I am applying for this funding to help me establish a sustainable, non-toxic printmaking practice rooted in both traditional craftsmanship and ecological responsibility. With the support of the Dover Prize, I will be able to purchase essential equipment and specialist materials to create a fully functioning print studio in Gloucestershire—an area currently lacking access to printmaking facilities.
My goal is to rigorously research and master alternatives to harmful materials still widely used in colleges and studios—including kerosene, white spirit, resin aquatint and asphalt based grounds. I plan to transition entirely to water-based inks and safer etching processes, such as using BIG grounds, which require careful study and technique. These methods offer the potential to maintain the richness and quality of traditional intaglio without compromising environmental safety.
This studio will not only support my own practice but act as a hub for promoting sustainable printmaking more broadly. Once I have trialled and refined these methods, I intend to share my findings with art schools, studios, and independent printmakers—encouraging wider adoption of non-toxic materials and methods. I believe artists can play a central role in shaping greener studio cultures, and I’m committed to helping lead that transition.
In addition to producing my own work, I will run community workshops from the studio and in local venues—including village halls, schools, and festivals. I have delivered workshops previously at the Broadway Arts Festival (“Printing Without a Press”), the Tate Exchange (“The Butterfly Effect”), and in local halls. These experiences have shown me how accessible, and powerful printmaking can be as a tool for connection and learning—especially when it’s safe and sustainable.
This funding would allow me to acquire a printing press and build an environmentally responsible studio where I can keep endangered print traditions alive, while adapting them for the future. The Dover Prize would be a critical step in establishing both a sustainable personal practice and a wider educational resource for others.
As a printmaker committed to sustainable practice and community engagement, I see Darlington as an ideal location to share and expand my work. If selected, I would engage local residents through hands-on workshops that introducing non-toxic, environmentally responsible printmaking —building on my past outreach work at the Broadway Arts Festival, the Tate Exchange, and in local village halls.
Darlington, like Gloucestershire where I am based, reflects a broader need for accessible, regionally rooted creative opportunities. I believe strongly that contemporary arts practice should not be confined to major cities. Through the Dover Prize, I would embed myself in the community to co-create work exploring local identity and ecology using safer, sustainable materials.
I . These sessions can aimed at beginners, students, and established artists alike. I will also offer classes in printmaking without a press ( lino, takuhon rubbings, lino litho,) which means participants can make prints cheaply as well as sustainably and take these safe techniques home, into schools and community spaces to share further with minimal equipment or cost.
I hope to leave a lasting impact in Darlington by introducing clean printmaking methods and inspiring further creative experimentation. The project could culminate in a public exhibition of collaborative prints and research, contributing to a growing movement toward accessible, sustainable, and regionally empowered art-making.
Please tell us about your practice. Please include any recent exhibitions if applicable. (350 words)
Yes. I hold a Master of Arts (Print) from the Royal College of Art (2024), where I was a Leverhulme Scholar, and (Fine Art) and from Central Saint Martins (2023), where I graduated with Distinction supported by the Equity Charitable Trust. These institutions supported my development in traditional and experimental printmaking techniques.
Yes, I won the Landmark Student Art Prize 2022, The Nasdaq Student Art Prize 2021, The Graduate Art Prize 2024, The GBS Fine Art Prize at Wells Art Contemporary 2024 and a Discerning Eye Bursary.
I was also fully funded by The Leverhulme Trust at RCA and partly funded at Central Saint Martins by The Equity Charitable Trust.
Yes, I have organised collective and solo shows, like one in the Lethaby gallery, Central Saint Martins, and Bainbridge Print Studio with printmaking colleagues. I have put on workshops as part of The Tate Exchange ( twice) and several local arts festivals. I am currently exhibiting work at The Grange Festival in Hampshire on a pro bono basis.
While I haven’t yet established an artist-led studio, I have co-organized group exhibitions and initiated collaborative projects during my time at RCA and CSM. My participation in residencies has often involved curatorial input and peer programming, which I intend to develop into more structured initiatives.
Yes, Yes. I was commissioned to produce a sculpture for The World Reimagined, a national public art trail. My piece was displayed in Trafalgar Square, engaging with themes of identity and history. It is now on permanent display at The Swansea Museum.
I was also commissioned to create a work for the Wells Art Contemporary in Wells Cathedral 2024 where I was awarded the GBS Fine Art Prize.
Yes, I have been featured in The Artist, and in The Jackdaw.
Not formally represented, but I have worked closely with Fenn Ditton Gallery, Woolff Gallery and Emma James Gallery, Mall Galleries and more for recent shows, and have sold work through their platforms.
Yes.
• Current Tim and Belinda Mara Printmaking Residency, Hampstead School of Art
• Curwen Studio Residency (2024)
• AA2A Visiting Artist, Buckinghamshire New University
These placements have supported experimental research, teaching practice, and community involvement.
Email: jocohnart@gmail.com
Address: 5 ley mary Farm, Burford, Ox18 4TS, GB
Local Authority: Cotswold District Council
