Anna Billany (they/them, b. 2001) is a visual artist, technician and facilitator from Washington, Tyne and Wear, currently based at PINK in Stockport and FACT in Liverpool. Their practice and research examine themes of cyberfeminism, obsession and identity in a rapidly digitising world.

Anna is interested in artist-led and community-engaged practice and has worked with organisations across the UK to increase access to the arts through facilitation and education. They currently co-direct Caterpillar Press, a queer-led, non-profit printing cooperative, and have over seven years’ experience in creative and organisational roles. Supported by the UAL Postgraduate Scholarship, they are studying MA Fine Art: Digital at Central Saint Martins from 2026 to 2028. Their blog and current research can be found  here.

Key Skills

Creative Direction / Design / Access Support / Events / Facilitation / Bookbinding / Funding Applications / Risograph / New Media / Set Design / Coding

Awards

• 2026             Beyond Innovators Award,  Nominated by Nicola Triscott, CEO of                        FACT Liverpool

• 2026             Postgraduate Scholarship, University of the Arts London

• 2026 - 2027 Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant: Research and Development recipient  ‘Building Adaptive Worlds: Queer, Disabled Approaches to Digital Scenography’

• 2026             Stockport Council Arts Access Bursary recipient

• 2025             A-N Artist Bursary recipient

• 2025             Stockport Council Artist Bursary recipient

• 2023             Manchester School of Art, Design Innovation Award Shortlist

• 2018              University of Cambridge, History of Art Summer School, Sutton Trust award. 

Formal Education

• 2026 – 2028         University of the Arts London - Central Saint Martins: MA Fine Art: Digital
• Two-year MA programme combining on-campus learning in London with online study.

• 2020 – 2023         Manchester School of Art: BA Illustration with Animation (First Class Honours)
• Shortlisted for Design Award.
• Completed placement as a part-time technician during during their third year of study in the bookbinding and printmaking workshop. 

• 2019 – 2020          University of Sunderland: Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Distinction) 
• Fashion and textiles specialism. Extracurricular activities were focused on Print Club, organising workshops for other students and being part of exhibitions in the Priestman Building.
  

• 2017 - 2019            Sunderland College: A-Levels: Fine Art, History, Sociology Grades : AAB

• 2012 - 2017            Oxclose Community Academy: 11 GCSEs -- A*/8/9 GCSE grades in English Literature, English Language, Art and Design, History and Citizenship, A/7 GCSE grades in Maths, Biology and Chemistry, B/6 GCSE grades in German, Physics and IT. 

Freelance Work

Freelance designer for musicians, zines, and events. Regular seller at markets and pop-ups. Experienced in client communication, meeting deadlines and independent project management.

Clients include: Shape Arts UK, AK Bliss, Gloaming Creative Agency, Peshkar, MadLab, Yes Lah Manchester, CWYR Zine, Mossroom Bookshop, Queerly Made Market, Sweet Tooth Presents, Nottingham Horror Collective, Sweetface Magazine, Gimme Kaya, BRUT Life Drawing.

Solo Exhibitions

ASTROTURF, The Apple Core, Stockport - 6th November 2026 

Group Exhibitions

• October 2026 -  Mermaids: Tide Up, PINK, Stockport (co-organiser with Sophie-Mia)
• September 2026 - ANIMA /01, Hackney Downs Studio, London
  

• April 2026 -  Fairies by Yon, Stockport

• September 2025 - Peshkar Showcase, Seoul, South Korea

• August 2025, I Will Never Be Finished Removing All These Faces, SEESAW, Manchester
  

• July 2025 - Song Books, SHOP, Preston 

• May 2025 – Pretty Disturbed Carlton Club, Manchester

• May 2025 – Roots and Ruins PINK, Stockport

• April 2025 – Naive Melody Strangebrew, Manchester

• December 2024 – Queer World Building SEESAW, Manchester 
• April 2024 – CWYR De-vices Zine launch and exhibition at Bankley Gallery, Levenshulme

• July 2023 – January 2024 - Held Part of several open studios, exhibitions and print sales held at Underbank Studios, Stockport. 

