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Sophie Risner

@sophierisner

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Happiest when growing and supporting creativity, motherhood and novice runner building new in MCR. Reading only women #shewroteiread
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Another glorious end of the Summer @parkrunuk my second for their 22nd birthday. Gotta say though that it’s taken me a while to sync into running around others. One of the main reason I find running so possible is its solo edge, the fact of only having yourself to rely on. The Park Run experience can feel for me too collective, something I’m trying to lean into. Equally the emails; whilst I find them interesting, like the Strava log it’s hard not to spend ages agonising over what it all means, I’m where in my age group and where in the general number of participants? Again a symptom of its cult like space in micro novice and amateur sport. But this isn’t in any ways a critique because in all fairness I’m enjoying leaning into collective exercise, the smiles and clapping of volunteers is so needed, the fab locations and the atmosphere generally. Equally and probably mainly syncing into Park Run as a family experience helps shape this as something I will continue to embrace and enjoy. #parkrunuk #salewaterparkrun #running #beyondcouchto5K taken in Sale Water Park by @sophierisner
6
4 days ago
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Namwali Serpell’s ‘The Furrows’ is a haunting tale of loss which over the years of its telling starts to unravel stretching its fingers and spine, a landscape of lives lived beyond the death of someone close. For Cassandra- our main protagonist this loss is her brother Wayne and it’s a story of coming to terms and adjusting to a new reality in the face of a family tragedy. I really didn’t know what to expect from this novel, I picked it up from the front cover and the best seller recommendation on the front cover. I am also acutely aware that I want to read more books by Black authors. This compounded that rough expectations, mainly through its darkness, the shadow of that loss haunts her appearing in the guise of crumbling memories, fairground nightmares and eventually a surreal sense of danger which ultimately places us in a guess as to Cassandra’s own life beyond the grave. I kept thinking of the urban storytelling horror of Nia DaCosta’s ‘Candyman’, the horror of infant loss through Nicolas Roeg’s ‘Don’t Look Now’ and the role of childhood trauma played out in ‘IT’. The horror surprised me in the end, it crept in and left you feeling unsure and unsafe with the main characters, you couldn’t build a relationship of trust and felt the foundations were as shaky as the sand that engulfs and terrifies within the plot. A truly remarkable, unique and fascinating read which had me wrapped in instability, playing on that to twist the narrative deeper and darker making it hard to define truth from fiction. Homemade bookmark from Addie on the final picture and all ‘cred / thanks go to @traffordlibraries for the loan. #shewroteiread #namwaliserpell #thefurrows taken in Lusaka, Zambia by @sophierisner
0
10 days ago
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Norfolk was a fever dream, the boys slept-ish for the first time on holiday. The scenes of continuous lines cris-crossing the flat horizon, the home of my first Park Run. Endless family support and time, nights out and nights in. Mundesley beach, West Runton Social Club, exploring Blickling’s vast history and estate, trains to Sheringham, Red Arrow displays across Cromer and The Gunton. The kids excitement about this holiday was weeks worth and it felt like a genuine moment in their life that they’ll archive forever. And of course not humanly possible without heaped praise for Uncle @nreuben19 for organising, Aunty @hannahlbriggs Uncle @hgamsu and Uncle Patrick, Grandma and Grandpa @markgamsu for kiddie wrangling, supporting, entertaining, cooking, chatting and being there. With huge shout out to my LLL @toxic_space_grease for enduring the 7.5 hour drive home. taken in Norfolk by @sophierisner
3
a month ago
