During February and March 2025, we invited a range of artists and makers to apply to be a part of our collective to develop their interest, skills and hands-on experience using bamboo as a material. Bringing together our collective with our masterclass leaders: Jo Pocock and James Marr.
Our masterclasses took place in ACAVA studios on the historic Spode site in Stoke town, and thanks to UK Bamboo Supplies for the supply of bamboo.
This project is all part of our development of our work, and as part of the Brilliant Bamboo Brownfield Parklet, take a look at Why Bamboo and Why here for more.
Masterclass leader: Jo Pocock
Jo is a multi-disciplinary artist and Artistic Director for the Lantern Company. Over the last decade, she has been increasingly guided by sustainable practice and circular design principles. Jo has worked locally, nationally and internationally on socially engaged projects in various roles; designer, director, maker, puppeteer and teacher, on site-specific events, carnival and artistic commissions.
After working as a mentor on the Imagine Bamboo projects in Liverpool and Coventry (led by Orit Azaz, Artistic Director) she became smitten with the endless creative and sustainable possibilities that bamboo offers, and travelled to Bamboo U in Bali, to undertake an intensive training course in Design and Building with Bamboo.
Jo often explores the natural world in her work and has developed inventive ways of using light and shadow, animation, engineering and performance throughout her career. Often found outdoors, she has worked in many unlikely and challenging settings, from intimate community interactions to large-scale spectacle.
Jo studied fine art in Liverpool, where she has lived and worked for 35 years.
Masterclass leader: James Marr
James Marr grew up in a rural environment where he developed a lifelong interest in
cycling and sustainability. With a practical mindset and problem-solving focus, he
pursued an engineering degree and started his career in water hydraulics at Thames Water, later transitioning to renewable micropower generation.
In 2012, James established the Bamboo Bicycle Club, an initiative aimed at teaching people how to build bicycles using bamboo as a sustainable alternative to conventional materials. James has run hundreds of workshops for individuals and groups, ranging from cycling enthusiasts to educators and engineers.
James’s expertise in bio-composites has also enabled him to collaborate with engineers and organizations, including the United Nations and Article 25, to explore the potential of bamboo in product and architectural design.
His work has been presented at leading design institutions such as the London Design Museum, the Grand Palais in Paris, and the IFB2016 Innovation Showcase.
In addition to his hands-on work, James supports education through guest lectures and student collaborations, including projects at University College London. He has written for publications like Permaculture Magazine and Design and Technology
Magazine, contributing to discussions on sustainability and practical engineering.
Brilliant Bamboo Masterclassers:
Ayad Al-Ani
Ayad is a community-driven professional dedicated to supporting the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. His work focuses on developing social value by academia, community initiatives, and creative expression to foster meaningful change. Ayad is a catalyst and advocate for causes like social justice, refugees, and cultural engagement.
In addition to his role as the director of London Central Academy with a background in business, linguistics, and quality management, Ayad has a deep commitment to exploring art and its social impact.
Behrad Hafezi
Behrad is from Iran and is very happy that he was invited to be a part of the masterclasses. In Iran, Behrad was a furniture maker: he used to weave chairs, small baskets and small ornaments were woven using plastic, palm tree leaves, and small boats and ships were made from a plant called reed in Iran, which is very similar to bamboo.
Chloe Rickett
Chloe is a multi discipline artist inspired by all things wild and wonderful. Keen allotment goer, grower and novice builder. My background is in community-based art – delivering workshops locally in SOT including building with bamboo!
Dan Jaworski-Higgs
Dan is a co-artistic director of B Arts.
Dan Wiggins
Dan is a multidisciplinary artist currently working in sculptural forms with found & broken objects.
Fadi Bobo
My name is Fadi Bobo and I’m an Art magnet where I’ve been attracted to many different types of arts and hand making.
I’m proud to be a part of the Bamboo projects because I believe in its benefits and the uncountable opportunities this natural raw materials allow us to build with for daily uses which help us reducing the planet’s pollution and to improve better environment for us and our coming generations.
Francesca Wheeler
Natural artist, nature lover and wildlife advocate.
As a community artist, working with natural materials (plants, wood, feathers, clay, natural dyes etc.), I work with adults and children to create artwork that reconnects them with their inner creativity, explore relationships with nature and promote wellbeing.
Kika Zdziarska
Kika is dedicated to advancing social justice and environmental sustainability through architecture and research. With a strong focus on integrating biobased materials into socially impactful designs, she became fascinated with the transformative potential of bamboo.
Kika holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from TU Delft, where her thesis explored the use of bamboo in a project specifically designed to meet the needs of women, promoting a participatory and empowering construction process. This project was part of a research initiative in South America, supported by the RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship. Following graduation, she furthered her experience as a Bamboo U Scholar at the Bamboo Design&Build course in Bali and contributed to conferences and exhibitions on bamboo architecture.
Currently, she is expanding her research to explore other biobased materials and hybrid systems, focusing on how they can work together to enhance the performance of circular, zero-waste designs.
Monica Cru-Hall
Monica is a passionate advocate for housing justice, sustainability, and community-driven solutions. As the founder of Therapy North Staffordshire and Kwanzaa Unity Publishing. A teacher, SENDco and a creative arts therapist, she explores the intersections of storytelling, social change, and ecological resilience. With hands-on experience in bamboo construction and a deep commitment to decolonising housing practices, Monica brings a unique perspective to the Brilliant Bamboo Project. She is particularly interested in bamboo’s potential as an affordable, sustainable material for housing and community development, ensuring that innovative solutions are accessible to those most in need.
Niki Colclough
Niki Colclough (she/her) is an artist from Stoke-on-Trent, currently based in Manchester UK. Niki works on self-directed projects and commissions to explore how art can address social issues, with a focus on care, wellbeing and the environment. Niki uses artistic thinking and processes to open up collaborative dialogues, central to her practice is the idea of place – considering the social, physical and emotional landscapes we inhabit.
In 2021 Niki trained as a Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing) leader and has since been incorporating this practice into various artworks. Niki also leads the module ‘Approaches to Engagement’ on the MA Socially Engaged Art Practice at the University of Salford.
Simmi Sandhu
Simmi is a Tean, Staffordshire Moorlands-based acrylic painter and mixed-media artist from London. She has exhibited at venues including Foxlowe Arts Centre, Keele University Arts Gallery, and All Saints Arts Centre and has been featured on BBC Radio. Her painting Planet Phoenix was recently selected for an international exhibition by Cista Arts (London/Paris), leading to features in The Sentinel newspaper and The Voice magazine. Simmi’s work is held in private collections across the UK, Australia, Germany, and the US, as well as by London-based record label Far Out Recordings. She holds a BA in Visual Theories from the University of East London and an MA in Contemporary Curating from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Will Morris
I’m an independent product designer with over 10 years of experience designing consumer products through to life changing medical devices. I’m based in Staffordshire, UK, and I focus on helping local start-ups, scale-ups and SME’s with new product development.
As part of our Brilliant Bamboo Brownfield Parklet : a project as part of the Stoke town High Street Accelerator Greenspace Project through Stoke-on-Trent City Council and funds from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
