about amy
AN INTRODUCTION
Since 2011, I have specialised in the art of traditional signwriting, lining and fairground art, serving the travelling industries of the fairground and circus, and the preservation industries of steam and heritage.
Underpinned with a passion for the history and tradition of these industries, instilled in me through my upbringing, the key values of my work is the importance of the signwriting craft and an in-keeping with authenticity.
I work both on-site and in a studio context and am available to undertake restoration and preservation work commercially, as well as open to opportunities to create work for exhibitions and to facilitate educational material.
Amy’s work has been exhibited and printed internationally, including at the Yale Centre for British Art, the V&A, and many London galleries including Cecil Sharp House, dalla Rosa, Guest Projects and APT Gallery. She has spoken at conferences internationally too, including at: ‘Illustrating Identities’ at the University of Nancy, France; and ‘Speaking Signs’ at the Southbank Gallery, ‘Voices of the Home Front’ at the National Archives and ‘Women, Work and Commerce’ at the V&A Museum, all London.
Amy has featured in many crafts-based publications, including ‘A Celebration of British Craft’ and Crafts Magazine, as well as in articles by the Heritage Crafts Association and The Hypatia Trust. Her doctoral work has been published in two Bloomsbury titles: ‘Illustration Research Methods’ and ‘Illustration and Heritage’. Her work for Giffords Circus has been photographed by Harpers Bazaar and led to her being commissioned by Quadrille Press to design and paint a sign for the publication, ‘Giffords Circus Cookbook’. Since 2020 she has been a Curatorial Trustee for the Fairground Heritage Trust, managing the preservation and conservation of the largest collection of fairground artwork in the world.
Amy lectures part-time on BA and MA Illustration at the University of Plymouth. Here her skills in illustrative typography, narrative-based illustration, responding to a live brief and the integration of research, theory and practice are brought to the fore. She has previously held lecturing positions at Falmouth University, Arts University Bournemouth and Norwich University of the Arts. She has been a Guest Lecturer at many institutions, including The Royal College of Art.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
exhibitions & fairground art collections
My work has been exhibited and printed internationally, including at the Yale Centre for British Art, the V&A, and many London galleries including Cecil Sharp House, dalla Rosa, Guest Projects and APT Gallery. Outside of London I have exhibited widely, including at Ditchling Museum of Arts and Crafts and at MAKE Southwest. In 2025 I became Chair of The Fairground Heritage Trust, having served as Curatorial Trustee since 2020. The FHT manages the preservation and conservation of the largest collection of fairground artwork in the UK and our ride collection is housed at the National Fairground Museum.
publications
I have featured in many crafts-based publications, including ‘A Celebration of British Craft’ and Crafts Magazine, as well as in articles by the Heritage Crafts Association and The Hypatia Trust. My doctoral work has been published in two Bloomsbury titles: ‘Illustration Research Methods’ and ‘Illustration and Heritage’, and I have written articles for ‘Companion’ magazine, published by Gail’s Bakery, and the Journal of Illustration, published by Intellect. My work for Giffords Circus has been photographed by Harpers Bazaar and led to me being commissioned by Quadrille Press to design and paint a sign for the publication, ‘Giffords Circus Cookbook’.
lectures & talks
I have spoken at conferences internationally, including at: ‘Illustrating Identities’ at the University of Nancy, France and ‘Apparatus’ at Koc University, Istanbul. In London, I have delivered talks at ‘Speaking Signs’ at the Southbank Gallery, ‘Voices of the Home Front’ at the National Archives and ‘Women, Work and Commerce’ at the V&A Museum. Between 2020 and 2025 I lectured part-time on MA Illustration (Online) at Falmouth University. Here my skills in illustrative typography, narrative-based illustration, responding to a live brief and the integration of research, theory and practice were brought to the fore. I have previously held lecturing positions at University of Plymouth, Arts University Bournemouth and Norwich University of the Arts. I have also been a Guest Lecturer at many institutions, including The Royal College of Art.
PHD
In 2020 I was awarded a Practice-Led PhD for my work re-establishing the identities of twentieth century travelling fairground women through the construction of an illustrative archive. Here, traditional signwriting was used to illustratively tell stories of the females’ lives.
This study was underpinned by extensive research undertaken at The National Fairground and Circus Archive (NFCA), who upon completion of my doctoral studies commissioned a film to be produced documenting my research and work, both commercially and in an educational context. The PhD was part-funded by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) who support excellence in British Craft.
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