Contact me: [email protected]
About Me
I have been making with textiles and growing food since childhood, and it was no surprise that I chose a degree which offered a way to connect with and understand nature better. Although making took a back seat, it never went away; there was always a project 'on the go'. Eventually, my urge to make and to express myself through my creative work became central and with confidence from my MA, my - now well established - conversations with clothes moved from a whisper to a shout.
My love of nature, making, growing food and connections to place and people now share centre stage. The edges between disciplines may seem hard, but as my Permaculture journey has taught me, we should always 'use the edge and value the marginal'. Dress stories connect people to rare habitats; a pervasive 'weed' is transformed into a beautiful and practical basket; I share my skills and we grow community and find our place in the landscape together.
I have been making with textiles and growing food since childhood, and it was no surprise that I chose a degree which offered a way to connect with and understand nature better. Although making took a back seat, it never went away; there was always a project 'on the go'. Eventually, my urge to make and to express myself through my creative work became central and with confidence from my MA, my - now well established - conversations with clothes moved from a whisper to a shout.
My love of nature, making, growing food and connections to place and people now share centre stage. The edges between disciplines may seem hard, but as my Permaculture journey has taught me, we should always 'use the edge and value the marginal'. Dress stories connect people to rare habitats; a pervasive 'weed' is transformed into a beautiful and practical basket; I share my skills and we grow community and find our place in the landscape together.
Biography
Exhibitions & Events
2024-26 Ladywell Guardian Dress & Chalk Stream Guardian Dress, Dover History at Night, St Edmunds Chapel, Dover, March 2024, 2025, 2026; Heritage Open Days, St Edmunds Chapel, Dover, November 2024, 2026
2025 Ladywell Guardian Dress, Maison Dieu opening, installation, The Maison Dieu, Dover, March
2024 Chalk Stream Guardian Dress, Little Artlings Big Ideas Family Art Festival, Biggin Hall, Dover, 19th July
2021 Mr Blackbird with Gladrags Community Resource 'Our Place Moulsecoomb and Bevendean', Brighton Festival, May.
2020 We Met in 1944, Textile narrative, Gladrags Community Resource, Brighton, March 2020.
2018 Lost in Limbo, Film installation, The Regency House, Brighton, 27th & 31st October.
2018 The Black Beaded Dress - a response, Launch of "The Missing List" by Clare Best, CLHLWR/ Reframe/MFM, University of Sussex, 17th October.
2018 Bound Together, 3rd Cranbrook Video Festival, Cranbrook, Kent.
2017 Various Textile Landscapes at The Green Kitchen, Brighton.
2016 Three Green Dresses, MA 2016 Graduation Show, Grand Parade, Brighton.
2015 Whalefest, World Cetacean Alliance, Brighton Beach, Brighton.
2015 Women & Domesticity – What’s your perspective?, Studio 11, Eastbourne.
2015 Brighton Artist Open Houses: Claremont Hotel (2015); Betty & Friends (2013); New England House Open Studios (2010-11); Handmade House in Ditchling (2009-10); The Cherry Tree Bungalow (2008); Lowther Road Open House (2007).
Workshops & Teaching
2026 Care of Fruit Trees, Stanmer Park, Brighton (for Brighton Permaculture Trust), 30th May
2026 Chalk Stream Guardian sewing workshop (to accompany "Dover at Night" festival), Temple Ewell Primary School, Kent, 9th March.
2025 Lavender Wands, Julieberrie's Grave Project, Chilham, July
2025 Tree Planting, online (for Brighton Permaculture Trust), 6th November
2025 Care of Fruit Trees, Stanmer Park, Brighton (for Brighton Permaculture Trust), 7th June
2024 Care of Fruit Trees, Stanmer Park, Brighton (for Brighton Permaculture Trust), 25th May, 13th July
2024 Bindweed Baskets, Seddlescoomb, East Sussex, July
2022 Lavender Wands & Herb Bundles, Roedale Allotments, Brighton & Hove, July
Websites
2024 The Ladywell Guardian, https://www.maisondieudover.org.uk/news/the-ladywell-guardian-by-jenni-cresswell-2024
2019 The Black Beaded Dress, https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/lifewritingprojects/the-black-beaded-dress-by-lyn-thomas-with-response-by-jenni-cresswell/
2017 Three Green Dresses, Life Writing Website, https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/lifewritingprojects/clothes/three-green-dress-by-jenni-cresswell
2016 “Secret Art Show”, MS Trust, https://www.mstrust.org.uk/get-involved/shop/secret-art-show-pick-a-mini-masterpiece
2015 “Mappenings”, New Pathways – A Psychogeography of Lewes, CLHLWR, University of Sussex/REFRAME, http://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/newpathways/mappenings/
Conferences
2020 'Remember Me? Creative Conversations with Clothes', Maternity and Wellbeing, Centre for Arts and Wellbeing, University of Brighton (online), 13th November.
