Carol Parker

I am a practising 3D mixed media and community artist with a passion for spontaneous work outside of the gallery space and using the arts to enable positive change.

I have over 15 years experience of working with schools and community groups of all ages and abilities. I hold a City & Guilds Teaching Certificate, NVQ3 Arts Development & Teaching Award, D32/33 Assessor Award and I'm a Bronze/Silver Arts Award Adviser. My broad art form skills include: hand rolled felt, knit and crochet, paper pulp & papier mache, sculpture, carnival arts.

In 1995-2001, I set up an arts partnership, "Mish Mash" exhibiting and selling nationwide, working to private and public commission and delivering workshops. "Mish Mash" were commissioned to write a book for Crowood Press which was published in 2000 (ISBN 1861263120).

My previous experience as Visual Arts Officer at Blackfriars Arts Centre in Boston and part time Community Arts Officer at the Giles School Specialist in Visual  Arts and Leading Edge has broadened my understanding of both sides of the contracting and commissioning process.

I have completed many Creative  Partnership residencies both locally and regionally, delivered "out of school hours" arts projects for Lincs County Council School Improvement Service and run primary/secondary and playworker INSET.

I work alone and with other artists; collaboration for me extends and enriches the art experience for participants and artists alike. In 2011, I was lead artist on a very successful Cultural Olympiad Igniting Ambitions Project for the Linconshire Showcase 2011 called "Knit2getherlincs".

In September 2011, I set up the online group of Lincolnshire creatives called the "Lincs Artist Forum" LAF (see facebook group). The group with over 100 members is driven by social media, a necessary tool for communication in such a large geographically spread county. the group is now constituted.

I represent LAF as one of the three lead consortium organisations for "TRANSPORTED" the Arts Council's Creative People; Creative Places programme for South Holland and Boston which was successful in securing £2.6m funding over 3 years.