Biog
Influenced by linguistics and performance theory, Roy Claire Potter is an artist who writes, performs and exhibits. They often collaborate with musicians and sound artists for radio broadcast, albums and music festivals. Across drawing, installation, experimental art writing and spoken performance Roy tells stories built from fragmented, intense images that often depict moving bodies, domestic scenes and architectural settings. Roy’s interest in communication constraints, subtext and narrative sequencing is felt in how they use fast-paced speaking or reading speeds and restricted or partial views of space. Complicated social or group dynamics and the aftermath of violent events are common themes in Roy’s work, and are usually treated with a dark, sometimes wilful, humour.
Roy is the recipient of a 2025 Unlimited Partner Award with Liverpool Biennial, funded by Arts Council England. The result is COMMS FAIL, a multicomponent art work that unfolds across performance, broadcast, publication, album and exhibition in 2026. Iterative presentations of the work are supported by Bluecoat, Liverpool, Resonance FM, Cafe OTO, London and Chapter, Cardiff. Research and development has been generously supported by Art Explora and Cite Internationale des Artes, Paris.
roy.claire.potter@gmail.com
Select CV
2026
Cafe OTO, London. COMMS FAIL (album and publication) - forthcoming
Chapter, Cardiff. COMMS FAIL solo exhibition cur. Sim Panaser
Chapter, Cardiff. COMMS FAIL (monologue), performance on 1 August
Bluecoat, Liverpool. COMMS FAIL, performance on 1 May
Resonance FM, London. COMMS FAIL, radio broadcast on 1 May
Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival, Berwick Upon Tweed. COMMS FAIL (Scratch Performance) on 20 March
2025
Somerset House/CHANNEL, London. Shit Out Here Purple (Listening With My Ears) audio on ‘Dream Radio’ part of Tai Shani: The Spell or The Dream. Produced by Alannah Chance.
2024
Bricks For The Kiln, London, Army Rolls: a circumscription short story in ‘Hidden Noise Idiom’ ed. Helen Marten, Harriet Moore, Matthew Stuart
Silver Press, London, Sharing the problem of listening essay in ‘Bodies of Sound: Becoming a Feminist Ear’, eds. Irene Revell and Sarah Shin. ISBN: 978-1-7393717-1-5
Dead Ink Bookshop, Liverpool The Wastes, at ‘Roy Claire Potter with special guests’ cur. Roy Claire Potter
Camden Arts Centre, London, The Wastes, at ‘Public Knowledge: Arrhythmia’ cur. Book Works
Serpentine, London, The Wastes, at ‘Park Nights 2024: Temporal Magic’ cur. Claude Adjil
The Wire, London, Epiphanies feature article edited by Emily Bick
Book Works, London, The Wastes novel in ‘Arhythmia’ series guest selected by Katrina Palmer. ISBN 978-1-912570-20-1
Bergen Centre for Electronic Art (BEK), Norway, Shit Out Here Purple, performance on 17 February
2023
Fingal County Council, Dublin, Where there is resonance, essay in ‘Echo’s Bones: a parallel play’ edited by Sarah Browne. ISBN 978-1-914348-06-8
Mead Gallery, Warwick, The Wastes, at ‘Katrina Palmer: What’s Really Going On’ cur. Thomas Ellmer (reading)
2022
PRIMARY, Nottingham, Land Lay Moldbrest downloadable artist audiobook, cur. Niki Russell
OTOROKU, Cafe OTO, London, To Call Out Into The Night, live studio album with Park Jiha
Slim Volume, Manchester, Sudden Wealth with Roy Claire Potter, album with Chris Evans, Morten Norbye Halvorsen, and Graham Kelly
Counterflows, Glasgow, Park Jiha and Roy Claire Potter, performance on 31 March
Cafe OTO, Park Jiha and Roy Claire Potter, performance on 29 March
A plus A Gallery, Venice, Death to all pigs who enter here!, solo exhibition cur. Sandro Pignotti
2021
Castlefield Gallery, Salford, Sardonic Harmony, music video collaboration with Hardeep Pandhal, David Steans and Stephan Sadler
MOSTYN Gallery, Llandudno, Sharing the Trouble of Listening essay published online by Juliette Desorgues
2020
Radiophrenia, Glasgow. Three Sweep Between audio for radio broadcast in collaboration with Kieron Piercy
Tate Britain, London. A Bridge Can Tell A Flood Nothing, performance at ‘In The Bridge’ cur. Mark Leckey on 29 November
TAKUROKU, Cafe OTO, London. Entrance song; last time, digital album release.
Ma Bibliotheque, London. Only two kinds of people, poem in ‘On Care’ collection, ed. Sharon Kivland & Rebecca Jargoe ISBN 978-1-910055-71-7
BBC Radio 3, London. In Session: Roy Claire Potter and Park Jiha, music collaboration for radio broadcast on ‘Late Junction’ prod. Alannah Chance
Collecteurs, New York. Lads of Aran and CHAVSCUMBOSS, in ‘1-31’ in online group exhibition cur. Adam Carr
David Dale Gallery, Glasgow. The Shooting of Aftershave Man, performance at ‘Preramble’, cur. Jude Browning on 31 January
2019
Artissima, Turin. Roy Claire Potter and Marjetica Potrč, in ‘Dialogues’ dup exhibition cur. Sandro Pignotti for A plus A Gallery
SubRosa, Belgium. Adjurst, with Kieron Piercy, audio collaboration on compilation album ‘Conversations With The Anthony Burgess Cassette Archives’ cur. Alan Dunn
Tate Publishing, London. A Bridge Can Tell A Flood Nothing, short story in ‘O Magick Power Of Bleakness: Mark Leckey’ ed. Clarrie Wallis & Elsa Coustou ISBN 978-1-84976-634-0
Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge. Untitled improvised collaboration with Ziúr, at ‘Wysing Polyphonic Music Festival’, cur. Somerset House
OUTPUT gallery, Liverpool. Roy Claire Potter, solo exhibition cur. Gabriella De La Puente
Radiophrenia, Glasgow. Eyes Rifle, with Kieron Piercy audio collaboration for radio broadcast.
