Intermedia artist specialising in performance and film-based installation. Working from Elgin, Moray
Awards
RSA John Kinross Travel Scholarship to Florence. July – August 2015
Six weeks in Florence researching my own fine art practice.
SSA Invited Graduate Award 2015
Exhibiting as part of the SSA Annual 2015 at the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
SKY ACADEMY Visual Art Scholarship Long-List
Selected for the final ten for the single scholarship out of 1104 applicants.
Work Experience
MACTHREE: MC3: Creative Space – Project Manager. Sept 2015 – Present
Founder, director and Project Manager of MC3: Creative Space, Elgin’s very first artist and creative studio space.
AllsWell: Marketing and Public Engagement Administrator. Feb 2016 – Present
Administrator responsible for public engagement, marketing, and social media for Allswell, a community healthcare initiative operating from The Alexander Graham Bell Centre in Moray College, UHI.
Findhorn Bay Arts: Ignite Moray Youth Arts Hub – Trash Fashion – June and September 2015
Community led practice. Guiding young people in re-purposing old clothes and junk into couture.
Out of the Darkness Theatre Company: My Rural, My Space – May – July 2015
Community led practice. Workshopping with primary school children and seniors in rural communities to collect a visual representation of personal histories and individual stories. Final piece: large scale film based installation for theatre
Mothertongue: Exhibition Co-ordinator, Elgin, Moray 2013- Present
Founding member and exhibition co-ordinator for the Elgin-based artist collective, Mothertongue. Organised and curated the Oct 2013 exhibition ‘Dérive and Détournement’ and IG:LU, Inverness. Also, arranged the collaboration between Mothertongue and Moray Feelgood Festival’s exhibition ‘Our Realities.’
SSA Annual Internship 2013: Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
The Scottish Society of Artists first internship was awarded to me in 2012 after my volunteer work at The Summer Auction, 2012. The six-week internship, and including the six-week lead up, contained assistance to the administrator through paper work, data collecting, website maintenance and other general duties. I also was required to assist with the handling of submitted works, cataloging, installation of works, liaising with artists, hangers, committee members, RSA staff, representatives of interested parties and visiting public. It was also required of me to assist with the hosting of our visiting Slovak artists through the Bridges/Mosty exchange.
Sales desk, SSA Annual. 2013. Royal Scottish Academy Building
Duties included invigilation, liaising with the public, handling of payments, maintenance of the gallery space and artworks and banking. To take on the role it was required that I receive full training for working within the RSA buildings including safety procedures.
Volunteer: SSA Summer Auction. Lyon & Turnbull 2012
Volunteer/Work experience position gained through request. I assisted the Administrator in the uploading of auctioned works to the website, including inputing artists details and prices. During the ten days, I was required to help handle the art works, hang the works and maintain the gallery space on the top floor of Lyon & Turnbull Auctioneers. I also worked on the sales desk which involved taking bids, informing the winning bidders of their successes and informing artists when their works did not sell. I was also present for the hand back of works to artists whose works did not sell.
Dance and Drama Instructor: Theatre School of Dance, Moray 20-09 – Present
I have maintained a variety of positions within the Theatre School of Dance, run by Ruth Rollo. Currently, I teach 6-10 year olds basic tap dance and assist other classes in confidence and dramatic technique. I have also taught modern, ballet and street dance to a range of ages from 3-18. Duties include working with children, dramatic techniques, drama workshop, mime, expression, acting, drama games, confidence games and dance.
Volunteer
Over the space of a year, I contributed to the Moray Art Centre by maintaining a weekly volunteer position in which I would be required to undertake various tasks. The duties would vary week to week but I as responsible for invigilation, liaising with the public, general upkeep of gallery space, administration duties and art handling.
Education
Moray School of Art, University of The Highlands and islands, 2011 – Present
BA (hons) Fine Art
University of The Highlands and Islands, 2007 – 2008
HNC Environment and Heritage
Exhibitions
RSA Open 2016: Royal Scottish Academy July 2016
Donne Bianco (photography)
EMERGE: MC3: Creative Space July 2016
Donne Bianco I,II,III (Photography)
Morrigan: Mother (Photography)
Furst Versicle I,II,III (Film)
Beamer Night: MC3:Creative Space April 2016
Quhy Sowlt Nocht Allane Honorit Be? (Film)
William Discusses Globalisations Impact of The Whisky Industry (Film)
SSA Annual 2015: Royal Scottish Academy Dec 2015 – Jan 2016
Quhy Sowlt Nocht Allane Honorit Be? (Film Installation)
RSA Open: Royal Scottish Academy 2015. Nov 2015- Jan 2016
Can’t Break A Muscle II (Photography)
The Birdhouse: Secret Studio Tour – Culture Day, Findhorn Bay Arts. Forres. Sept 2015
Quhy Sowlt Nocht Allane Honorit Be? (Film Installation)
Moray School of Art: Degree Show. Elgin June 2015
Quhy Sowlt Nocht Allane Honorit Be? (Film Installation)
Wednesday’s Girl: Edinburgh. May 2015
Quhy Sowlt Nocht Allane Honorit Be? (Film Screening)
IG:LU: Freudian Slip. Inverness. September 2014
The High Priestess of Holding Hands (Intermedia Installation and Performance)
Nairn Book & Arts Festival: New Highland Contemporaries. August 2014
The High Priestess of Holding Hands (Intermedia installation )
Aye Inspired: The Priory, Aberdeen – Summerhall, Edinburgh – Old Meldrum & East Kilbride. June/Aug 2014
The High Priestess of Holding Hands (Photography)
IG:LU – First Against The Wall. Inverness Dec 2013/Jan 2014
Can’t Break A Muscle. 2013 (Photography)
Moray School of Art – A5. Elgin 2013/2014
Can’t break A Muscle/Red Beard 2013 (Photography/Video Installation)
Moray School of Art Oct/Nov 2013
Red Beard (Performance)
Moray Feel Good Festival – Our Realities. Elgin 2013
siteSIGHT 2013 (Video Installation)
Findhorn Bay Arts – Culture Day – Forres 21st September 2013
siteSIGHT (performance)
Mothertongue: Dérive and Détournement – IG:LU, Inverness Sept 2013
siteSight (video installation) MAC³ (installation) There is More Than One Way To Skin A Rabbit (installation)
Publications
The Grind (issue 2)
Can’t Break A Muscle (Photography)
Skills
Fine Art, Creative Writing, Administration, Drama, Dance, Music (performance), Music (writing), Critique, Performance, Public speaking, Debate, Group collaboration, Leadership, Working with community groups, Working with children, young people and seniors, Community led projects, Adobe premiere pro, Adobe photoshop, Adobe audition, Digital Photography, Film.
Charis Edward Wells 