We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cath Rogers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cath below.

Hi Cath, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I think the biggest risk I’ve ever taken was taking my first job in a prison on 2015. This was off the back of leaving a stable, sensible job and starting to figure out what I really wanted to do. It was a risk in a series of risks! All I knew was that I loved art, and I loved people, without really understanding how I could make that into something real. Venturing into the wellbeing sector as a starting point I found a job working in an occupational therapy service, specialising in creative/ various wellbeing group facilitation in a category B/A men’s prison in London. I had no concept of what prison was like, and I had no prior connection to it or anyone who had lived there, but I saw the job and knew I needed to go for it. It’s what I can only describe as deep knowing. I practically gave my dad a heart attack when I told him [understandably, he’s a very caring and protective father], but my mum didn’t as seem phased, she looked at me and smiled, ‘I used to volunteer in prison creche you know?’ I didn’t know this, it made me smile, we’d always been quite similar, and this was just another way. Since taking the job my world has completely opened up, the people, creatives, artists I have met and worked with in there have taught me more about finding freedom than anyone else. Something I never expected. I loved this first prison job so much and it began a significant process within me that caused me to explore my art practice more deeply and pursue ways of helping more people engage with the arts. It’s been a domino effect that has found me working with men in prisons still to this day as a freelancer. The generosity of people I have met inside, the way they share their stories, their ideas, their beliefs and their time is something incredibly special that I will treasure forever. They have the biggest hearts and they have inspired me in more ways than I can ever articulate. Taking a job in a hostile environment has taught me so much about patience, peace and freedom. The men I have met inside prison have demonstrated such growth, humanity, forgiveness to each other, to themselves and to all us who worked there, it’s not perfect place, and Lord knows there are issues with the system and some individuals behaviour, but what I experienced was a lot people really trying to build something new in their lives, many of them starting with a journey through creative expression that I was lucky enough to accompany them on.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an award winning collage & assemblage artist based in Liverpool UK, known for creating detailed, intricate paper designs, sculptures, and installations that bring narratives to life through image-based storytelling. My work has been exhibited in the UK & abroad in galleries and public spaces. Inspired by my own journey to better mental health through a connection to art, I strive to help others engage in art viewing & art making. Seeking to disrupt the status quo of the elitist art world, dreaming up new ways to bring art to people. Making collage has been a sanctuary for me my whole life, since discovering it in high school I’ve been captivated, the simplicity of it’s starting point means anyone can pick it up and give it a go, it’s one of the most inclusive art practices out there for sure! I trained as an artist and knew I wanted to be a creative full time, especially to help other people engage in being creative too, but never knew what that would look like and spent many years in ‘safe and realistic’ jobs, not really believing there was a space out there for me to do what I was passionate about. Then as I mentioned in a previous question I began to look into working in the wellbeing sector and the job in prison turned up. I was catapulted into a whole new world, one where I could see the access to creativity and wellbeing classes really helping people. Once I took this job I never looked back and now have a decade of experience running creative groups as an artist and several years as an art psychotherapist. Working primarily as an artist now, I run and develop projects that address social issues and/ or help improve access to the arts whilst also making time for my own art practice and creative development too. I exhibit work in galleries but particularly love creating work for site specific briefs and public settings. For example, in June of this year I was invited to create a 4.8m x 2.4m mural representing the latest Taylor Swift album to be part of the Taylor Town trail to celebrate the artist’s arrival in the city. The piece was visited and photographed by thousands of people from around the world whilst they visited Liverpool, it was a surreal and deeply humbling experience. An intricate, hand cut collage design that I crafted in my studio was displayed on a huge scale, on metal sheeting in the centre of the town where I grew up. It was astonishing! I create my 2D and 3D work in such a way that it invites people to interact with it, to be a part of it, so that every creative element of what I do seeks to include and draw others into the story and experience of being connected to art and creativity. I also complete artist residencies in collaboration with local organisations such as children’s hospitals, bringing art making [definitely including collage] to the bedside of patients. It’s beautiful to be a part of helping someone in hospital make something beautiful whilst in there. I also designed and facilitate a prison arts program bringing quality materials and creative sessions into various sites. This work feels like a very important continuation of my initial work in prisons and my commitment to helping those who live there in some way. I think the ethos of my work is that art is good for you and collage is a great place to start. I live this out by practicing and developing in my art making and sharing this as much as possible with other people and organisations. I feel blessed beyond belief that this is my reality. Even when it’s hard, I know that I was designed for this, I was born to do this.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think from the outside it can seem a bit strange to pursue a creative career, it doesn’t always seem like a ‘real’ job. It can appear as if we are floating in a world of make believe, but really, we’re just built with an internal desire to bring our creations out of our hearts and minds and gift them to you. Art making and creativity is deeply interpersonal at its core, in whatever way it is presented. Artist’s offerings are just that, an offering, a perspective, an experience, a piece of themselves, that they hope by sharing, a piece of you is honoured and seen. It’s not the same as other jobs and it may not appear to bolster the world in the same way as a finance job or a doctor may do, but it does, it speaks directly to the human experience, and presents it in new ways and touches the soul. It strengthens innovation, helps to bring new ways of thinking to the table, it offers new perspectives and isn’t afraid to ask the difficult questions. It’s deeply aligned to movements of history, human expression and development and every political shift there has ever been. In this sense it’s more than a job, it’s a calling, one which has a humungous responsibility attached to it. It’s not to say it is better or greater than any other profession, it’s not, but it is as important. So if you think you might be a creative, but are a bit scared that this isn’t a safe or important path to take, try and put that fear aside, the world needs you and your art.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I simply want everyone to have the opportunity to engage with and experience the transformational power of art making, art viewing and creativity. Whether they choose to pursue it is their choice, but I want everyone to at the very least, have the access and opportunity to experience it. I’ve seen it change people’s hearts, minds and even circumstance. It certainly has mine and all I’ve ever wanted is to pass this along.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.catherine-rogers.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/catheriner0gers
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-rogers-76550786/

Image Credits

Majority of images taken by me. Final image ‘Collage session in action’ is taken by photographers at Culture Liverpool, the cultural and creative sector of the Liverpool City Council. This photograph was taken and shared with the permission of attendees on social media and again on my social media.