Anna is a highly motivated and multi-disciplinary freelance artist from Tyne and Wear currently based in PINK, Stockport. Their practice and research examines themes of cyberfeminism, obsession and identity in a rapidly digitising world. They specialise in the mediums of print, bookbinding and writing to weave together forgotten narratives and tales of the world that has shaped them. Anna is interested in artist-led and community-engaged projects and has worked closely with organisations across Manchester and beyond to uplift people into accessing the arts through facilitation. Anna’s current focus is directing Caterpillar Press, a queer-owned and non-for-profit printing co-operative. Additionally they have over 5 years experience in organisational and creative roles. 

Key Skills


Creative Direction / Design / Curation / Events / Faciliation / Education / Print and Bookbinding / Funding Writing / Marketing / Illustration  / Animation


Experience

• May 2025 – Present: Freelance Access Support Worker, Arts Council England
• Access support work sets to improve access for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people and those experiencing poor health to have a specialist 1-on-1 support worker to guide them through the DYCP application process. Access support workers help remove barriers which helps to ensure that applying for funding is fair and equitable. All support work given is tailored to the person I am supporting – there is no one size fits all approach as applicants will have a varied and different background and lived experience. Providing a high standard of access support often requires a combination of adaptability, focus, understanding, flexibility and empathy.

• May 2025 – Present: SMASH! Artist,  SICK Festival
• SICK! Mental Health Arts Programme (SMASH!) is a creative social prescribing project offering a range of creative, innovative experiences designed to improve wellness, increase their understanding of mental health and illness and enable them to meet and share their thoughts with others who are facing similar experiences. These sessions will provide new creative tools for exploring and expressing mental health experiences. 
  Working in the North Manchester areas of Harpurhey and Moston, I am working with women and girls aged 15-25 with lived experience of a variety mental health conditions in a workshop setting, bringing them art as a therapeutic outlet.
  

• January 2025 – Present: Art and Design Technician, Loreto High School Chorlton.
• Technician in a secondary school environment with responsibilities handling and maintaining equipment, ordering and managing stock for the department and teaching small classes to pupils of ages 11-16. Fully trained in health and safety and also safeguarding of children (certificates including enhanced DBS can be provided upon request). 

• January 2025 - March 2025: YDF Artist Development Program, Peshkar
• Self-led artist in residence position after being awarded a place in the YDF 2025 programme by Peshkar
  Working in collaboration with Northmoor Library in Oldham to make work celebrating the community that attend the library 
  In weekly sessions I build rapport with the families and research their heritage and lives in order to make pieces of art presented at the annual Young Digitals Festival. 
  

• December 2024 – Present:  Student Mentor, Manchester Metropolitan University
• Volunteer role as part of the 'Mentor Me' programme which connects MMU alumni to current 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students to help with their career development. Mentoring time consists of specialised and structured advice for at least 1 hour per month per student which can include work shadowing or work experience with myself or colleagues which benefits the student with real-life experience and professional relationships to allow them for an easier transition into post-graduate study or working in their field.

• September 2024 - Present: Co-Founder and Director, Caterpillar Press Cooperative
• Caterpillar Press is an artist-led co-operative focused on risograph printing and design, founded and directed by myself, Pita Santos and Rudy Tomala. We share a studio space and print press housed in PINK studios. My roles in Caterpillar Press vary from organisation, social media, technician work, stock, funding and bid writing, promotional skills and many others. We hope to expand this CIO in order to reach and work with peoples of any background and experience and share our skills in design to uplift others in our community. 

• 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. 

• 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: Resident artist and shop assistant, Avant Garms
• Established and marketed my own products to sell 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: Technician, Bookbinding workshop, Manchester School of Art
  As a placement in my final year of my BA Hons Illustration with Animation. Responsibilities including 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 Team Print archives. 
  

• April 2023: Event organiser, promotions and curator, Chromophilia
• Solo 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 stall holders. Chromophilia included a large-scale installation of my own work. This event 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.
  

I have worked as a freelance designer for many clients across the years for musicians, zines, event organisers and promoters. I also hold frequent stalls and pop-up shops selling my prints and original artworks. I am self-motivated and competent in communication with clients and working to deadlines, I thrive in the challenge of making work for clients from all walks of life which has given me excellent transferable skills such as time management, polite negotiation and computer literacy. 

Clients and collaborators have included 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 and BRUT life drawing.