2019 'Timeframes of Love', Memory, Nostalgia and the Politics of Space and Place, CMNH, University of Brighton, 4th July.
2018 'Revealing Stories', Locating Women in ‘the Folk’: Perspectives on women’s contributions to folk song, folklore, and cultural traditions, Sussex Traditions & EFDSS, University of Sussex, 9th June.
2017 'Transforming dresses & revealing narratives', Life History and Life Writing Research: Critical and Creative Approaches, CLHLWR, University of Sussex and CRMNH, University of Brighton, 16th June.
2017 'Deconstructing Dresses to reveal an imagined past and future', Nostalgia in Art, Media and Popular Culture, 2nd Annual Film & Screen Studies Symposium, University of Brighton, 28th April.
2017 'Three Green Dresses: Deconstructing Dresses and Revealing Narratives', Storying The Self, C21 Writings, University of Brighton, 29th March.
Journals & Publications
2023 'Timeframes of Love: Perceptions of Memory and Nostalgia Explored through Creative Practice', Storying the Self - Performance and Communities, eds R. Adamson & J. Moriarty, pp7-17.
2020 'Revealing Stories through Folktales and Dresses', Locating Women in the Folk: Perspectives on Women's Contributions to Folk song, Folklore, and Cultural Traditions, Conference Proceedings, pp 47-52.
2019 'Hidden Messages and Revealing Stories', Journal of Writing in Creative Practice, 12:1-2, pp 151-165.
Training & Qualifications
2025 Pruning Young Fruit Trees, Brighton Permaculture Trust, Fruit Factory, Stanmer, Brighton, 15th February
2025 Pruning Old Fruit Trees, Brighton Permaculture Trust, Fruit Factory, Stanmer, Brighton, January
2022 Permaculture Design Course, Brighton Permaculture Trust, Brighton
2018 MA Art & Design by Independent Project, University of Brighton
2010 Introduction to Permaculture, Brighton Permaculture Trust, Brighton
1991 Bsc (Hons) Combined Science - Environmental Pollution & Life Science, University of Glamorgan
Exhibitions & Events
2024-26 Ladywell Guardian Dress & Chalk Stream Guardian Dress, Dover History at Night, St Edmunds Chapel, Dover, March 2024, 2025, 2026; Heritage Open Days, St Edmunds Chapel, Dover, November 2024, 2026
2025 Ladywell Guardian Dress, Maison Dieu opening, installation, The Maison Dieu, Dover, March
2024 Chalk Stream Guardian Dress, Little Artlings Big Ideas Family Art Festival, Biggin Hall, Dover, 19th July
2021 Mr Blackbird with Gladrags Community Resource 'Our Place Moulsecoomb and Bevendean', Brighton Festival, May.
2020 We Met in 1944, Textile narrative, Gladrags Community Resource, Brighton, March 2020.
2018 Lost in Limbo, Film installation, The Regency House, Brighton, 27th & 31st October.
2018 The Black Beaded Dress - a response, Launch of "The Missing List" by Clare Best, CLHLWR/ Reframe/MFM, University of Sussex, 17th October.
2018 Bound Together, 3rd Cranbrook Video Festival, Cranbrook, Kent.
2017 Various Textile Landscapes at The Green Kitchen, Brighton.
2016 Three Green Dresses, MA 2016 Graduation Show, Grand Parade, Brighton.
2015 Whalefest, World Cetacean Alliance, Brighton Beach, Brighton.
2015 Women & Domesticity – What’s your perspective?, Studio 11, Eastbourne.
2015 Brighton Artist Open Houses: Claremont Hotel (2015); Betty & Friends (2013); New England House Open Studios (2010-11); Handmade House in Ditchling (2009-10); The Cherry Tree Bungalow (2008); Lowther Road Open House (2007).
