Sara Heywood is a visual artist based in East London, UK. Her practice spans over twenty years and uses a wide range of media including installation, digital and analogue photography, sculpture, light, sound and video to create encounters and interventions. Intrinsic to her practice is a dialogue between people and place through examining every day and social interactions with site.

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Works start with a period of in depth research and development. This often includes exploring heritage archives, social and personal narratives or analysing specific geological, environmental or architectural features before responding with the most appropriate media. 

 

Projects frequently incorporate a social participatory element engaging key groups. This might take the form of interviews with local residents, workshops with schools and community groups or events and interactions with the wider community. Sara is particularly interested in the layers that make up the identity of place (from rural to urban built environments) and how and why these may have been altered, eroded or adapted by different people and uses over time.

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Sara is also an experienced lead artist facilitator in visual arts education. She has worked on many projects within school, community and gallery settings including Barbican Centre, Bow Arts, Chisenhale Gallery, Cubitt Arts, South London Gallery and Whitechapel Gallery.

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