Hello, I’m Steph and I’m a scanner.

The forehead in the photograph above. No I wasn’t shrunk in the wash as a kid. I have a rare form of Dwarfism that has strongly influenced the bumpy journey to becoming a creative activist and practitioner. Blogging secretly via my blog hellolittlelady.com for a few years about the some time surreal moments that being 4ft 4” presents in a world and society designed for the average height.

Frustration is the mother of invention in the Dwarf world, or in my world at least, cumulating in my debut photographic exhibition – ‘You’re Just Little’ revealed the challenges, obstacles and difficulties the Dwarfism community face on daily basis. Including photo images from my own perspective of 4ft 4”, as well as the wider Dwarf community who participated and contributed their own photographic perspectives.

Challenging in the use of the gallery space to display the work at my own eye level and force the gallery visitor to experience moving around society from the Dwarf perspective.

A photo has a thousand words, and so does a podcast. You can listen to the stories and themes behind the exhibition podcasts here.

From being awarded a Creative Development Fellowship by Sunderland Culture, enabled me to develop as a creative practitioner to provide the space and platform to develop the Dwarf voice. You can listen to the podcast of the workshop over here.

“UNION has enabled me to get my determination and confidence back. The course gave me the headspace to think and reflect about myself & where I want to go as a professional, but also just be as an individual without any expectation or pressures.”