Ep. 12 Jelly's Journey: 30 Years of Lessons and Insights | Suzanne Stallard
Guest Name: Suzanne Stallard
Episode Description: In this episode, we delve into the fascinating story of Jelly, a beloved art studio and community hub in Reading.
Suzanne, the founder of Jelly, shares her journey of starting the studio over 30 years ago and how it has evolved to become an integral part of Reading’s art scene. We explore the various programs and workshops Jelly offers, from community outreach to artist development, and how they contribute to the town’s vibrant creative culture.
Suzanne also discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the arts sector in Reading, including the importance of finding affordable spaces and securing funding. We learn about Jelly’s strategies for promoting their work and reaching different audiences, both online and offline.
Guest Bio: Suzanne is an artist, activist, and founder of Jelly. She set up Jelly a year after leaving Art School in Bristol, where she had been involved in temporary pop-up exhibitions and involved in a community based darkroom. Returning to her hometown of Reading was only meant to be a temporary move, during that time she set up Jelly as a way of working with other artists and showing her own work whilst still exhibiting nationally. Suzanne signed a 6-month lease and it was during this time that Suzanne created her own work in their basement studio as well as curating the exhibitions in the gallery space. Since then, Jelly has evolved and changed shape over many locations but the key part to the vision was supporting and advocating for artists and bringing the art space into the community.
Read more about Suzanne’s background on the Jelly website.
Jelly website: https://www.jelly.org.uk/
Jelly Social Profiles:
Check out Jelly’s upcoming workshops and events on
Jelly’s Eventbrite Page
Listen to the episode
Episode time codes
00:25 Welcome
00:42 Introduction to Suzanne and Jelly
01:11 What do you like about Reading?
02:25 How does jelly contribute to Reading’ art community?
03:12 How has Reading art community changed over time?
04:55 Suzanne’s art
05:36 What Jelly offers the community and artists
07:00 What has and hasn’t worked for promoting Jelly over the years?
08:00 How to get to people who don’t have access to internet
10:04 How Jelly connects with target audiences
13:26 What challenges and opportunities are there for Reading’s art sector?
15:06 How do you envisage Jelly’s role changing in next few years?
17:24 A highlight from Suzanne
Videos
Key takeaways
Community-Focused Programs: Jelly offers a variety of community-based workshops and programs, including family art sessions and outreach projects. These initiatives help to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in the arts and contribute to a more vibrant and inclusive community.
Artist Development and Support: Jelly provides mentorship, support, and opportunities for emerging artists to showcase their work and develop their careers.
Adaptability and Resilience: Jelly has demonstrated its ability to adapt and evolve over the years, responding to the changing needs of the community and the arts sector. This includes embracing new technologies, finding innovative ways to reach different audiences, and securing funding to support their programs.
Episode references
Open Hand Open Space: