Niall Singh
Niall Singh, Sea Fog, Collage, 2021. Courtesy: The Artist
Niall Singh is a Birmingham-based artist, musician and educator. He is a graduate of Birmingham School of Art, where he co-founded the Margaret Street Free Arts Council (MSFAC). Since then he has been a member of numerous collectives and bands and has engaged with local activist groups such as the Birmingham Occupation and the squatted Birmingham Social Centre.
Niall’s practice utilises collage, assemblage, printmaking, textile, discussion, poetry and music, often as ways to break down social barriers that prevent access to art and education. Recurring features of his practice include producing zines, leading workshops and re-writing or re-citing traditional Folk music.
For Coventry Biennial 2025, Niall is delivering a participatory project with local, working class young people, called The Recyclopaedia, this project will use collaborative collage and printmaking workshops to recycle materials from out-dated encyclopaedias into new artworks and publications.
The project aims to replace the kinds of imperial, colonial, racist and sexist content that is often presented as so-called fact in these kinds of publications in a way that is collaboratively authored and rooted in skills development.
This short video of Niall talking about the project was made by local photographer, documentarian and Coventry Biennial 2021 exhibitor Alan Van Wijgerden:
We are seeking donations of illustrated encyclopaedias to be used in these workshops, find out how you can get involved here!
Niall’s previous exhibitions include Unapologetically Other as a part of Mixed Rage Collective, a show that opened at Midlands Art Centre (Birmingham) before touring to VF Dalston (London) and Waterside Art Centre (Manchester). He has also exhibited at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts (Birmingham) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery as a part of Margaret Street Free Arts Council (MSFAC).
