From 2007 to 2021, arthur+martha was a collaborative practice between artist Lois Blackburn and poet Philip Davenport, working with people whose voices and experiences are often overlooked. Together, we developed participatory projects rooted in care, collaboration and shared authorship, using stitch, poetry, calligraphy, song and bookmaking as ways to explore lived experience, memory and personal history.
The work was created with people affected by homelessness and older people, including those living with dementia. It also involved Holocaust survivors and war widows, among many others across North West England and beyond. Projects were shaped by listening, making together and responding to what participants wanted to express, with an emphasis on dignity, creativity and joy.
arthur+martha projects took many forms — embroidered quilts, handmade books, collective texts, performances and large-scale installations — often bringing participant-made work into public and unexpected spaces. Exhibitions and events took place in settings such as Manchester Cathedral, Brighton Dome, Piccadilly Railway Station and the Houses of Parliament, creating opportunities for wider audiences to encounter these shared stories.
Although arthur+martha came to an end in 2022, the collaborative ethos, care-led methods and creative language developed through the partnership continue to shape and inspire my practice. Documentation of many arthur+martha projects can be found across this website and forms an important part of my ongoing archive.
“arthur+martha have been like some turbulent confluence of a river, where great ideas, rich practice and changed lives come together. I’ve long held them up as a polar star, some alchemy made physical — something that researchers can’t and don’t need to measure. The work speaks volumes – or rather the people do…”
Dr Clive Parkinson, NW Arts & Health Network
Lois Blackburn 