Claire Weetman makes artworks, tells stories, organises arts projects and helps other people learn how to do these things too. Since 2005 Claire has developed projects where she lives in St Helens, including co-founding Platform Studios and Artist Led St Helens which support and advocate for other artists in small towns.
Residencies provide time and space to develop her practice – pre-motherhood she spent time in Shanghai, Istanbul, and Linz, and more recent residencies in Wild Rumpus’ woodland in Cheshire and at the Centre for Arts, Science and Sustainability on a tidal island in Merseyside have each developed objects, performance, installation and other time-based work. Claire’s work has been supported by The Bluecoat, METAL, Heart of Glass, Wonder Arts, St Helens Arts in Libraries and Arts Council England.
Storytelling is an emerging element of Claire’s practice – The Giant’s Blankets is a performed story that has visited libraries, heritage sites and schools across the north of England. As a director of Sensory Creative Lab CIC she co-created ‘We built a railway’ school workshops that bring the story of building the Liverpool-Manchester railway to life for Manchester Histories.
Claire works as a producer of events and engagement programmes with clients including Heart of Glass, Writing on the Wall and St Helens Arts in Libraries and has been a mentor to other artists with Curious Minds/CAN, SOLA Arts and through Artist Led St Helens.
| Selected Exhibitions |
| 2026 |
| Absence: Prizewinning photography exhibited at St George’s Hall, Liverpool. Open Eye Gallery, curated by sociologists Laura Harris and Maike Pötschulat |
| 2025 |
| (M)other Wild: a residency and exhibition by artist-mothers researching how women can consider their “wild nature”. At the Centre for Arts, Science and Sustainability on Hilbre Island |
| 2024 |
| Emergences, Artworks with potential: Curation of, and exhibitor at Street and a Half St Helens exploring what does a connected community of ideas look like? |
| 2023 |
| We Reside* Here, St Helens |
| The Art of Motherhood, Stretford Public Hall, Manchester |
| (M)other is having a baby, Deansgate, Manchester |
| 2022 |
| Drawn In, Turnpike Gallery, Leigh |
| 2018 |
| Project Zei, Rathaus, Stuttgart (D) |
| Linienscharen, artist book project. Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart (D) |
| St Helens – Tokyo, artist book project. Launchpad gallery Yokohama (JP), & Paper Gallery, Manchester |
| 2017 |
| Public View: The Bluecoat, Liverpool |
| Curiouser and Curiouser: Masham Gallery, Yorkshire |
| 2016 |
| Landscapes and Boundaries: The Brindley Arts Centre, Runcorn & The Gallery at St George’s House, Bolton |
| 2014 |
| Residual Projects: South Square Gallery, Yorkshire |
| A landscape of marginal encounters: Solo exhibition, The Brindley Arts centre, Runcorn |
| The Drawing Project: Castlefield Gallery, Manchester |
| Urmson-Burnett Photogram Open 2014: Urmson-Burnett Gallery, Salisbury and Silverprint, London |
| 2013 |
| The Vide at the Bluecoat, two installations: ‘A remarkable architecture of stairs” and “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here” |
| Art:Language:Location, Cambridge |
| small CHANGE, Airspace Gallery, Stoke on Trent, Curated by Sevie Tsampalla |
| Through: Process in art. Neo:Gallery 22, Bolton |
| I am awaiting the arrival of night: Gallery at Bank Quay House, Warrington |
| 2012 |
| TRADING STATION: POST Liverpool, Artist initiated exchange with Istanbul – Curve Gallery, Liverpool. |
| Trace: Artists that explore the idea of an outline, an indication, a smidgen – Motorcade/Flashparade, Bristol |
| Animated Drawings: screening of works by emerging artists, Parasol Unit, London |
| Journeys: Artists critique the ways in which humankind is perpetually on the move – Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk. |
| 2011 |
| State of Perception: An experiment in artists exchange – METAL, Liverpool |
| Invisible City: Performance Interventions, Schiedam (NL) |
| 2010 |
| ‘Latitude’ – artist map making: Manchester Modernist Society |
| How much exchange can you stand?: Female artists from Linz and Liverpool, MAERZ, Linz (AT) |
| Global Studio: Examining global projects initiated by Liverpool Artists, The Bluecoat, Liverpool |
| 2009 |
| Next Up: Liverpool Art Now: 35 artists living and working in Liverpool, The Bluecoat, Liverpool |
| 2008 |
| Move: Albert Dock: Drawing, photography and installation, curated by Claire Weetman |
| Liverpool International Artists:Curated by Terry Duffy, Novas CUC, Liverpool Independents Biennial |
| Directions in Drawing:Artists who experiment with drawing in their practice, The Brindley, Runcorn |
| Six Artists from St Helens: Celebrating 60 years of town twinning, an exhibition at the Rathaus, Stuttgart (D) |
| 2007 |
| Prestival: A weekend of artist interventions across the city of Preston, Lancashire |
| Lines of Investigation: An exhibition of drawing and line at Albert Dock, Liverpool, curated by Claire Weetman |
| Journey, Movement and Place: Wolstenholme Projects, Liverpool |
| 2006 |
| Dyingfrog Presents…: Artists using performance to create their work, Cornerstone Gallery, Liverpool |
