‘I hope my work emboldens people’
Meet Wirral-based artist Alison Bailey Smith | Latest NW arts news | Now booking
It’s been a while since I included the In My Studio feature in Stored Honey, but as the previous ones have been among the best read editions, I thought it was time to look behind the scenes at another artist’s working space.
This time round you’ll get to meet Alison Bailey Smith, who as well as crafting beautiful art works from found materials, supports hundreds of other artists through Wirral Open Studio Tour (Saturday, June 14 and Sunday June 15) and Wirral MakeFest (Saturday, May 10).
A big thanks to Alison for taking part. If you’d like to be featured, please get in touch with me on Instagram, on Bluesky, in the comments or by replying to this email.
If you’re a paid subscriber, look out for your exclusive curated guide to what’s on in across the North West this month arriving in your inbox very soon. And if you’re not, you can sign up below so you don’t miss out.
In My Studio: Alison Bailey Smith
If you ever encounter Alison Bailey Smith you will very quickly realise that she’s constantly busy. If she’s not in her studio creating something beautiful and original out of unexpected materials, then she is working hard to support other artists and makers through Wirral Open Studio Tour and Wirral MakeFest. She has been based in Wellington Road Art Studios, in Oxton, Wirral, since Christmas 2022 when she joined as a guest artist before taking on her first full time dedicated professional studio since leaving Edinburgh College of Art in 1990.
How would you describe your studio? We are in a low rise brick building, part of a courtyard behind the shops on Wellington Road in Oxton with three other businesses - a mechanic, canoe fabricator and another single artist studio. There are seven dedicated individual spaces of various sizes within WRAS and one communal workshop space, We have a kitchen, utility area and two toilets as well as parking spaces.
What is the atmosphere like and how does it influence your artistic process? I enjoy having my own space but also the ability to chat with my fellow artists and expand into the communal space when necessary. The mechanics being next door is an asset to bear in mind, should I be working on bigger projects. During exhibition set up and running workshops at other venues, I really really appreciate being able to drive up to load or unload.
What essential tools or materials do you always have in your studio? My main tools I have to say are my hands which sadly recently have been suffering a little due to 40 years of creating. I have my favourites amongst my jeweller's pliers and also find a needle handy. My work crosses over between jewellery and textiles and the equipment used is small scale and diverse. I have many tools that I use for workshops. My materials are worth visiting for themselves as they are sorted into colourful crates of plastic, rubber and wire. I use materials that have had a previous life in my work, the most recent being ball chains from roman blinds.
Are there any specific rituals or routines you follow before starting a new piece in your studio? Well, the basic ones - unlock the padlock to the courtyard, open the large green gate, latch it, open the main studio door, put the heating on and then check who is in to say a "grounding hello” for the day, then stick on Radio 4 and get into making.
Do you have any favourite art pieces or objects in your studio that hold special significance or inspiration for you? I love being surrounded by work and really enjoying making larger statement pieces, and am currently working with a couple of photographers to portray strong people wearing my work and being at one with it. This will be reflected in my new website, which hopefully will be up and running by the tour.
I am not about commodity or precious metals but about expression and transformation of materials. I hope my work emboldens people when they wear an outlandish piece or something larger than they are used to. At the moment, I am really enjoying seeing them on my mannequins in the studio, on my models in the photoshoots, and this is very significant to me as it a return to what I did in my earlier years - challenging the convention of what is jewellery - don't expect diamonds and pearls but expect the unexpected and lots of detail.
Find out more about Alison Bailey Smith’s work on her website.
Wirral Open Studio Tour takes place on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday June 15, featuring 106 artists across 58 studios.
Wirral MakeFest is at Birkenhead Central Library on Saturday, May 10, 10am-4pm, where there’ll be the chance to explore a wide range of hands-on activities and exhibits, with makers showcasing their skills in robotics, electronics, crafts, art, coding, repair and more.
Latest arts news
🎨 Tickets are now on sale for the Walker Art Gallery’s major exhibition exploring the work of JMW Turner and his enduring impact on later generations. Turner: Always Contemporary, which opens in October, will include National Museums Liverpool's collection of his oil paintings, works on paper and prints, alongside modern and contemporary artworks that delve into themes of travel, landscape and artistic experimentation.
🖌️ The latest immersive experience to come to town is the National Portrait Gallery’s Stories – Brought to Life, which opened at Salford Quays this week. Running until Sunday, August 31, it uses the latest digital technology to explore the lives of people who have shaped the UK’s history and culture, from the Tudor period to the present day.
🎶 The life and work of legendary Liverpool musician and peace campaigner John Lennon is being celebrated in a new live stage show Something About Lennon – The John Lennon Story. From the same team behind Something About George, about George Harrison, and Something About Simon, about Paul Simon, it will tour to the The Coro in Ulverston (Friday, May 23), Theatre Royal in St Helens (Tuesday, May 27), the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton (Wednesday, May 28), The Atkinson in Southport (Saturday, May 31), Blackburn Empire Theatre (Thursday, June 12), The Grand Theatre in Blackpool (Wednesday, June 18) and end at The Epstein in Liverpool (Sunday, July 6). Book here.
🎫 Critically-acclaimed Senegalese group Orchestra Baobab will perform at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Sunday, June 15 as part of a fundraising series of shows for the Africa Oyé festival. With a historical mix of Afro-Cuban style, international pop, and traditional griot music, Orchestra Baobab are embracing the 21st century with a renewed international fame.
In case you missed it
Now booking
The Battle, a new comedy based (mostly) on real events, is touring to the North West ahead of a West End run. Reliving the heady summer of 1995 when heavyweights of Britpop, Blur and Oasis, went head-to-head in what many consider to be greatest chart battle of all time, it’s the first stage play by screenwriter and Sunday Times best-selling novelist John Niven (O’Brother, Kill Your Friends, How To Build A Girl). It heads to the Manchester Opera House in March 2026 and to Chester’s Storyhouse in July 2026.
Thank you for reading the 130th edition of Stored Honey. If you enjoyed what you read then please hit the ❤️ button as it helps to get it shown more widely.
I’m off now to check out the programme for this weekend’s Smithdown Road Festival. In the meantime, you can get hold of me on Instagram, on Bluesky, in the comments or by replying to this email.
Have a great week,
Laura
P.S. How to get involved in Manchester's city music art trail this summer