In 2016, I was selected for the NEPN DEVELOP award: a new international professional development programme created by NEPN and managed by international photography curator Marc Prüst. The programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. On the award, I received mentoring from Rebecca McClelland and guidance from Stephen Mayes through a specialist workshop.

The award included professional mentoring, peer to peer collaboration - with fellow award photographers Dean Chapman, Aaron Guy, Kuba Ryniewicz and Louise Taylor - and a research budget to support the creation of a business plan.

In June 2016, my business plan was presented to NEPN and a panel of Industry professionals: Monica Allende, Marc Prüst, Rebecca McClelland, Anne McNeill and Alexander Supartono.

The Award has been developed in collaboration with photography curator Marc Prüst, and is designed to empower photographers to develop a ‘road map’ for their progression, supported by expert mentoring and peer sharing. More info about the NEPN Develop Award

Fertility Fest is the world’s first arts festival dedicated to fertility, infertility, modern families and the science of making babies.  I was delighted to be one of the many artists taking part  in a week-long programme of events, entertainment, discussion, debate, support and solidarity at the Bush Theatre in London in 2018 and at the Fertility Show in Manchester in 2019.
SEED has given me the opportunity of hearing so many inspirational stories.  One of which is Jessica Hepburn's - having been through eleven rounds of IVF, she has become a pioneer in raising awareness of what it means to struggle to create the family you long for.  In 2016, Jessica Hepburn with Gabby Vautier, founded Fertility Fest.  Fertility Fest is dedicated to exploring the personal and political issues related to fertility, infertility and assisted conception, through the power of the arts.

Follow @FertilityFest for more info.



I received funding from Arts Council England for SEED.  The project has been facilitated by Newcastle Fertility Centre at the Centre for Life and supported by NEPN and Northern Centre of Photography.

The project tells the story of what it is like to experience IVF. It aims to increase awareness and understanding of fertility treatment especially for people experiencing infertility, planning a family or with relations or friends undergoing the treatment.


I have received the Peter Hansell Scholarship Fund 2017 from the Royal Photographic Society. The funding will be used to explore different ways of digitally publishing SEED STORIES.
Dr Peter Hansell HonFRPS was pioneer of the practice and teaching of medical photography in the second half of the 20th Century.

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