Case Study

“This was my first entrance into the art world… It helped me to feel like an artist, to feel inspired and motivated.”

Date published: 3 Apr 2025

Posted by: Joe Pick

Gemma Poyzer stands smiling in front of a white curtain at an exhibition. She wears a striped blazer over a black top. Beside her on an easel is a framed portrait photograph of a woman seated in a softly lit domestic setting.

Gemma Poyzer is a freelance commercial photographer from Nottingham. She studied photography at Nottingham College and has been working as a photographer since. In 2024, Gemma was awarded one of City Arts’ RESIDENCE bursaries.

RESIDENCE supports artists who have faced barriers in their career because of attitudes to their class, ethnicity or disability. The project’s bursaries were designed with, and awarded by, a panel of Community Curators. This group is made up of people with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, including people with professional knowledge of the arts.

Gemma used her bursary to explore the theme of modern-day witchcraft, producing portraits of people who identify as a witch. We spoke to her about the support she received from City Arts:

When I saw the bursary opportunity I thought, ‘this would go hand-in-hand with my witches project’. Applying, and being successful, gave me the motivation to do the project and the funding obviously helped. I really enjoyed having the time to work on it that the bursary afforded me. It helped that it wasn’t just something I was trying to get going in my spare time, it was something I was working on with City Arts. That gave me motivation.

A woman sits calmly in a warmly lit living room, holding a brown ceramic cup. She is seated in a fur-covered chair next to a small wooden table with a vase of purple tulips, a tarot card, and various objects. Behind her is a pale cabinet topped with eclectic decorative items and a candle burning on the wall above her.
Blue. Photo by Gemma Poyzer.
A woman with long, wavy blonde hair sits in a sunlit art studio, surrounded by drawings, bones, and natural objects. Behind her is a large, industrial window displaying a cityscape through the glass. Her layered necklaces and the creative setting hint at a mystical or nature-inspired artistic practice.
Winter. Photo by Gemma Poyzer.

I really enjoyed having the time to do something creative, other than just work and childcare. The bursary gave me time outside work. It felt like it wasn’t work but I was supported financially. I enjoyed meeting lots of new people. I had to put myself out there to meet the witches, going on forums, going to witches’ markets and pagan markets. People knew that I meant well. I really enjoyed getting involved in that scene, learning about their lives, their culture and finding out how witchcraft helps them.

My previous experience of photography was more commercial. I do headshots, behind the scenes shots on film sets and shots for posters for TV, stuff like that. I’d say this was my first entrance into the art world, my first arts residency. It was all very new and I felt a little bit lost to start. But it was fun, and I had a lot of help from City Arts. Being part of RESIDENCE helped me to feel like an artist, to feel inspired and motivated. It helped me see that my project can go further.

A woman sits barefoot on a moss-covered fallen tree in a forest. She smiles softly, dressed in a textured green shawl and a floral skirt, with her hands gently clasped over one knee. The woodland surroundings feel serene and natural.
Kathy. Photo by Gemma Poyzer.
A tattooed woman leans against a dark ornate cabinet decorated with illustrations of bats, snakes, and ceremonial daggers. She wears a black top and jeans, with layered necklaces and silver rings, surrounded by Gothic-style decor in a dimly lit room.
Clare. Photo by Gemma Poyzer.

During her residency, Gemma took part in Q&A panel discussion at City Arts, alongside the other artists that received a bursary.

The Q&A was very nerve-racking for me because I’m not a talker. I was actually really glad I did it, and it got me out of my comfort zone and let me experience something new. If I want to do more art things, then I’ll have to talk about them. You can’t just take a photo and hide behind it. So, it was important to do it, and it helped. Afterwards people were really interested, they were coming to talk to me about my work. There was a lot of engagement. It made me think, ‘oh, I can carry this on, I can make it happen, and people will be interested’.

Two women seated in discussion at an art event. The woman on the left wears a blue leather jacket and glasses, while the woman on the right—speaking into a microphone and gesturing with one hand—is wearing a black top and a green-and-white striped blazer. Behind them is a vibrant painting of a stylised face in bold colours.

The residency was very supportive, open to changes and there was no stress or pressure from the City Arts team. It was a relaxed process that went at my pace. City Arts really helped with everything. They printed my work for me. They helped me set it up for exhibition. There was a lot of support on the night of the Q&A and I felt that there would have been support if I wasn’t ready to do it.

I hope to carry on the project. I’m hoping to apply to Arts Council England or something like that. Receiving the bursary from City Arts has made me realise I can access these things. I am worthy of the support and guidance. It’s given me confidence towards that.

Gemma’s story shows how our RESIDENCE project has supported people to overcome barrier to being an artist. It’s inspired projects, built artists’ confidence and brought their work to new audiences.

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