• April 2023 – Chromophilia West Art Collective HQ, Antwerp Mansion, Manchester

• February 2023 – Deal with the Devil West Art Collective X Heads, Canvas, Manchester

• February 2023 - International Women’s Day Cloudwater Brewery
  

• November 2022 - March 2023 – Belonging  Exhibiting with Underbank Studios residents in the Granada Gallery, HOME Manchester and Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery, 

• June 2022 - LIMP The Deaf Institute, Manchester
  

• May 2022 - Wonky UNIT X show with Manchester School of Art, HOME, Manchester
  

• December 2021 - Underbank Studios X Sandbar Takeover, Sandbar, Manchester
  

• October 2021 - Witchcraft, Underbank Studios, Stockport
  

Publications, Books and Zines

• May 2026 - ‘Motherboard’ (self-published via Caterpillar Press)

• May 2026 - ‘Sketchbook/Desktop’ (self-published via Caterpillar Press)

• April 2026 - ‘Trolley Problem’ (self-published via Caterpillar Press/FACT)

• December 2025 - ‘Legoland’ (self-published via Caterpillar Press)

• August-September 2025 - ‘Protective rite for the home' / 'Namy apsaugos ritualas', (self-published during Ubiskes3)

• June 2025 - ‘I think youtube is gangstalking me’ (self-published via Caterpillar Press)

• June 2025 - ‘PC Music isn’t dead’ (self-published via Caterpillar Press)

• March 2025 - ‘i used to look up to you’ (handmade artist book)

• February 2025 - ‘An Ode to Junglerama’ (self-published via Caterpillar Press)
  

• November 2024 - ‘CYWR: Fulfillment’ (CWYR zine)
  

• June 2024 - ‘Good for the heart and also the brain’ (self-published via Roots Riso)
  

• March 2024 - ‘CWYR: Devices’ (CWYR zine)

• May 2023 - ‘Can invisible men see their own reflections?’ (self-published via Manchester School of Art)

• May 2022 - ‘the nine’ (Collaboration with UNIT X, Manchester School of Art)

Selected Events

Regular exhibitor and vendor at UK and international zine fairs and markets including:

• October 2026 -  Bound Art Book Fair, Manchester (As Caterpillar Press)

• August 2026 -  Pagemasters Zine Fair, London, UK (As Caterpillar Press)

• July 2026 -  SABRS, Riga, Latvia
• July 2026 - SEESAW Publishers Fair, Manchester (As Caterpillar Press)
  
• May 2026 -  Duplicate Publishers Fair, Birmingham (As Caterpillar Press)
  
• May 2026 -  Glasgow Zine Fest (As Caterpillar Press)
  
• May 2026 -  Newcastle Zine Fair
  
• December 2025 -  York Zine Fest
• December 2026 -  London Queer Mart (As Caterpillar Press)
• December 2026 -  Stockport Zine Fair
  
• November 2026 - Hull Print Fair
• October 2025 - DIY Art Market, London (As Caterpillar Press)
  
• October 2025 -  Bound Art Book Fair, Manchester (As Caterpillar Press)
• October 2025 - Good Yard, Stockport
  
• September 2025 - GRRRL Zine Fair, Southend (As Caterpillar Press)
• September 2025 -  Pagemasters Zine Fair, London, UK (As Caterpillar Press)
  
• July 2025 - Arty Farty Market by Marblehead Studios, London
  
• July 2025 - Glasgow Zine Fest (As Caterpillar Press)
  
• May 2025 - Pretty Disturbed, Manchester
  
• December 2025 - Fly By Fair, by BRUT and Caterpillar Press
  
• August 2024 - Multitudes Zine Fest, Manchester
  

Regular events include Queerly Made, EndlessLoveCreative, West Art Collective, Platt Fields Art Market, NICE ONE, Moonbuns (Nottingham), Lavender Nights, MQAM, Punk4Pay and others.

Workshops

Anna delivers trauma-informed, accessible workshops across the UK, working with organisations including SEESAW Manchester, Peshkar, TiPP, MadLab, SICK! Festival, HOME, The King’s Trust, Mossroom Bookshop, and others. Much of this work is unpublished for participant privacy. 
More information on Anna’s participatory practice can be found here.


Lectures, Features and Talks

• November 2026 - Manchester Metropolitan University
• Guest lecture via MMU’s RISE Programme on artist funding, Arts Council England’s DYCP grant and the importance of access support.

• September 2026 - Unity Radio, Sophie Mia Sundays
• Interview with Manchester-based radio host and curator Sophie-Mia Crook.

• September 2026 - Artist Talk, Kaunas Artists House, Lithuania
• Artist talk discussing my summer residency and visual research

• June 2026 - ‘Self-Efficiency’ RISE, Manchester Metropolitan University
• Talk regarding self-employment skills for artists,  creative-led projects and accessibility.

