Katie GoddenGreen: stitching together rural histories through art

<p dir="ltr">For artist and maker Katie GoddenGreen, studying <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/ma-fine-art" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MA Fine Art</strong></a><strong> at Arts University Plymouth</strong> has been an opportunity to explore the cultural and material histories of rural life. Working with textiles, clay, and print, she weaves together historical narratives, personal memory, and community participation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am framing my work within the title ‘Indigenous Rurality and The Parish of Milk.’ This research is drawing me deeper into localised rural life in Cornwall. Milk provides scientific, cultural, historical, and social exploration to feed my narrative. I am working mainly with paper, clay, and cloth.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Katie’s practice is rooted in place-based storytelling, exploring the relationship between land, materiality, and community. Her work often incorporates patchwork, ceramics, and traditional craft techniques, drawing on the histories of women’s work and rural traditions.<br /></p>

<p>Katie exhibited her work as part of the MA Midstream 2025, a postgraduate Work-in-Progress exhibition in the Melville Building at Royal William Yard. The opportunity to install her work in a new space opened up new ways of thinking about scale and audience engagement.</p>

<p>The exhibition provided a valuable public test space, helping Katie reflect on how her work shifts outside the studio and how viewers connect with her materials and themes.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Before starting her MA, Katie worked in education, regularly bringing students to Arts University Plymouth. Her experiences inspired her to return to education herself.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Now immersed in postgraduate study, Katie is finding new ways to communicate her ideas through critical discussion and research.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My greatest challenge is communication – how to speak and present my work. Through tutorials and group crits, I’m starting to learn about presentation. The lectures have given me a deeper insight into the academic world of art practice as research.”</p>

<p dir="ltr">Beyond her studio practice, Katie has established a participatory project that fosters community engagement through craft.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have instigated a weekly ‘Sew Sew’ stitching group. The rural folk attending are able to come together, chat, think about creativity, make, and theorise about the importance of community. It has been an enlightening project of participation and one I can see gathering many more stories.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Her work draws from folklore, agriculture, and the social histories of rural life, with projects such as ‘Parish of Milk’ and ‘Jugs Matter’ exploring the symbolism of milk, femininity, and traditional labour.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Katie is considering her next steps, both as an artist and as an educator.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our cohort of students is strong and dynamic and will provide a new community for showing and collaboration in the future. I would also like to return to teaching, within the community or within educational settings.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Through her studies at Arts University Plymouth, Katie is balancing research, making, and community engagement, creating work that is rooted in place, history, and shared experience.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">At Arts University Plymouth, MA students become part of a cross-disciplinary, practice-led postgraduate community. With dedicated studio spaces, expert academic support, and access to world-class workshops, our MA programmes empower students to refine their practice and engage in critical contemporary debates.</p> <p><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/ma-fine-art" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Find out more about MA Fine Art</strong></a><strong> or explore our full range of </strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/postgraduate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>postgraduate degrees</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>