| 2004 |
| Liverpool Open: Arena Gallery, Liverpool |
| 2003 |
| Flinch: Group show at Sevenseven Gallery, London |
| It Ain’t What You Do: A performance and video evening at 291 Gallery, Hackney, London |
| Residencies |
| 2026 |
| Dwelling Together: Research residency in exchange with GEDOK studios in Stuttgart. Exploring how artists work in and with their local communities. (D and UK) |
| 2025 |
| Festival 31 research and development residency: Collaboration with Kirushan Sivagnanam exploring power, systems, colonialism and the idea of deleting the borders. Commissioned by SOLA Arts. |
| 2023 |
| Wild Rumpus and (M)other Collective |
| 2018 |
| Project Zei, Yellow Door Artists at GEDOK Stuttgart (D) |
| 2014 |
| METAL Time and Space residency, Southend-on-sea (UK) |
| 2012 |
| METAL International residency Award: In partnership with Shanghai Fine Art University (CN) |
| TRADING STATION: Artist led residency in Istanbul (TR) |
| 2011 |
| AA2A (Artists access to art colleges) residency, Salford University |
| 2010 |
| Urban Interventions: Atelierhaus Salzamt, Linz (AT) |
| riPOSTe: Artist-led residency in Linz (AT) |
| Commissions & Public Interventions |
| 2026 |
| We Built a Railway: Manchester Histories commissioned project celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway with Longton Lane Primary School. |
| 2024 – 2026 |
| Artist Led St Helens, Creatives Development Programme including research paper ‘How to build a Village’ about affordable studios for artists, development of an equipment library for St Helens Arts in Libraries and a programme of artist development. |
| The Giant’s Blankets. Story telling performance touring to Libraries in Barnsley, St Helens and Lancashire, Croxteth Hall, WoWFEST at Sefton Park Palmhouse and regional schools |
| 2023 |
| Dreams of Wonder, Outdoor communal drawing, Wonder Arts. (April 2023) |
| 2022 |
| Artist-led in St Helens: Creative Activity in Empty Shops. St Helens Council funded by ERDF Welcome Back fund. |
| 2021 |
| The Many Uses of a Blanket, Heart of Glass |
| 2020-2022 |
| Artists Together, Lead Artist. St Helens Libraries Cultural Hubs |
| 2020/2021 |
| Walking Together/Walking Apart, collaborative project with women from Refugee Women Connect, commissioned by Heart of Glass |
| 2018-2026 |
| Cultured, St Helens Cultural Education Partnership. Artist Educator |
| 2017/8 |
| What are you waiting for? Performative interventions in Runcorn, Stuttgart & St Helens, part-commissioned by Cultural Hubs St Helens Libraries. |
| 2016 |
| Prototype project, Maze of Displacement – Heart of Glass, St Helens (UK) |
| 2013 |
| Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival. Public realm intervention |
| 2012 |
| Watermark. An intervention on Barbaros Park, Istanbul (TR) |
| The Big Broughton Poem. Animation – Salford University Outreach Team (UK) |
| 2010 |
| Chatham Road (Eventually Everyone had moved), Animation – Art for Places, Liverpool Biennial (UK) |
| Passing, Watching, Waiting, Following II; interactive drawing – Arts council grants for the arts funded project |
| 2009 |
| Sculptural & Public Realm artworks – The Robins Children’s Centre, Huyton, Knowsley |
| Passing, Watching, Waiting, Following; interactive drawing – Attitudes in drawing, The Bluecoat, Liverpool |
| 2008 |
| Wilkommen im Rathaus, interactive drawing – Six artists from St Helens, Stuttgart (D) |
| Sandy Lane Nursery, Warrington – Artwork for nursery windows, developed with children and families |
| 2007 |
| Feeling a little up and down: Drawing Intervention in the lift of Manchester City Art Gallery |
| Awards |
| 2018 |
| Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts. A Maze of Displacement |
| 2016 |
| Liverpool-Ireland Cultural Corridor travel bursary |
| 2013 |
| A-N Re:View Bursary |
| 2012 |
| METAL International residency Award |
| Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts. POST, TRADING STATION exchange |
| 2011 |
| Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts. New work in Schiedam |
| Grundtvig Adult Education Training Bursary – Intergenerational Practice |
| Creative Arts Award (Professional Practice), St Helens Cultural Awards |
| 2010 |
| Austrian Cultural Forum bursary – POST Linz – Liverpool project |
| 2009 |
| Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts. POST Linz-Liverpool project |
| NAN Go and See Bursary |
| 2003 |
| Norman Moores Fellow – Liverpool John Moores University |
| Education and Training |
| 2003, BA(hons) Fine Art, (First Class), Liverpool John Moores University |
| 2016, The Faculty for socially engaged arts |
| 2020, Arts Award Discover and Explore |
| 2021, Introduction to Permaculture, Small Things Creative |
| 2021, Oral History Society training course |
| 2022, Trauma Awareness Training, Kazzum Arts |
| 2023, Neurodiversity Training, Starling CIO |
| 2024, Behind our eyes – Trauma Informed and Reflective Practice training – The Vision CIC |
| 2026, Safeguarding training refresher – Everyone Matters Trust |
| 2026, Carbon Literacy training – Zero Carbon Liverpool |
| 2026, Storytelling training – The League of Curiosity |