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In between having Addie and Lewis I commenced ‘The Artists Way’ by the brilliant Julia Cameron. Week Five is called ‘Recovering a Sense of Possibility’ and revolves around the creation of the “file of dreams” (also referred to as an image file) a creative visualization exercise. It acts as a physical or digital mood board to help you collect and clarify your hidden desires and goals. As part of this I saved an image of the Parkrun logo. I’ve wanted to get back into running to the stage that I could attempt a Parkrun comfortably for years. You may have noticed my Strava stories LOL (an attempt to hold myself accountable). Well last week I finally achieved my first @parkrunuk I get it most people have done one years ago. But regular running and running groups slipped past me as I lost myself in years of binge drinking and then early early years parenting. It’s taken me #couchto5k and then regularly (23 week streak) running 2/3 times a week to pluck up the courage to participate. It wasn’t the easiest inaugural PR; a slight incline which I felt was definitely going to floor a flat Manchester runner, humidity and rough terrain, but I managed it in a not to shoddy time. Huge shout out to my pops @markgamsu and brothers @hgamsu and @nreuben19 for all the support getting me there and through it. Scroll through to real time footage of an actual turtle they also documented running, and of course @toxic_space_grease for all the child wrangling whilst I ran on weekends and continue too. Onwards and upwards. #parkrun #parkrunuk #beyondcouchto5k #running taken in Blickling Hall, Blickling, Norfolk. by @sophierisner
9
a month ago
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A brilliant visit to see the 4th iteration of the much loved #manchesteropen @homemcr today. Over 1500 artist entries from across Manchester whittled down to 420. Even though I’m definitely not a fan of a salon hang I didn’t find this overwhelming, there was still lots of space to enjoy each work in its own right and it was sensibly staged unlike the RA Summer Show 🙃 The scope of the exhibition meant that artists selected aged from 4 - 80. It was humbling and inspiring to see arts presence and role as a hobby, creative skill, tinker space, documentary of the everyday and go to as a dimension to unpack life’s many folds. Here’s my hot pick, in many ways lots of works drew me in but for the sake of the carousel I’ve created my own mini shortlist. Themes ranged from the family, wildlife, arrivals and departures, 🐸, landscapes and surrealism. To me this space represents beautifully how emerging creatives can sit happily side by side with those trialing creativity without pressure. It’s an example of how an exhibition open call can remain strong in identity and conviction yet democratic in representation. Last but not least the show was busy and it felt like people loved engaging with the work, there was a comforting hum of chatter, laughter and debate which made the gallery approachable. Brilliant as well to see artist development awards, bursaries and the opportunity for creatives to use the space to sell should they wish. The show runs until 6th September so get along now. #manchesteropen2026 #emergingcreatives by @sophierisner
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2 months ago
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A brief look at my past reads will easily show you how western centric my knowledge is. For a while I have felt the need to remedy this and reached out to @kasrajalilipour an Iranian artist and previous colleague of mine during our time at Arts SU. They recommended reading ‘Persepolis’ as a decent starter to understand the mind and soul of Iranian life and history. I remember ‘Persepolis’ being fairly groundbreaking when it was released, the animated film hype seemed to pre-date the graphic novel. The book itself is an incredible canonisation of knowledge and understanding of life lived through conflict. It’s easy to read through within 2-3 days. It’s her capacity to value empathy (a core take away in her interview with Joshuah Bearman for ‘The Believer’). Her empathetic style here enables difficult, nuanced and politically potent times to be transcribed with humour, character and charisma. There’s so much Adam Curtis could have taken from her to unlock cultural accessibility. Her pages are vast scapes of potent experiences but drawn and written through inclusive ideology. You walk away seeing the inner workings of Iran without feeling the weight of theology. This enables her to meet you, valuing that it’s never going to be possible to truly understand the pressure of life lived under a religious regime. That lack of expectation opens up pathways to actually engage deeper through the emotional nuance of life lived through societal expectations. Here she excels in showing us the structural inadequacy of both drawing lines of symmetry uniting reader and writer. Satrapi tragically passed away earlier this year unbelievably too early, they say from heartbreak. Her legacy lives on in her back catalogue and through the Mattias and Marjane Ripa-Satrapi Cinema Foundation which she founded, providing support for foreign students who want to study filmmaking in Paris. Lastly huge shout out to @traffordlibraries for locating my copy here. #shewroteiread #marjanesatrapi by @sophierisner
5
2 months ago
