Miki Rogers

I am a multi-disciplinary artist from Teesside in the Northeast of England. My work ranges between illustration and installation, predominantly telling stories and amplifying voices of those who often are not heard. For many years in my role as outreach curator, I worked within diverse communities across the North-East including male prisoners, asylum seekers and transgender young people, working alongside these groups to produce work which allowed them to express their thoughts, memories, and passions.

In my own work, I combine this interest in communities, my history working in the garment industry and formal education in sculpture alongside my own illustration and craft skills. I use these to express my passions about equity, equality, and visibility and against racism, ableism, and body shaming. Where issues are not mine, I speak to and record discussions with members of related communities of their own lived experiences, to share and develop understanding.

I’m currently developing a body of work which explores the experiences of people arriving to Teesside during the ‘Windrush’ period of history from ex Empire countries and Ireland, combining the stories with an installation including textiles and sound pieces in collaboration with sound artist Patrick Dineen which will open in this June at Kirkleatham Museum.

Interviewees have collaborated throughout period of working on the project, and I’ll be sharing some of their personal belongings, memories, and images to tell the story of Mid- Century Migration to Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland through the work.