We specialise in designing participatory arts projects
& interventions
that inspire creativity,
dialogue & exchange
between people
of all ages
& cultures.

Since 2003 we have used the transformational power of the arts to work creatively with thousands of people in arts, community, education, reconciliation, rehabilitation, regeneration and environmental contexts.
See our Overview Document for more details.

We create spaces and processes for people from all walks of life to explore their relationship with themselves, each other, where they live and the wider world. Through performances, workshops, public interventions, co-authored exhibitions, publications and uniquely tailored events, the invitation is to re-look at who and how we are in the world at this time of crisis and opportunity and together to explore new stories to live by on individual, local, city wide and global levels.

Encounters was formed by artists Ruth Ben-Tovim and Trish O’Shea in 2003 when they took over and created the first Encounters Shops in Sharrow, Sheffield.

We are now a group of artists, facilitators, sustainability innovators, creative educators, cultural translators & change agents. Based in Totnes, Devon, we work locally, nationally & internationally.

Encounters is a 2012/13 Artsadmin associate artist organisation.