• December 2025 - Cooperatives UK ‘Do It Different’ (on behalf of Caterpillar Press) PINK, Stockport

• August 2025 - Artist Talk (with Ubiskes3), Vilnius Academy of Arts, VDA Telšiai Gallery, Lithuania
  

Other Education + Training + Qualifications

• December 2026  FACT Liverpool and IKLECTIK: Spatial Sound Lab
• Masterclass training in immersive spatial audio for live performance led by experimental London-based platform IKLECTIK.

• October 2026 - February 2027 The NODE Institute:  TouchDesigner Training Course
• Live-time visuals and coding course by the Berlin-based NODE Institute. The course covers 3D scenes, particle systems, instancing, point clouds and POPs, with GLSL and Python. The final two months are focused on advanced sound reactivity, modular tool design, computer vision, working with external devices and data, and preparing work for live performance and installation.

• July-August 2026  University of the Arts London: Creative Coding Online Course
• Creative coding course using the .Prosessing language to create generative visual languages.

• March 2024 – February 2025  Hot Bed Press: The Complete Book Artist, year long certificate.
• Technical skills-based course focused on bookbinding and print techniques taught primarily by George Grace Gibson with guest sessions from Lisa Lorenz and Sylvia Watering

Key Work

• June 2026 - July 2027: Arts Council England NLPG: Research and Development Recipient
  In April 2026, I was awarded a National Lottery Project Grant for research and development on Building Adaptive Worlds: Queer, Disabled Approaches to Digital Scenography. The project supports my exploration of accessible, responsive digital environments, centring queer and disabled perspectives in how virtual spaces are designed, experienced, and inhabited.

 

• May 2025 – Present: Freelance Access Support Worker, Arts Council England Providing one-to-one support for disabled, neurodivergent and d/Deaf applicants throughout the DYCP process, helping to ensure equitable access to funding.

• September 2024 - Present: Co-Founder, Secretary and Director, Caterpillar Press Worker Cooperative Co-director of a queer-led risograph printing cooperative based at PINK Studios. 
  

Residencies  +  Programmes

• August - September 2026 : Artist in Residence, Kaunas Artist House
• Self-directed residency, research period and artist talk in Kaunas, Lithuania. 

• September 2025 - May 2026: Creative Leadership Programme, Starling CIO
• Neurodiversity-focused leadership programme supporting marginalised emerging arts practitioners across Greater Manchester and the UK.

• August - September 2025: Artist Residency Programme, Ubiškės3, Žemaitija region, Lithuania
• Ubiškės3 is an independent, DIY residency space located in the village of Ubiškės, surrounded by the Byvainės forest in the Žemaitija region. The residency aims to decentralise access to contemporary art production, creating a space for experimentation, exchange, and community-building in a rural context. The theme of the residency in 2025 was ‘Alchemy and Magic’

• January 2025 - April 2026: YDF Artist Development Program, Peshkar
• Artist residency in collaboration with Northmoor Library, Oldham, producing community-led work for the Young Digitals Festival. Anna exhibited and facilitated in YDF 2025 and 2026. They worked alongside Fatima Women’s Association in 2026 alongside exhibiting participant work in Seoul, South Korea.

• May 2024 – September 2024: Artist in residence, Mossroom Bookshop, Salford Quays. 
• Planning and leading weekly bookbinding, design and craft workshops for people of all ages and abilities whilst furthering my practice under the guidance of Mossroom. 

Selected Experience, Commissions and Projects

• October 2026 - Shape Arts UK
• Shape Open 2026 selected artist.

• September 2026 - Set Design Internship,  AUDRA, Kaunas, Lithuania
• Assisted with the installation and setup of the visual arts programme at AUDRA Festival 2026

• August 2026 - Set Design Assistant, Neapleisti Garsai, Kaunas, Lithuania
  
• Set designer and volunteer for large-scale music festival.

• June 2026 - Lead Visual Artist and Set Designer, Níspero Perrea, The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle
• Lead visual artist for a club night/installation commissioned by Toi Guy

• May 2026 - Assistant Installation + Set Designer, SPIRAL / VYRAEA / TRAUMA UNIT, Algha’s Plant Room, London
• Assistant set designer to Pearl Thomspon for a art installation with collaborative artists (Evita Manji, Dust Bunny, Noneless, Mary Mousetrap and others)

• January 2026 - Present: STUDIO/LAB Member, FACT Liverpool
  
• Funded by the A-N Bursary 2025. FACT is a site for my visual research through mentorship and digital experimentation. 

