Miriam Nabarro

Miriam Nabarro & Simon Quinn

As collaborators, we believe in art as a catalyst for connection—between people, place, memory, and material. Our joint practice is grounded in care, participation, and sustainability, combining Miriam’s background in socially engaged visual art, scenography, and alternative photography with Simon’s expertise in woodworking, ecology, and site-specific environmental craft.

We are drawn to the intersection of visual art and social process. Influenced by Joseph Beuys’ concept of “social sculpture” and Doris Salcedo’s framing of art as a space of social witnessing, we approach making as a collective, transformative act—one that holds space for memory, grief, and regeneration in landscapes marked by historical or ecological rupture.

Our process is slow, responsive, and iterative. We begin with walking, conversation, and deep listening, allowing artworks to emerge from shared experience rather than predefined outcomes. Material responsiveness and co-authorship are central to how we work.

Together, we aim to develop inclusive, place-based practices that explore how creative expression, public space, and natural resources can be more equitably shared. Our work creates generative spaces—where sculpture can serve as both bench and gathering circle, and where memory, ecology, and form coalesce into tactile, poetic languages grounded in site and community.

At the heart of our work is a shared question: how can art shape more connected, more just, and more attentive ways of being together in a time of rupture?

Miriam Nabarro is a visual artist, scenographer and researcher working at the intersection of theatre design, installation, and socially engaged practice. Her work explores place, memory, and environmental and social justice through collaboration and co-creation.

With academic training in Literature (University of Edinburgh), Political Science (SOAS), and European Scenography (Central Saint Martins and DAMU, Prague), Miriam’s interdisciplinary approach is shaped by early work co creating psychosocial arts programmes in post-conflict regions  (in Central and East Africa, Balkans, Caucasus and Middle East) for NGOs, the UN, and the British Council.

She has designed over 40 theatre productions for organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court, Royal Exchange, National Theatre, and Public Theater (New York). Her award-winning projects include Stars (Offies Best New Play, 2024) and The Great Game (Olivier Award, Ensemble).

Miriam’s visual art has been exhibited widely, with works held by the Centre Pompidou, V&A, and British Library. From 2013–2022 she was Artist in Residence at SOAS, teaching on creativity and conflict, and is currently a Creative Associate with 20 Stories High. In 2023, she co-led the Royal Shakespeare Company’s At the Forest’s Edge, the largest RSC co created placemaking public art project to date engaging over 500 participants.

She is currently developing site-responsive work focused on sustainability and shared authorship.

Simon Quinn is a picture framer, maker, and artist with nearly 30 years of experience in the fine art industry. Since establishing his own framing and art services business in 2001, he has worked with leading institutions and artists including Tate, the ICA, Saatchi Collection, Sotheby’s, and Nadav Kander, among many others.

His practice extends beyond framing to include the installation of major exhibitions and consultancy on fine art presentation. With extensive material knowledge and a background in prop-making, Simon brings a highly skilled, problem-solving approach to his creative and technical work.

In recent years, Simon relocated from London to rural northern Hampshire to pursue a more sustainable, locally focused practice. This transition reflects a growing commitment to ethical making and reduced environmental impact, using regionally sourced materials and engaging with local ecosystems.

A lifelong woodworker with a deep interest in the natural world, Simon is particularly drawn to woodland environments. He has recently begun exploring mycology both as a scientific interest and as a material resource for creative practice. His work often incorporates found and repurposed objects, celebrating their history and imperfection, and reflects a thoughtful engagement with form, function, and narrative.