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Trialing something new. After sharing my Stretford Mall text and photobook with the brilliant humans @motherswhomake_manchester I felt I should attempt to digitally render the two together to see how I felt about the look and feel. I’m still not confident with my voice, it’s hard to splinter anything creative away from feeling like I’m writing for GCSE drama. I either need to work on my reading or think if someone else might be better equipped to allow some critical distance. I’m also not sure on the cropping of the images themselves. Hard to get them to work in the context of standard phone framing. Either way, if you listened for a bit or the full 5 minutes I deeply appreciate it and would love some feedback to take the project forward. #stretford #stretfordmall #stretfordarndale #jobseekersallowance #photography by @sophierisner
0
3 months ago
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Our move north at the end of September nearly a whole year ago, this time has felt insurmountable, the tally of work notching a spreadsheet bedpost. The shift underscoring a narrative I’ve longed to destroy in my bones, my own ‘use factor’. The capacity to bond with a building and feel its path towards inevitable change, I hear those words again ‘knock it down’. They ring in my ears as I open up yet another application, as I scroll the list of places I know to provide work, and hope something will jump out that keeps my bones standing and searching. Fable has it that Muhammad Ali opened Stretford Mall, the place unified under the vision of the new, I still grasp for a connection and my lack of employ defines a new structure to my days. I am sole ‘home’ winner- does that work, not work. Domestic overlord, and childcare shift into 50% of my vision, as the other half attempt to move my career beyond the pale. I never calculated how this limbo would also struggle my bond with this new city. Each day my identity feels unformed, my children head to their places, my partner now ensconced, I stand out, this feeling embeds the greatest of frustrations, but also sadness and at peak, failure. A text and photobook project exploring the closure of Stretford Mall through the eyes of unemployment, bonding with a new city and a move up north. Read the full text over on my website. Link in bio and a huge thanks go out to @breenthorn for the film, a brilliant Birthday gift. Shout out to @comethroughlab for timely and professional processing. #stretfordmall #stretford #photography #slr taken in Stretford Arndale by @sophierisner
4
4 months ago
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One blustery, drizzly morning I took a trip to see ‘More to Come’ the 2026 offering from graduating students @mcrschart only managing to view Fine Art, Curating, History of Art and Commissions work now on show at the Grovesnor West building. I always recommend a trip to your local art college / university to see the annual degree shows. Work here can help think through the challenges facing students but also where their minds are, what they’re processing, what inspires and excites. Charlie Cornwell’s reflections on the St. George felt prescient- a simple looped video reflecting back a year in which this symbol has taken hold of lands, reclaiming lamp posts and ideological space. Politically insightful work continued with @kamildudaart ‘The Art of a Subtle Goodbye’ an ode to MSA’s decision to discontinue the £200 materials bursary. A KLF infused trapped elephant in a box, the elephant in the room of on-going erosion at creative education and university cost cutting measures. Further into the show Olivia Edge-Ledingham’s talisman figure made from the junk of the 21st century equally moved and haunted a response in a quiet studio corner. This path of ritual was latter woven into the kite lore of ‘My Motherland’ a painful and beautiful depiction of Director Niamh Pettitt’s childhood in South Shields. Alongside the political rhetoric which always pulls were intricate and articulate material works which felt intriguing and challenging- this is not my forte for debate so I’ll merely say I found both Ada Whites sonic videography entrancing as much disturbing. The ink on canvas half cocked with palettes by @isabelmarshallart equally captivating, potentially more so due to the floor placement where it commanded over shrinking into ply. Locating these shows in their natural habitat provides an impressive and thoughtful journey in buildings where critical thinking, experimentation and risk collide. To me degree shows prove a pivotal headspace testing the temperature of artistic practice, creatives support, what moves them and how they have and continue to face the challenges of creative practice today. Go see now- this show remains until Friday 19 June, 2026. taken in Manchester School of Art by @sophierisner
