Cover artist
Words: Paul Chapman
Images: Dan Smith Personal Branding Photography (dansmithphoto@proton.me)
Lucie Maycock’s artistic journey started realistically at Chesterfield College. "School never really worked for me," says Lucie, "I simply didn’t fit the box that education had made."
Lucie attended Chesterfield College to study Art Foundation in 2001 and it was here that she specialised in Photography, later studying for a degree. "After Uni, I knew I wanted to do something creative but like so many I didn’t know what. I started working for my Dad doing Graphic Design, Web and SEO stuff. It was OK, it allowed me to use some of my creative skills and it very quickly made me realise I’m never going to be cut out for office work," laughs Lucie.
"I remember my sister pointed out youth work to me, I didn’t really know what it was about, so I went and did some digging.
"I volunteered for a girl’s group in Brampton and was hooked! I went on to work in all different aspects of youth work and I loved it."
Lucie landed her dream job at Donut Creative Arts Studio working in youth arts development which covered designing and developing new strands of artistic work across all media and genres working with young people, then delivering the results, it was here that she started to specialise in drama and visual arts.
"I spent 12 years at Donut," says Lucie "it was the making of me, today I’m freelance because sadly the Donut Creative Arts Centre didn’t survive post COVID and closed their doors.
"I bought a van, loaded it with creative stuff and started working from home."
Today Lucie still focuses on working with young people, a role she clearly loves. "I work with charities, organisations, local authorities and creative agencies to co-ordinate all sorts of artistic sessions and workshops, 1-2-1s, school and youth club activities and projects, all in local community settings. I provide school holiday sessions offering exciting things to do in all kinds of settings.
"My artforms include spray painting, printmaking, painting, crafts, photography, murals, crafts, and I love mannequins, they allow people to be expressive in so many ways. I use digital technologies, for example the recent ‘Be Creative Bolsover’ project used many aspects of digital technology to create art.
"My passion is young people, youth social action through art, working with a group of young people to discover the things that matter in their world. I get them to focus locally, at a community level and wider, politics, the environment, parenting, getting them to engage and convey their messages through art.
"My present group are presenting me a mixed bag, better and more frequent buses, too much dog poo, body image, mental wellbeing, political issues, environmental problems, we’re looking at how the individuals involved can use different art forms to get their message across.
"I have some people who I’ve known through art since they were 11 years old who are now young adults, through university, who still call in to catch up. It’s great to see them growing up, it’s the best part of what I do, knowing I may have had some influence in getting them started in life."
Lucie also offers a more direct and personal service with 1-2-1 and home schooling sessions working directly with families and young people.
Alongside the funded activities Lucie gives up her spare time to support local causes, Monkey Park, Cannon Mill and Junction Arts. "I want to do all I can to influence and assist these projects, the present lack of funding for the arts is appalling so through these projects I can ensure creativity is on the priority list for the local area," says Lucie.
My contact with Lucie started through her work at Donut but today we share space down at West Studios on Sheffield Road where Lucie has been a tenant for a couple of years… the contents of her van, surrounding us in her studio space!
Lucie's cover is inspired by Linacre woods and the spaces around us that are filled with bluebells at this time of year. "I remember walking through the colourful woods with my mum when I was growing up, nature, shapes, smells, colours all feeding my senses, starting me on my creative journey at an early age.
Lucie finished by adding that she was told she would not be able to make a living as an artist, working class people just don’t make it in the art world. "The thing is it’s not all about selling paintings for thousands of pounds, there are so many ways you can engage your creative self and forge a living through art, the digital landscape is creating new opportunities all the time, if you have a vision of sitting working in a studio, stick with it and keep focused, try at all costs to make your dream a reality, I am living proof it is possible."
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