Jane Stewart (BA Hons Fine Art 1st, University of Essex) is a visual artist based on the Essex coast, her work is rooted in nature, especially the coast, oceans, bodies of water and our relationship to them. Her focus is on creating small interventions to change ingrained thought processes around consumerism, waste, pollution and the natural environment.

In 2021 she won a climate award for her work ‘Dead Seas Scroll’ at a climate change and ocean awareness exhibition in Zurich and worked with Futures in Mind and Theatre Temoin on ‘Flood’, a project looking at climate change.

In 2023 she worked with Futures in Mind on a wellbeing project for people with learning difficulties and addiction issues, this project was funded by Colchester City Councils Culture and Creative events fund.

In 2024 she was awarded the Essex County Councils Arts and Culture fund for an environmental project with young people in North Essex with Learning disabilities and those living in poverty.

‘Mapping the Colne’ is an ongoing project that looks at the health and history of the River Colne in North Essex. With funding from Colchester City Councils Cultural and Creative Events fund, she will be completing the Colchester area walks with community groups throughout 2024.

Also in 2024 she was awarded funding to undertake three Art for wellbeing walks through the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty along the banks of the River Stour, by Suffolk and Essex National Landscapes Office.

She works with local community groups, creating projects and programmes of workshops that bring communities together and is interested in working with under-represented members of society, creating a voice for the voiceless through art and creativity. 

She has covered many issues in her work, plastic pollution, coastal erosion, fast fashion and the exploitation of child labour, homelessness, sexism, ageism and menopause.