Local independent art producer Katie Daley-Yates becomes the 4th Co-Director of the Southampton Collective along with Mandi Bissett, Clare Diaper and Rebecca Kinge.

Katie has been based in Southampton for 10 years now working freelance across the city on a great many different visual arts projects including: ‘a space’ arts Artist Development Programme, Sarah Filmer’s GHT – a reincarnation – an artist-led residency in God’s House Tower 2016-2017 and Fashioning the Voice – supporting a collaboration of artist-academics as they developed a technology enabled singing trench coat 2018-2021 (www.hostproductions.org.uk). Most recently Katie has received her own funding to develop and deliver two public art projects in Riverside Park, which have involved working with two local artists and the community. Drawing on the Outside with Sarah Filmer – a drawing and making group for men who are experiencing isolation and THE EEL RUN with Deborah Gearing – a project raising awareness of the disappearing European Eel – Anguilla anguilla from the River Itchen.

Katie brings with her nearly 20 years of experience and skills from working across the visual art sector in particular developing public art and socially engaged projects with artists. Before coming to Southampton, she was part of the small creative team at Situations, Bristol who set out to challenge global perspectives on public art and deliver ground breaking projects such as Alex Hartley’s Nowhereisland, 2012 for the Cultural Olympiad.

This new expertise that Katie brings from the arts sector helps to strengthened the Collective’s overall offer connecting up health, environment, art and community development, which is at the heart of everything our organisation does.

Of joining the SoCollective team Katie says “I’m honoured and very excited to have been asked to become a Co-Director of the Southampton Collective and I am looking forward to developing projects together and being part of supporting community activity across the city. Since moving to Southampton I have worked independently, but often missed the comradery and support of being part of a small team with shared ambitions and vision. I have always admired the projects that SoCollective have delivered in particular their approach to community development and co-production.”