Meet the Community - Hannah Gush - From Student to Volunteer

Print by Hannah Gush

At Everybody Arts, we’re passionate about fostering creativity, connection, and community. Our participants often come from diverse backgrounds and bring their own unique journeys with them. In this first edition of Meet the Community, we’re thrilled to introduce Hannah Gush, an inspiring member whose involvement with Everybody Arts has grown from participant to volunteer.

Hannah’s journey with us began as a novice potter eager to learn about ceramics and printmaking, and over time, her passion for art and education has blossomed to where she now volunteers and delivers sessions as part of Makers Club. We sat down with Hannah to learn more about her creative inspirations, her evolving role at Everybody Arts, and how her love for art has influenced both her personal journey and her contributions as a volunteer.

Let’s dive into her story!

Tell us a bit about yourself, who you are and what are your creative interests and favourite mediums or techniques.

I've lived in Halifax all my life, apart from a gap year and university, I'm married to my partner in crime, Mike, and we have two lovely daughters. Mike and I run a textiles business at Shaw Lodge Mills, not far from Everybody Arts, making and selling tweed and blankets.

I have always been creative, both in the visual arts and in music. I've always loved painting, and grew up very much with an appreciation of textiles and ceramics, thanks to my Mum, who sewed through our childhood and has always had a soft spot for pots. I've also come to love printmaking in my adult life.  

I chose to pursue music in my studies but arts and crafts have always been my go-to hobby, and I've enjoyed trying out different media and techniques over the years. There seem to be endless creative possibilities, it's hard to choose what to focus on...

Can you tell us about your first experience with Everybody Arts and what initially drew you to get involved as a participant?

My first experience of Everybody Arts was in the early years of its formation. I heard that they were setting up an art school with studios in the mill, visited to find out more, and was very excited we were going to have such a place in Halifax. I was particularly excited about all the printmaking equipment, as I was doing quite a bit of lino printing at the time, but really wanted to explore screenprinting... So in around 2012, I came to do a few day courses in screenprinting, which I very much enjoyed.

A few years later, our first daughter entered the world and like many others, I'm sure, I found parenthood all-consuming and it was hard to imagine ever again having time and capacity for my own creative exploits! Thankfully, it was during this period that we set up our textiles business, 'From the Mills,' which gave me something of a creative outlet, and the creative side of which I very much enjoy. However, I still missed the freedom to paint, experiment, and do creative things just for the fun of it! 

More recently, our good friend, Matt, became a tutor in the Ceramics Studio at Everybody Arts, and we heard that they had got wheels! I have wanted to throw pottery since I was a child but never had the opportunity, so was beyond excited when it looked like it might actually be a possibility! I came on several courses at Everybody Arts in Wheel Throwing Ceramics, and then joined Studio Access, where you can come and use the Ceramic Studio facilities for 3 hours a week, which I have been doing for the last two years. It has been an absolute joy being able to come and play with mud, experiment with glazes, and meet a really lovely bunch of people. I'm sure I speak for nearly all the studio users when I say that my weekly slot at the studio is one of the greatest highlights of my week! I have loved learning how to throw pots and it has also helped me feel like I can do creative things again, after a long time feeling out of it, while my girls were little. Getting into pottery has kick-started me into feeling like I can have creative sessions at home too, and I'm really grateful to have more creativity in my life again.

Prints by Hannah Gush

What are some of your biggest creative inspirations? Are there any specific artists or movements that have shaped your artistic journey?

I love folk art, particularly British folk art, and have closely followed a group of artists called St Jude's, who take much inspiration from printmakers from early twenty-first century printmakers such as Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious, who I also love. I'm very inspired also by Japanese aesthetics and design and love the illustrations you get on old matchboxes. In my own art, I tend to represent objects that are somewhat commonplace but have a simple charm about them. Pots and houses are two themes that I always find myself coming back to.

What inspired you to transition from being a participant to becoming a volunteer?

I realised that I would love part of what I do in life to be facilitating creativity for others - it is so good for your soul. Spending time being creative as an individual is very freeing, but being creative in a group setting has the added bonus of friendship and community, which counts for a lot. It can be nurturing and healing and it's something I have benefitted from very much, so if I can help to facilitate more of that sort of thing, I would like to. 

What advice would you give to others who are interested in exploring their creativity or getting involved in community arts spaces like Everybody Arts?

Exploring creativity - 100% Do it!! Don't doubt yourself, don't worry if you've never done something before and try not to worry too much about how things come out - just enjoy it and experiment. It's worth trying lots of different creative things, the more different things you try, the more likely you are to find something that you really like! I believe that we all have the potential and can benefit from being creative, whether it's through painting, cooking, writing, woodwork, photography or something else. Creativity enriches our own lives and the lives of those around us, and I believe exploration is key to finding your thing. 

We are encouraged to explore and experiment as children, but not so much as adults - at a time of life when we often have complicated things to navigate. Probably we need creativity all the more as adults, even though it's harder to find the time and opportunity.  

Community spaces like Everybody Arts are great for facilitating creativity in our busy, cluttered lives, when we might not otherwise find the time or space for it. Going somewhere where you can make art without intruding on your family's living space is a game changer. And having the designated creative time out of the house makes a difference. At home there are always jobs to do so it can be hard to have guilt-free creative time, but once you're with others at a community arts venue, you forget all that and just enjoy yourself!

It's also a great place for meeting like-minded people and making friends. I have been amazed how at home I feel with the pottery lot - it's like a ready-made friendship group/ pottery family.

Coming to Everybody Arts has been great for my mental health and has made me feel a lot more positive about my life. For me, allowing myself to have creative time is a type of self-care, and the positive times I have at Everybody Arts help me feel happier and have more resilience in the rest of my life too.

If you would like to learn more about Hannah Gush and her work you can follow her community on Instagram