Staff Profile

Theresa is a printmaker with a background in community art using printmaking, artists books, zines and broadsides. Printmaking provides a platform for Theresa’s focus on social history, using archives, working with libraries and museums to fulfil projects. As an artist with a socially engaged practice, Theresa enjoys a collaborative approach to making artwork and developing ideas alongside participants. Community participation and political activism feature as a driving force in her work.

Community Engagement & Sanctuary Seekers

Recent research practice has centred around supporting those seeking sanctuary in the Northeast to engage in creative and cultural experiences in and around the University. With support from the Engagement and Place fund, the Catherine Cookson Foundation and the Bartlett fund, this has provided the space and opportunity to meet regularly with Sanctuary Seekers (The Building bridges group) at the Hatton Gallery Learning Space to take part in print, drawing and painting workshops. Refugee Week 2022 offered collaborative partners Skimstone Arts the opportunity to showcase performance, photography and sound art exhibition alongside artwork made by the Building Bridges group. Initiated by Senior Lecturer in Journalism, David Baines, the weeklong exhibition brought together community groups and the School of Arts and Culture during the undergraduate Open Day weekend, demonstrating the values and ethos of the University.

Funding support from the Catherine Cookson Trust and collaborative working with the Learning Team at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary and West End Refugee Service (WERS) has enabled a project to develop that builds on the skills and confidence developed by the the Building Bridges Group. The project has supported the gardening group at WERS to create a colourful tiled mosaic to accompany a range of artwork on display in the garden area. The Bartlett Fund supported further creative production with the Building Bridges group incorporating training from WERS for students and culminated in an exhibition of artwork during 2023 Refugee Week. The latter part of the project was documented with a zine launched at London Radical Book Fair 1st November 2023. Copies available HERE. The Building Bridges group completed the project with a collaboration between Culture Matters and film/photographer Carl Joyce exploring social and environmental justice using photography. The project showcased work during Refugee Week 2024 at Newcastle University and has toured the Northeast. In 2025 the Building Bridges group created poetry, photography and zines, showcasing their work to over 1100 visitors to the Late Shows event at 36 Lime Street Gallery and during refugee week in the Fine Art department at Newcastle University. Current research project partners include Scotswood Garden and Sanctuary Seekers making zines as tools for sanctuary.

Working in a Trauma Informed Environment

Current research explores the working conditions of community artists working in trauma informed environments. What does good work practice look like? What are the issues that need addressing in this area for participants, workers and organisations? I attend and participate in Gallery Learning Archive & Museum (GLAM) Care Conference and network events.

Zines as effective research tools.

I make zines and work with community groups with lived experience to produce their own culture (in the form of zines) on their own terms based on a model of participatory cultural production.

My zine making with community groups is informed by an ethnographic approach. I am interested in an 'embodied approach' to zine making with groups.

Current exploratory and collaborative research with Modern Language students and Fine Art students is initiated by Jorge Catala-Carrasco, Reader in Hispanic Studies with zines and cartoneras.

Scholarship

I a QEST alumina having worked with Graham Moss, (Incline Press) in letterpress and typesetting before his passing in July 2025. I am currently a QEST EDI champion.

For the academic year 205-2026 I am module lead for Life Work Art projects with Stage 1, 2, 3 & 4. I continue to work with Phd students in a supervisory team.

• Exhibitions

  • Servin E, Mieves C, Weileder W, Brown I, Jones C, Easton T. The Toon, artists from Newcastle University. 2024. Mexico City - Centro de Tlalpan: TACO Gallery - Talleres de Arte Contemporáneo, 6.
  • Brown I, Anderson F, Bam R, Bromwich N, Burton A, Castle A, Clay R, Coupe J, Cuddon K, Easton T, Falecka K, Fox N, Grayson R, Hagan L, Huber C, Jones C, Juler E, Kennedy B, Kogelsberger U, Meikle G, Merrick P, Mieves C, Millican J, Moonie S, Pollard I, Pollock V, Servin E, Shaw T, Smith O, Szemán P, Talbot R, Tofield T, Weeks H, Weileder W, Wilson L, Wilson J. Mirror Neurons: group exhibition of all artists / staff of the Fine Art department, Newcastle University, curated by Alistair Robinson and Harriet Sutcliffe. 2024. Newcastle University: Hatton Gallery, 2.
  • Servin E, Johnny x, Bytautas A, Yates J, Culpa F, Easton T, Sweeting J, Christie Nick. Fluxus Fields. 2023. Newcastle Upon tyne: The Cluny Gallery Space, 6.
  • Meikle G, Sutcliffe H, Ambery C, Bouttell S, Brown E, Carlin B, Dean E, Easton T, Hamer S, Howarth J, Khorramian L, Murray-Neil A, Murphy L, Petley J, Tanner M. Undutiful Spirit: Meeting Point. 2022. Newcastle Upon Tyne: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.