About Birch Arts CIC
Birch Arts CIC is a not-for-profit community arts and research organisation, with a community gallery in North London.
We bring together artists, researchers and local communities through our community gallery, creative research consultancy, and a programme of workshops, exhibitions and events.
BIRCH stands for Bringing Ideas, Research, Creativity and Health.
Inspired by the birch tree, a symbol of resilience and new beginnings, we create welcoming spaces where creativity, research and community come together to inspire collaboration, learning and positive social change.
Our mission, vision and values
Our Mission at Birch Arts CIC
Our mission is to bring together art, creativity and research. We support artists, researchers and communities to share ideas, build connections and explore issues that matter to them through exhibitions, workshops, creative practice and participatory research. We want to make art and research more accessible by embedding creativity and research within local communities. We create opportunities for artists, researchers and organisations to work alongside local people in ways that are welcoming, accessible and collaborative.
Vision for Birch Arts
We believe the creative arts should be accessible to everyone. Our vision is to create more opportunities for artists to develop their practice, share their work and connect with communities through exhibitions, workshops and creative events. We also believe that health, social and community research is stronger when people are actively involved. Our vision is to champion creative, participatory and co-produced approaches that enable communities to work alongside researchers and organisations, helping to shape research and decision-making in more accessible, inclusive and meaningful ways
Our values
Our work is guided by collaboration, inclusion and creativity, with a strong commitment to co-production and participatory approaches to health, social and community research. We value lived experience, encourage participation and create welcoming environments where everyone feels able to contribute.
Our background
Birch Arts brings together many years of expertise and experience across visual arts, community engagement, participatory research and social enterprise. Our team has worked with artists, universities, charities, local authorities, the NHS, schools and community organisations to design and deliver creative projects that connect people, ideas and research. Everything we do is rooted in collaboration, accessibility and meaningful relationships with the communities we work alongside.
Meet the team
Emily Wood Ahmed
Founder and Co-Director
Emily is a visual artist, researcher and facilitator with over 25 years' experience working across the arts, public health, universities, local government and the voluntary sector. She specialises in creative, participatory and co-produced approaches to research, bringing together artists, researchers and communities to explore ideas that matter. Alongside her research and facilitation work, Emily is an exhibiting artist whose practice spans painting, drawing and mixed media. She founded Birch Arts to create a welcoming community space where creativity, research and collaboration come together.
Katy Dan-Gur
Co-director
Katy brings over 20 years' experience in governance, communications, operations and organisational leadership. She has worked across the education and corporate sectors, leading governance, communications and strategic coordination for complex organisations. At Birch Arts she brings the organisational expertise that helps turn ideas into reality, supporting governance, planning and the smooth running of the organisation. Katy is passionate about creating welcoming organisations where creativity, collaboration and communities can thrive
By bringing together artists, researchers and communities, we aim to create a future where creativity is more accessible, research is more participatory, and everyone has the opportunity to contribute.Our team
We are developing a schools and youth programme with local partners to support children and young people, teachers, parents and carers. This will include artist talks, workshops, Arts Award opportunities, and an annual children’s art exhibition.Young people and schools
We programme exhibitions, talks and workshops that bring people together around creativity. Our Creative Insights talks invite artists and creative professionals to share their journeys, alongside events and workshops led by resident artists.Creative programme
Artists will be supported through residencies ad offered opportunities such as action learning peer group coaching, and access to a network, audience and marketing support. The aim is to create a space where artists can develop their practice, build confidence, and connect with others.Artist development
We want to offer something that is genuinely hard to find locally: affordable, supported, low-barrier exhibition space. Most galleries are too expensive, too formal, or too hard to access without existing connections. We are building something different, a guided, real-world exhibition experience for artists who are ready to show their work.Exhibitions and residencies