About Meraki
Who and What is Meraki?
Meraki is an art space in the heart of Much Wenlock. It is run by two educators, with a multitude of experience in both primary, secondary and further education. Both Becky and Jenna have a passion for education and want to pass this on to the community and visitors to the town.
Becky
"Boo"
Hi, I'm Becky, born in Shropshire, I moved to Much Wenlock 13 years ago and have loved being part of this community since. I've been in education for the past 18 years, starting my career over in Ludlow as a mainstream Art & Design teacher before a brief stint working in an Art department in the UAE. I then returned to Shropshire to teach art at secondary schools in Newport, Shifnal and for the past 6 years as an Art teacher at a secondary special provision school in Telford. It been great to work in such a variety of schools over my career providing me with so much experience of students and their needs. In recent years, I've missed the opportunity to be creative myself and this is part of the reason for starting this business. For me, creativity is my opportunity to relax and get away from it all and allows me to express myself. Being able to share this with others is a privilege. My favourite style to work in is line; whether that be a fine liner, biro or through lino printing and etching. In recent years I've really enjoyed spending time with watercolours and creating more mixed media style work. I've completed numerous commissions for people, including portraits of family members and pets as well as murals in homes and schools. I also love taking photographs, particularly of the details of nature and the beautiful landscapes of the world. We all know how important wellbeing is to our health and at Meraki we have created a space for you to join us to share some creative time, express yourself and relax. We can't wait to share this with you all!
Jenna
"Rousey"
Hello, I'm Jenna and I live here in Much Wenlock with my two dogs, that you'll often see me walking. I have been in education for as long as I can remember whether it be on my own journey or supporting others. I have studied at a Masters level in Fine Art Photography. I adored the physical taking and making of dark room photography, I also became fascinated with the academic side of art. I often find myself drawn into books exploring the semiotics of different art forms. Alongside the discipline of analogue photography, I also work in other medias. During 'Covid' I found myself in a group of like minded artist who would set a challenge to respond to. This is where I found a new passion for crochet, watercolour and pottery. During this I was working full time as a key worker at my previous school. I took in these creative ideas and supported the pupils of the school to focus on their own creativity. In those early days of the pandemic I found what I'd lost working full time in education, the awe of creating and seeing the pupils imagination grow.After this, I began and arts and craft club letting the children explore their own creative process and the first thing we did, POTTERY! We explored all its heritage in the Telford area.This is where Meraki began for us, talking about the importance of creativity for our pupils without being contained by national curriculum.Becky and myself know how important mental health and wellbeing is, and support each other whole heartedly.So when we had this business idea to share with our community it was a no brainer.Come and take some time to learn something new and experience the joys of creating with us.