Exhibitions

• July 2025 - TITLE TBA, 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 Space, Manchester
 
• April 2024 – ‘CWYR De-vices’ Zine launch and exhibition at Bankley Gallery, Levenshulme

• July 2023 – January 2024 - ‘Held’ 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 - ‘IWD’ 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

• June 2025 - ‘Syntax Sirens: Cyberfeminist Praxis and Sound Art’ (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)
  

• August 2022 - ‘Fated Annihilation’ (Sweet tooth zine)
  

• August 2022 - ‘Sweetface Magazine’ (Sweetface)
  

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

• May 2022 - ‘Spilt Milk Volume 10’ (Spilt Milk Zine)
  

• April 2022 - ‘Roots Mag’ (Roots Riso)
  

• September 2020, ‘Belonging’ (Take Care Zine)
  

Markets, Fairs and Events

• September 2025 - Pagemasters Zine Fair (As Caterpillar Press)

• August 2025 - York Zine Festival
  

• August 2025 - Barnsley Zine Fair (As Caterpillar Press)

• July 2025 - Glasgow Zine and Print Fair (As Caterpillar Press)

• June 2025 - Cloudwater Zine and Print Fair (As Caterpillar Press)

• June 2025 - Stockport Zine and Print Fair, STOCKROOM (As Caterpillar Press)

• June 2025 - Queer as F*ck X Manchester Queer Art Market (As Caterpillar Press)

• May 2025 - Queerly Made, At SEESAW 

• May 2025 - Caterpillar Press and Friends Takeover Strangebrew (As Caterpillar Press)

• May 2025 - Cheshire Print Fair (As Caterpillar Press)

• May 2025 - Pretty Disturbed, at the Carlton Club
  

• May 2025 - Nice1, at the Carlton Club (As Caterpillar Press)

• April 2025 - Punk4Pay

• March 2025 - Manchester Queer Art Market

• Decmber 2024 - Fly By Fair (Caterpillar Press X BRUT Life Drawing)

• November 2024 - Fruity Frenzy, at Antwerp Mansion

• September 2024 - Ethereal 3.0, at Antwerp Mansion
  

• August 2024 - Queerly Made, at SEESAW

• August 2024 - Multitudes Zine Fest
  

• June 2024 - Queerly Made, at Northern Monk
  

• May 2024 - Arty Market Party, at Strangebrew

• March 2024 - Manchester Queer Art Market
  

• February 2024 - Rare Finds Flea

• February 2024 - Pretty Disturbed, at Green Arches
  

• December 2023 - Underbank Studios, Open Studio
  

• December 2023 - Christmas Market, Underbank Studios x Yes Lah 
  

• December 2023 - Dab Hand Market, PINK
  

• December 2023 - Rare Finds Flea
  

• October 2023 - Sweetface Showcase
  

• August 2023 - Dab Hand Market
  

• July 2023 - Underbank Studios, Open Studio
  

• July 2023 - Opaline, COW Manchester
  

• June 2023 - Latex Sounds, Antwerp Mansion
  

• May 2023 - HEADS x West Art Collective, at Canvas
  

• April 2023 - Chromophilia, Anna Billany x West Art Collective
  

• March 2023 - Sweetface Showcase
  

• March 2023 - 3 week residency at Lost Cat, via HappeningInMcr
  

• February 2023 - Deal with the Devil, via West Art Collective
  

• December 2022 - Rare Finds Flea
  

• December 2022 - Mystify 2.0, Antwerp Mansion
  

Taught Workshops

• August 2025 - Make a Book (Flag Books) , Merseyway Workshop

• July 2025 - Make a Book (Secret Belgium Binding), Merseyway Workshop

• June 2025 - Bookbinding and Supper Club, Yes Lah

• May 2025 - Make a Book (Coptic Stitch) , Merseyway Workshop
  

• May 2025 - SMASH! Artist Women and Girls Session, Sick Festival
  
  
• March 2025 - HOME X The King’s Trust, HOME MCR
  
  
• March 2025 - YDF25, Peshkar, Oldham Library
  
  
• January - March 2025 - Weekly workshops via Peshkar, Northmoor Library, Oldham
  
  
• February 2025 - Bookbind and Unwind, Yes Lah
  
  
• November 2024 - Bookbind and Unwind, Yes Lah
  
  
• May - August 2024 - Bi-weekly bookbinding classes, Mossroom Bookshop
  
  
• May 2024 - 6 digital art workshops for Make Stuff, MadLab, Stockport
  

• July 2021 - October 2024 - Facilitator of weekly bookbinding and print classes, Roots Riso, Stockport
  

Awards

• January 2025 - Stockport Council GM Artist Bursary recipient

• July 2023 - Manchester School of Art, Design Innovation Award Shortlist

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

Education

• 2024 – 2025         Hot Bed Press: The Complete Book Artist, year long certificate
  
  
• 2020 – 2023         Manchester School of Art: BA Illustration with Animation (First Class (1:1) Honours)           
  
  
• 2019 – 2020          University of Sunderland: Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Distinction) 
  

Misc. 

• Volunteer at Bergen Art Book Fair 2025

• Full enhanced DBS and safeguarding training of children and vulnerable persons
  

• Member of People of Print