1
4 months ago
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Throughout May both Lewis and Addie caught chickenpox giving us roughly a week in between bouts to recoup, this for me meant 3 days as currently I am primary caregiver for Lew whilst I continue to locate work. Once Addie finished with the dreaded pox we rolled into a fortnight May half term, meaning that roughly I’ve had barely a day in a month without steering childcare. It’s not my natural headspace and one I found so overwhelming. It’s been a marathon of constant care and often felt like it had no end. Ian’s obviously been around, and my parents have been fab throwing their weight behind week two but generally it’s fell on me. Here’s a visual diary of the half term through Addie’s eyes. A challenge each day to draw what he did. With the advice from my Dad to ‘go big’ resulting in some absolutely fab depictions, Ian playing his trumpet and Addie swimming being my top. A visual diary of the challenge as well for me bound by JSA, these days must be easier with a larger budget - families heading on holiday during this time, or those not worried about getting lunch out or money for ice creams which are seemingly the cost of coffees these days. The return of school tomorrow (Addies final half term before Summer and his move into year one), signifies yet more guilt that I’ve found it such a slog, that at points my patience felt tested and that I often felt how it would he nice to have one night away. But isn’t that parenting? The conflict of the shape of autonomy splintering the realities of care. How the refraction isn’t always what and how we expected our smalls to make us feel. by @sophierisner
2
4 months ago
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Discovering the Bridgewater canal shifted this for me. Home from home. The Lea was a stomping ground for me in London, now these waters tracked this achievement. Often when pushing this and doing this I had these feelings: - children too much - run - stress about job hunt - run - worry about money - run - anxiety about life - run Doing this during a down time in employment has given me a focus, though it does make me sad that I can train to run a 5K quicker than getting a job. Enjoying running is also something I’ve previously done to the point of feeling small signs that I ‘need’ it in my life, this feels more important now. My brain is so busy and often by several people I’ve been told I over read / analyse. Running clears that completely, the only thing I focus on is the breathing, surviving, putting one leg in front of another. Of course it’s also started to be slightly more possible as the kids are older and can be overseen by one adult. Having said this huge cred to @toxic_space_grease for taking this for me. For taking the childcare in the morning as the cabin fever builds. I’m currently doing more childcare than previously having taken over Ian’s day with Lewis as he secured work north sooner. Thus colliding this and being able to get out first thing on a Saturday is a life line. Now onwards, trying to keep this up and heading towards my first (ever) Parkrun then who knows? I have some aspirations but I want running to remain in that brilliant spot, a space to take myself which is accessibly challenging, allowing me to take myself away from myself when the noise gets too loud. taken in Manchester, United Kingdom by @sophierisner
3
6 months ago
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In 2024 the @artssulondon strategy identified that 89% of students say that it is important for them to feel part of a community, as a response to these findings I designed and launched ‘Connection and Collaboration’ a programmatic strand built to improve and address the deficit in networking training, collaboration and mentoring, developing personal and professional communities of practice. The strand saw @madeinartslondon team dip their toe into creative mentoring for the first time. I invited 5 practitioners to meet with students from across all of UAL, each creative could advocate and speak to a myriad of concerns and practice-based questions with each student obtaining roughly 40 minutes of concentrated mentoring. What came out of this event was a fantastic, inspiring and thoughtful collaboration between myself @evieee.e and @sillybillycircus a zine resource which unpacks and illustrates the importance of mentoring for creatives. Recently launched and available online I brought Evie and Radhika together to chat and think through the role of mentoring for their practice, accessibility and the inspiration behind the zine design. Read the full conversation over on my Substack (as per link in the bio). #creativementoring #mentoring #zine by @sophierisner
1
6 months ago
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