.
Celia's most recent body of work can be seen here.
'Through making art, our thoughts and philosophies are made visible. They start to exist, and they start to exist in the mind of others.
I work alongside groups to form research questions followed by experimentation using immersive methods of re-enactment, making and discussion. Through projects, I bridge the objective and the subjective, exploring oral, written and visual histories as well as exploring our own interiors (thoughts, dreams, memories and philosophies).
The research process is primarily an aesthetic one. The adventure (learning, taking risks, sharing individual and communal ideas) takes place through making. This collective process is the subject of my current doctoral research with Manchester University. I have worked with many groups and communities since 2004, with a diversity of cognitive and artistic outlooks. I'm interested in what each person brings to the group, and how the creative journey evolves for them. Throughout my career in community art, the search for strategies that would foster feelings of safety in participants has always been uppermost, so that they could experience the creative journey to the fullest, in the company of others.'
Celia became Eden Arts' C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year in 2017, won her episode in BBC1’s inaugural series of ‘Home is Where the Art Is’; and received critical appraisal in Joshua Sofaer’s book Performance, Objects, Participation (eds. Mock, R & Paterson, M, 2020, Intellect Live). Most recently, she co-created The Baltic Centre of Contemporary Art’s first remote outdoor art trail and hosted their first online symposium in 2022. Celia was Co-director of New Arts North 2009-2019, receiving many funding awards for community art projects, and working with the major cultural venues.