Graduating from BA (Hons) Embroidery (MMU) in 2004, Helen continued to develop her interest in the material culture of craft studying MA Designer Maker (UAL), which she completed in 2012.

In 2019, Helen completed an AHRC-funded, practice-based PhD from UoS (based at National Glass Centre) entitled ‘Recrafting Waste Using a Stitch-Based Methodology: A Collaboration Between Makers and Matter’. She has work in private and public collections, including The V&A Museum and National Glass Centre.

Helen was the 2013-14 artist in residence with Visual Arts in Rural Communities (VARC) and has lived in the North East ever since. In 2018, following her experience in community-based project management, she became Project Director for the Charity.

Residencies/Publications/Acquisitions
09.2025 VARC Full Circle residency and exhibition, Highgreen, Northumberland
06.2021 V&A Museum acquisition of four Recrafting Waste artworks for public collection
06.2021 NGC acquisition of three Recrafting Waste artworks for public collection
05.2017 Stitched, New Glass Review 38, The Corning Museum of Glass
09.2016 Crazy Paving: Masterclass with Richard Wentworth, North Lands Creative Glass
03.2016 Reflections: glass water, art, science, residency, The Haining, Selkirk
2013/14 Visual Arts in Rural Communities, residency, Highgreen, rural Northumberland
09.2012 UAL China Summer School Residency, Beijing

Bursaries/Awards
07.2025 New Light Summer Exhibition Bursary
01.2024 North Shields Cultural Quarter Bursary
02.2023 a-n Artists Bursaries
08.2022 Arts Council England Project Grant North East Glass
08.2022 Arts Council England Developing your Creative Practice grant
11.2022 North East Artist’s Fund
01.2022 NGC Glass Prize Bursary, National Glass Centre, Sunderland
09.2021 Shortlisted, Visual Artist of the Year, Journal Culture Awards
10.2015 AHRC funded Postgraduate Research Studentship
08.2015 Royal British Society of Sculptors Bursary Award
08.2015 Arts Council Grant Glass Stitch Knitting & Stitching Show
05.2007 MacDonald Egan Award Bursary, Deptford X, London

Selected Group Shows
08.2025 New Light Summer Exhibition, Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds
01.2025 Seeds of Trees, Sounds of Mountains, Aga Khan Gallery, London
08.2024 Lines, Threads and Traces, curated by Ayako Tani, Glasshouse Heritage Centre, Stourbridge
07.2023 Magic of the Silver Swan, Bowes Museum, County Durham
03.2023 Brooches, Collect Open, Collect, Somerset House, London
09.2022 NGC Glass Prize, Helen Pailing & Cath Forsyth, National Glass Centre
06.2021 Re-Purpose, National Glass Centre, Sunderland
09.2019 Loud and Clear, New Brewery Arts, Cirencester
09.2019 Coastal Contaminations, The Bridge Gallery, Tynemouth
09.2019 Cluster, ArtHouses, Whitley Bay
03.2019 MAJOR CONVERSATIONS: The Industrial Narrative, Platform A Gallery, Middlesbrough and Turnpike Gallery, Leigh 2020
05.2018 m2 (at) 15, A.P.T Gallery, London
04.2018 Loud and Clear, The Harley Gallery, Welbeck
09.2017 Materiality, Holy Island, Northumberland
09.2017 British Glass Biennale 2017, Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge
04.2017 Thoughtful Planet, The Thought Foundation, Birtley
03.2017 Materiality, The Gymnasium Gallery, Berwick Upon Tweed
04.2016 Reflections, The Haining, Selkirk
04.2016 #workshopassemblage, Knitting & Stitching Show, Edinburgh
04.2016 IN View, Highgreen, Tarset
03.2016 RBS Bursary Award Exhibition, Royal British Society of Sculptors, London
11.2015 VARC in the CITY, Abject Gallery, Breeze Creatives, Newcastle upon Tyne
09.2015 Glass Stitch, Knitting & Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace, London
06.2015 Fresh Air Sculpture, The Quenington Sculpture Trust, Cirencester
09.2012 MA Final Show, Camberwell College of Arts, London
04.2012 Work in Progress Show, Hotel Elephant, London
02.2012 The Sense of Order, LBi, London
07.2011 Eleven, Lee Song Gallery, 798 Art District, Beijing, China
06.2008 OMSK, Cable Street Studios, London
12.2007 The Curse of Me, Truman Brewery, London
09.2007 Deptford X Festival, London
05.2006 Ivory Street installation, Craft Queensland, Brisbane

Solo shows/Commissions/Other
11.2024 ‘Connection Chandelier’, ‘Most Creative Station’ public art commission, Middlesbrough Railway Station
01.2023 Rare Bird, The RePUBlic Gallery, Blyth
05.2018 Sunderland Glass Heap Challenge, Roker Pier and Lighthouse, Sunderland
07.2017 Adorn Chandelier, Atrium, National Glass Centre
07.2017 Recrafting Waste, Research Gallery, National Glass Centre
09.2015 Playing with Process, The Gallery, Gateshead Library
01.2015 Line, Space, Gravity & Encounter, The SHED Gallery, Haltwhistle
10.2014 Object a Day Window Collection, NCCD, Sleaford
09.2014 warp: A year as artist in residency, The Queen’s Hall, Hexham
08.2014 warp, End of VARC residency show, Highgreen, Tarset
07.2013 The Force of Things, The Other Gallery, London
01.2010 Defunct, m2 Gallery, London

Talks
01.2025 Invited Lecturer, MA Glass, MA Ceramics and MA Craft & Material Practices, Arts University Plymouth
04.2024 Invited Speaker, Contemporary Glass Society, Discovery Day, Sunderland Uni & NGC, Sunderland
02.2024 Guest Lecturer 3D Design Crafts and BA (Hons) Craft and Material Practices, Arts University Plymouth
09.2019 Invited Speaker, Making Futures, Plymouth College of Art
01.2018 Course Leader, Recrafting Glass, The Creative Dimension Trust
02.2016 Guest Speaker, The University of Sunderland
02.2016 Guest Speaker, Thinking Through Making Week, Newcastle University
10.2014 Guest Lecturer MA Designer Maker, UAL, London
03.2014 Guest Speaker, Friends of the Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
01.2014 Guest Lecturer & Tutor Contemporary Crafts Practice, Sussex Coast College

Education
2016 – 2019 University of Sunderland, AHRC funded PhD Glass & Ceramics
2010 – 2012 University of the Arts London MA Designer Maker
2001 – 2004 Manchester Metropolitan University BA Hons Embroidery