Michele Allen is a multi-media artist and researcher based in North East England. Her practice explores our relationships to environment and sense of place through deep connections to site and community.

Michele is a lens-based artist based in North East England working with photography, sound, video, text and archival research.

Since 2003, Michele has developed a practice which is deeply rooted in place creating long term projects which often span several years and involve work with communities, environmental experts and academics to explore our relationships to the environment and sense of place. This practice is underpinned by her experience of environmental activism in the 1990s and extensive work with communities spanning over 25 years which runs alongside and intertwines with her artistic and academic research.

Michele holds a Doctorate by Photographic Practice and work as an associate lecturer at Newcastle University in Fine Art and Architecture. Her work has been presented at conferences and talks internationally and is held in the public collections of Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Durham Castle and the Museum of English Rural Life. Past funders include Arts Council England, AHRC, Heritage Lottery and Leverhulme Trust.

CV

Recent Exhibitions

2022-23
Hinterlands, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
Solo, Gateshead Library
Habit’ability, The Newbridge Project, Newcastle upon Tyne

2021
Ruminations: film screenings and print multiple shared various locations UK including Being Human festival

2020
The Weight of Ants in the World, Side Cinema, film screening

2019
Incidental Assembly, South London Gallery

Recent Residencies
March — June 2022
Mud Matters, with Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment and Gateshead Riverside Partnership

Sept 2020 – October 2021
FIELD interdisciplinary research project, University of Lincoln / Museum of English Rural Life (funded by Wellcome Trust)

February 2017 – February 2018
Leverhulme Trust Residency, University of Northumbria: collaboration with Dr Siobhan Daley exploring legacy of philanthropy in NE England

2017
Pavements to Homes residency exploring young people’s expereinces of homelessness, University of Northumbria, Shelter, Changing Lives

2016
Artist in Residence, Durham Castle UNESCO World Heritage Site: interventions in historic collections; site-specific installations.

Teaching
University of Newcastle: Fine Art BA and PhD courses, including specialist photography teaching and work related to practice-led research. Dept of Architecture site module, exploring place, built environment and sustainability.

Academic
Conference presentations and organisation, publications: please see my Academia page.

Skills & Experience

Documentation: photography
Project management
Technical: photographic / moving image
Visiting lecturer (FE)
Visiting lecturer (HE)
Working with schools (primary)
Working with schools (secondary)
Workshops (family / general)
Workshsops (adult)