The Team

Michelle Carlile
Art Studio Manager

Michelle, a self-taught artist, has cultivated her expertise in painting and sculpture with a strong emphasis on mastering the intricacies of armature construction and delving into colour theory. Beyond her personal practice, her passion lies in supporting the artists of Headway, home to Submit to Love Studio, as a dedicated mentor. With a tenure spanning 23 years, Michelle has been a driving force behind the growth and development of the studio. She has the ability to tap into the innate creator within the artists, drawing out latent talents and instilling a strong sense of self-belief, where trauma may have instilled doubt.

Throughout her time at Headway, Michelle has facilitated and curated, guiding artists to develop bodies of work for prestigious exhibitions at galleries such as South Bank Centre, Stratford Art House, St Paul's, Wellcome Collection, Autograph, the Barbican Curve Gallery, and beyond.

Witnessing art's transformative power in reclaiming and reconstructing identity, Michelle is deeply inspired by the courage and creativity of the artists she learns from each day.

Emily de Kersaint Giraudeau
Art Studio Coordinator

Hi, I'm Emily! I studied illustration at Norwich Art School and soon after graduating headed back to sunny Suffolk where I set up a printmaking studio in my parent’s basement. From there I worked on various projects and commissions from editorial illustrations to textiles to chocolate packaging! I spent some of my spare time running art workshops for community groups and helping out the students at a local art college in their printmaking department. After 4 years in the countryside I headed to the city to join the fun down by the canal at Headway. It’s a real joy working with the incredible artists at Submit to Love Studios and I love to see their work come to life through print. It’s a space to experiment: for me that means combining traditional printmaking techniques to discover new ways of making art together.

Alex Brady
Art Studio Coordinator

Hello I'm Alex! I have a degree in printed textiles and after graduating I worked in the fashion industry in the UK and Italy. I first became aware of Headway when my dad was in hospital with a traumatic brain injury in 2013. His injury and experience had a big impact on me and made me realise I wanted to do something to help people more. I began volunteering for some arts charities while studying for an MA in illustration and enjoyed it so much that I decided to follow a different path as an art facilitator. I absolutely love supporting the artists in the studio and being part of the StL community.

Natalie Smith
Art Studio Coordinator