On Friday 22nd March Fingers in all the Pies art exhibition was hosted at Brighton Beach House. The evening event brought together 9 emerging artists from a diverse range of creative backgrounds spanning illustration, fabric sculpture, fashion, film, photography and music.
Since September 2023, all 9 artists had been taking part in the Creative Mentor Network in partnership with Soho House. The Creative Mentor Network is a charity focussed on supporting young adults from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to access job roles in the creative industry through mentoring opportunities. The Soho Mentorship programme matches each ‘mentee’ with a mentor from the Soho House community. The mentor has the relevant skills and knowledge to complement the mentees ambitions, therefore providing each mentee with the expertise they need to succeed on their journey towards a professional career.
Fingers in all the Pies art exhibition was a mentee led initiative to celebrate the end of the Brighton Soho Mentorship programme. Suzanna Easton and Ticiana Suli, both 25, spent four months curating the exhibition event together. Suzanna, an artist and aspiring art director had been working with her mentor Phil Buckingham, a freelance creative director specialising in fashion imagery, who volunteered through the Creative Mentor Network X Soho House. Throughout their meetings Suzanna came to the realisation that if she wanted to be an art director, she needed to start directing some art. This is how the idea for an exhibition was born. Suzanna and Ticiana, an artist and illustrator, met at a networking event hosted by the Creative Mentor Network which joined the mentees on the Brighton Soho Mentorship together.
Through talking they realised they had very similar goals – the main one being their love of having their ‘fingers in all the pies’, meaning their affinity for being involved in many different creative pursuits. Not only did they bond over this, but also their shared aspiration to collaborate with other creatives. So, they decided to work together to bring the exhibition to life.
The exhibition featured contributions from:
Suzanna Easton – Artist (@soozee_arts)
Jurgen Forster – Sustainable Clothing Advocate (@jurgenforster2024)
Cash Green – Music Producer (@cashgreenmusic)
Poppy Harperfield – Photographer (@poppyharperfield)
Georgina Jaggs – Sustainable Clothing Brand (@abovewatercollective)
Stella Jordan – Film Maker (@stella.jordan.film)
Megan Lee – Multi-disciplinary Artist (@maestudi0s)
Lily Carlile Reece – Vegan Chef and Illustrator (@salads_for_garage_girls)
Ticiana Suli – Artist and Illustrator (@ticiana.suli)
It provided each artist with a significant opportunity to display their creative talents to family, friends and a range of industry professionals.
Suzanna now goes on to co-direct an art installation for Boomtown Fair, Ticiana has recently set up her online store selling prints and is actively working on illustration commissions for clients, Cash Green is managing Silk Road Festival in Barbados and Lily Carlile Reece hosts various supper clubs at venues across Brighton. These are just a few of the successes that mentees have achieved since their time on the Brighton Soho Mentorship.
Follow the artists on Instagram to see more of their work. If you would like further information about the Creative Mentor Network, and how to apply, head over to their website: https://www.creativementornetwork.org /
