Laura Mansfield appointed to the role of Castlefield Gallery Associates Coordinator

We are delighted to share, independent curator Laura Mansfield has been appointed to the role of Castlefield Gallery Associates Coordinator. 

Along with our Trustees, we are excited to welcome Laura to the team and know she will receive a warm welcome from the Castlefield Gallery Associates. This is a vitally important appointment for the gallery. Mariama Attah, Castlefield Gallery Trustee, a key decision maker for the appointment said: 

The Castlefield Gallery Associates programme is such a creative, reflexive and supportive offer and we are thrilled to have Laura on the team. She showed a real understanding of the Associates and we’re excited to see how Laura continues to further expand on this impressive programme.

Laura is an independent curator, researcher and editor developing projects with artists in diverse settings including on a secure adult mental health ward, in an archive of cookery books, a hotel room and a tidal island. She is invested in artist development having previously initiated and produced the talks series What We Talk About When We Talk About Work (https://whenwetalkaboutwork.co.uk/ )in partnership with thisistomorrow.org, Whitworth Manchester, The Tetley Leeds; The Grundy, Blackpool; Bluecoat, Liverpool and The Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art, Sunderland. In a research capacity, she regularly works with Studio Morison on socially engaged arts projects and has previously been an assistant to artist Daphne Wright (Frith Street Gallery). As an editor Laura has worked for The Contemporary Art Society, Corridor8 and Spike Island Bristol and has written catalogue essays for artists Edwina Ashton, Daphne Wright, Graham Fagen, Studio Morison and Tue Greenfort, published by institutions including Whitechapel Gallery, HOME, Spike Island and IMMA. Her ongoing publication project FEASTjournal.co.uk explores the varied roles food and its associated practices play within the everyday commissioning artists, writers, academics and cooks to respond to given thematics. As part of FEAST she develops a programme of talks and workshops for the annual Beer&Berries festival at Hospitalfield, Scotland.

Artist Jane Lawson has grown Castlefield Gallery Associates from its humble beginnings in 2012, into a dynamic programme that delivers at scale. For nearly a decade Jane has nurtured hundreds of artists’ practices and careers through the scheme, drawing in expertise from across the gallery team and externally to do so. The scheme’s membership is geographically spread across the city of Manchester, Greater Manchester and the North West of England, as well as nationally and at times internationally. 

We, along with our ‘Associates’, can’t thank Jane enough for her care, commitment and warmth. We will be forever grateful. Castlefield Gallery happily doesn’t say farewell to Jane just yet. Jane will continue to work with us across our Artist development programmes, from Salford Scholars and Manchester School of Art Mentees, to SUSTAIN, and more!      

Castlefield Gallery Associates is a membership scheme set up in 2012 for those working in the field of contemporary art. The scheme currently brings over 240 practicing artists, writers, curators and producers together to build a constructive, focused, support network of creatives. Find out more here