Workshops & Teaching
2026 Care of Fruit Trees, Stanmer Park, Brighton (for Brighton Permaculture Trust), 30th May
2026 Chalk Stream Guardian sewing workshop (to accompany "Dover at Night" festival), Temple Ewell Primary School, Kent, 9th March.
2025 Lavender Wands, Julieberrie's Grave Project, Chilham, July
2025 Tree Planting, online (for Brighton Permaculture Trust), 6th November
2025 Care of Fruit Trees, Stanmer Park, Brighton (for Brighton Permaculture Trust), 7th June
2024 Care of Fruit Trees, Stanmer Park, Brighton (for Brighton Permaculture Trust), 25th May, 13th July
2024 Bindweed Baskets, Seddlescoomb, East Sussex, July
2022 Lavender Wands & Herb Bundles, Roedale Allotments, Brighton & Hove, July
Websites
2024 The Ladywell Guardian, https://www.maisondieudover.org.uk/news/the-ladywell-guardian-by-jenni-cresswell-2024
2019 The Black Beaded Dress, https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/lifewritingprojects/the-black-beaded-dress-by-lyn-thomas-with-response-by-jenni-cresswell/
2017 Three Green Dresses, Life Writing Website, https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/lifewritingprojects/clothes/three-green-dress-by-jenni-cresswell
2016 “Secret Art Show”, MS Trust, https://www.mstrust.org.uk/get-involved/shop/secret-art-show-pick-a-mini-masterpiece
2015 “Mappenings”, New Pathways – A Psychogeography of Lewes, CLHLWR, University of Sussex/REFRAME, http://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/newpathways/mappenings/
Conferences
2020 'Remember Me? Creative Conversations with Clothes', Maternity and Wellbeing, Centre for Arts and Wellbeing, University of Brighton (online), 13th November.
2019 'Timeframes of Love', Memory, Nostalgia and the Politics of Space and Place, CMNH, University of Brighton, 4th July.
2018 'Revealing Stories', Locating Women in ‘the Folk’: Perspectives on women’s contributions to folk song, folklore, and cultural traditions, Sussex Traditions & EFDSS, University of Sussex, 9th June.
2017 'Transforming dresses & revealing narratives', Life History and Life Writing Research: Critical and Creative Approaches, CLHLWR, University of Sussex and CRMNH, University of Brighton, 16th June.
2017 'Deconstructing Dresses to reveal an imagined past and future', Nostalgia in Art, Media and Popular Culture, 2nd Annual Film & Screen Studies Symposium, University of Brighton, 28th April.
2017 'Three Green Dresses: Deconstructing Dresses and Revealing Narratives', Storying The Self, C21 Writings, University of Brighton, 29th March.
Journals & Publications
2023 'Timeframes of Love: Perceptions of Memory and Nostalgia Explored through Creative Practice', Storying the Self - Performance and Communities, eds R. Adamson & J. Moriarty, pp7-17.
2020 'Revealing Stories through Folktales and Dresses', Locating Women in the Folk: Perspectives on Women's Contributions to Folk song, Folklore, and Cultural Traditions, Conference Proceedings, pp 47-52.
2019 'Hidden Messages and Revealing Stories', Journal of Writing in Creative Practice, 12:1-2, pp 151-165.
Training & Qualifications
2025 Pruning Young Fruit Trees, Brighton Permaculture Trust, Fruit Factory, Stanmer, Brighton, 15th February
2025 Pruning Old Fruit Trees, Brighton Permaculture Trust, Fruit Factory, Stanmer, Brighton, January
2022 Permaculture Design Course, Brighton Permaculture Trust, Brighton
2018 MA Art & Design by Independent Project, University of Brighton
2010 Introduction to Permaculture, Brighton Permaculture Trust, Brighton
1991 Bsc (Hons) Combined Science - Environmental Pollution & Life Science, University of Glamorgan
