Author: Liz Caplen

Your Stories – Artswork

Posted on October 30, 2025 by - Artist commission

Artswork: Your Stories

Your Stories invited people across Southampton to explore their creativity through free, youth-led workshops inspired by Jane Austen’s work. From poetry and collage to silhouette photography, participants shared their own stories and ideas in imaginative ways, culminating in a collective exhibition and digital showcase. The project was supported by Southampton Forward, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and The Foyle Foundation as part of Jane Austen 250

Find out ore on Artstwork’s website

Blog

23rd October 2025

Artswork: Abstract Painting Workshop

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Blog

16th October 2025

Artswork: Cartoons workshop

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Blog

16th October 2025

Artswork: Poetry workshop

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Blog

28th October 2025

Artswork: Textiles Workshop

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Project Funded By:

Jane Austen Exhibitions at God’s House Tower – ‘a space’ arts

Posted on October 24, 2025 by - Artist commission

‘A’ Space Arts: Jane Austen Exhibition at God’s House Tower

In Training for a Heroine: Jane Austen’s Travelling Writing Desk

Jane Austen’s travelling writing desk, a portable mahogany piece gifted by her father George Austen around her 19th birthday, was designed to fold up for travel and includes a secret drawer where she kept letters and manuscripts.

In Training for a Heroine explores Jane Austen’s early life as an ambitious young writer, with the desk symbolising the creative possibilities and opportunities of her world. Visitors can view extracts from Austen’s letters that offer glimpses into her experiences, including her time living in Southampton between 1783 and 1809.

On loan from the British Library, the desk forms the centrepiece of Southampton’s year-long celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, part of a global tribute to her enduring influence.

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No Notion of Loving by Halves by Jocelyn McGregor

Commissioned by a space arts, No Notion of Loving by Halves is a site-specific, multi-media installation by Jocelyn McGregor, accompanied by a programme of live performances. The exhibition examines the complex female relationships in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, following the heroine Catherine’s interactions that range from supportive and familial to competitive and Gothic.

This contemporary installation reflects not only the nuances of Austen’s fiction but also the connections and influences between women authors of the Gothic tradition. It considers how these dynamics continue to inspire modern artists and writers today.

The exhibition features a striking lead artwork and a portrait of the artist herself.

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SO: Cultured

2nd April 2024

Dan Crow: Artist on vibrant creative community in Southampton

“Life and Southampton would be very bland without the arts”, says city centre art gallery director  

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Press release

22nd March 2024

‘a space’ arts and Southampton Forward secure nationally significant loan of Jane Austen’s travelling writing desk

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Press release

5th November 2024

Two Weeks Until Jane Austen’s Writing Desk Arrives in Southampton for 250th Anniversary Events!

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Project Funded By: