The cultural landscape of England has significantly changed over the past century, with the emergence of secularism being a defining change. As traditional religious practices have declined, it could be argued that football has filled this spiritual void. The passionate devotion displayed by football fans bears resemblance to the religious fervour exhibited by followers of an organised religion.

Football and the Church of England hold unique places in English society, both shaping how individuals spend their time, engage in spectacle, and identify with their community. The two institutions and their rituals are intertwined, with football often occupying a role similar to that of a traditional religion in people’s everyday lives.

This project explores the significance of English football, framing it as a new religion through the lens of the Church of England’s visual culture. By exploring the similarities between the two institutions through multiple outcomes, including a hymnal, a series of football scarves, a revised episode of Songs of Praise and a series of posters, this project aims to illustrate the new role of football in contemporary English society. Please see the full film in the link below.

This January, a historic decision was enacted to outlaw wild camping on Dartmoor, the last remaining space in England where you could wild camp legally. This decision triggered numerous protests around Devon, as campers and hikers asserted their right to access and enjoy the wild landscape of the moors.

Underpinned by the book ‘Protest: The Aesthetics of Resistance’ and a selection of essays from ‘Radical Landscapes: Art, Identity and Activism,’ this project blends the visual culture of Dartmoor and camping with protest aesthetics to create a series of iterative responses that reflect this burgeoning movement.

‘Noughts and Crosses’ follows the story of two childhood friends, Sephy, a black ‘Cross,’ and Callum, a white ‘Nought,’ as they navigate the challenges of growing up and experiencing romance in a society rife with racial discrimination.

My cover design uses contrasting typefaces arranged in repeat patterns to represent the societal divisions in the novel. The rigid uniformity of the pattern is disrupted using colour, symbolising the characters’ defiance and romance. The womb-like ampersand window on the dust jacket subtly foreshadows the climax of the novel: Sephy’s pregnancy.