• December 2025 - Present: Visual Art Tutor, Back on Track
  
• Visual art and graphics tutor leading weekly classes that build creative confidence with adult learners as part of their probation service.
  

• November - December 2025: Artist, INFERNO
  
• Stocked visual art for sale in pop-up shop by Carolina Sepulveda. Assisted with producing marketing materials and posters.

• November 2025: Artist Liason, Project Blue
  
• Artist liason for large-scale immersive club night held in BALTIC Gallery, Gateshead. Project blue was created by artist Kerolaina Linkevica during their Shape Arts Emergent residency. 
  

• September 2025 - Present: TiPP Visual Arts Facilitator
• Facilitating arts workshops within the justice system to support rehabilitation and recovery for prisoners, people on probation, and young offenders.

• May 2025 – Present: SMASH! Artist,  SICK Festival
• Delivering socially engaged workshops in North Manchester supporting women and girls (15–25) with lived experience of mental health challenges through creative practice.
  

• January 2025 – July 2025: Art and Design Technician, Loreto High School Chorlton.
• Supported teaching, managed resources and equipment, maintained health and safety standards, and assisted with the delivery of classes (ages 11–16)

• December 2024 – Present:  Student Mentor, Manchester Metropolitan University
• Mentoring undergraduate students through structured monthly sessions, supporting career development and professional experience.
  

• May 2024: Workshop facilitator, MadLab, ‘Make Stuff’ Program
• Delivered a series of accessible workshops in Stockport focusing on open-source digital skills including Canva, Womp 3D and Blender. 

• September 2023 – May 2024: Artist and shop assistant, Avant Garms
• Developed and marketed my own products for sale in a busy city centre space, collaborating with the other creatives within the collective. 
  

• September 2023: Curator and install assistant, ‘Creating Communication’, Sleepy Parrot Studios, Stockport
• Installed a fully-accessible exhibition showcasing work from local artists with disabilities, with attention to detail to make sure people of any abilities were able to enjoy the opening evening. 
  

• October 2022 – May 2023: Assistant Technician, Bookbinding workshop, Manchester School of Art
  Responsibilities included teaching and assisting students and staff with bookbinding and printmaking techniques whilst ensuring every visitor adhered to health and safety guidelines. Social media content creation was a key part of the placement which involved weekly curated highlights of work from former and current students which was sorted in the MMU Team Print archives. 
  

• April 2023: Event organiser, promotions and curator, Chromophilia
• Independently organised and promoted a large-scale art event with 250+ attendees, involving visual artists and musicians. I also organised an art fair as part of the event with 17 stallholders. Chromophilia included a large-scale installation of my own work and was held in collaboration with West Art Collective. 

• April 2023: Image editor, Manchester Fashion Institute
  Assisted the MFI in using photoshop to document their garments for display in an online archive. 
  

• September 2021 – October 2024: Co-owner, facilitator and technician, Roots Riso, Underbank Studios, Stockport
• Co-owned and managed a small-scale risograph collective focused on workshops and community access. Responsibilities included organisation, planning and facilitating of workshops, upkeep and technical management of the equipment and assisting and teaching others printmaking and bookbinding techniques. I promoted the press via social media and eventbrite and was a key part of former monthly socials which saw members of the public making zines and print editions.
  

• October 2018: Gallery assistant placement, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
  Invigilation and organisational placement shadowing management in the BALTIC Gallery as part of my A-level Fine Art studies.

Stockists

Sabrs Shop, RIGA, Latvia
PINK, Stockport
Rare Mags, Stockport
Dotty Poppy Collective, Afflecks, Manchester

Press

Working Class Creatives 
FACT Liverpool
Studio Holder Spotlight : PINK, Manchester
Ubiskes Residency
WeDirectory
CIFRA
Peshkar
Degree Show MMU
Beyond Innovators Award 
Kaunas Artist House Press (Lithuanian)

Certificates + Other Experience

• Enhanced and standard DBS checks (January 2025)

• Experienced access support worker and assistant for disabled visual artists. 

• Trained in Mental Health First Aid

• Training in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, the Prevent duty, mental health, and health and safety (TES-certified)

• German (B1) and basic Lithuanian