The Castle Hotel, Manchester. Playhouse (Creep), performance at ‘No Matter’ cur. Hilary White, Jasmine Linklater and Nell Osborne
2018
IMT Gallery, London. Rich Curtains Pending Performance, drawings and performance in ‘SNOW CRASH’ cur. Kirsten Cooke
FortEvilFruit, Dublin. I am come from a place, album with Bridget Hayden
Punctum Books, New York. Lads of Aran, essay in ‘Bodies That Remain: essays on the writer’s body’, ed. Emmy Beber ISBN 978-1-947447-67-7
Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno. Bad Thing, short story in ‘She sees the shadows’ exhibition catalogue, ed. Adam Carr and Olivia Leahy
ChelseaSPACE, London. Playhouse, drawing and performance in ‘ORGASMIC STREAMING_ ORGANIC GARDENING_ ELECTROCULTURE,’ cur. Karen Di Franco & Irene Revell
A plus A gallery, Venice. Calico performance in ‘In The Reading Room From Hell’ cur. Matt Williams & Alun Rowlands
2017
Iklectik Arts Lab, London. Calico, performance in ‘Going along without a body: a comment on the soundtrack ritual’ cur. Benjamin Owen
Ma Bibliotheque, London. Round That Way, short story collection edited by Sharon Kivland ISBN 978-1-910055-38-0
Chocolate Monk, Brighton. Scally Nike Leather Glove Smoke, album
Supernormal, Oxfordshire. Catenary performance at Supernormal
Xero Kline & Coma, London. Coupler, solo exhibition cur. Pil and Galia Kollectiv
The International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester. Selected readings, at ‘Matana Roberts presents Coin, Coin Chapter Three’, cur. Psykick Dancehall Recordings
Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge. Touching, installation and performance ‘Mene Mene Tekel Parsin’ cur. Jesse Darling
CCA Derry-Londonderry. Penmon Point, Penmon, short story in ‘No Title: Sarah Pierce’ exhibition catalogue, ed. Sarah Pierce and Sara Greavu
2016
Colour Out of Space, Brighton. CHAVSCUMBOSS, performance at Sallis Benney Theatre cur. Dylan Nyoukis, Karen Nyoukis & Michael Sippings
Lydgalleriet, Bergen, Norway. Touching, performance at ‘Smargniture’ cur. Daniela Cascella & Natasha Soobramanien
Oui Performance, York. Touching, performance at ‘ACTION Poetry’ cur. Victoria Grey & Nathan Walker
Fuse Arts Space, Bradford. I am come from a place, performance with Bridget Hayden at ‘Subveillance’ cur. Helen Kaplinsky
Supernormal, Oxfordshire. I am come from a place, performance with Bridget Hayden
White Rainbow, London. Cast Metal Nut, video in ‘Overlay’ cur. Jeremy Millar
Gorse, Dublin. Learning Pieces, interview with Sarah Pierce, in ‘Gorse Journal 5’ edited by Susan Tomaselli
Learning Department at Tate, London. Writing as Research, resource pamphlet ed. Linda Stupart and Emma McGarry
2015
FortEvilFruit, Dublin. Mother To No Swimming Laughing Child album with Bridget Hayden
2014
VerySmallKitchen, Hastings. Mental Furniture, short novella edited by David Berridge ISBN 978-1-909925-04-5
Education
MFA Fine Art, Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, 2016
PGDip Art Writing, Goldsmiths, University of London, 2013
BA (hons) Contemporary Creative Practice, Leeds Metropolitan University, 2008
VAV (audio visual arts) Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, 2007
Curatorial projects
Channelling Voice, conference of practice and research in literature, performance, music and politics, programmed with Irene Revell (CRiSAP/Goldsmiths) and Sarah Shin (Silver Press), September 2025
EVA International, selection panel for ‘Platform Commissions’ at 41st Eva International August - October 2025
Shady Grant Money, small grant-making programme for artist writers, guest selected with Taylor LeMelle of PSS press January - July 2023
Shady Todmorden, reading series at The Magic City, Todmorden, July - December 2018
Shady Dealings With Language, performance events series at X Marks The Bokship and Matts Gallery, London; Toast, Manchester; & Model, Leeds; and Rhubaba Gallery, Edinburg, May - September 2014
Awards and residencies
Art Explora/Cité internationale des arts, solo programme artist residency, 2025
Bergen Centre for Electronic Arts (BEK), residency for Re:Imagine Europe project, 2023
Cove Park, Helensburgh, research residency funded by Contemporary Art Research Lab, Liverpool John Moores University, 2021
Van Gogh House, artists’ residency recipient, nominated by Maria Fusco, 2021
Primary, Nottingham, ‘Work in Common’ residency recipient, 2019
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists, nominee, 2017
The Arts Foundation Fellowship Award, nominee, 2017
Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge, ‘Polyphonic’ residency recipient, 2017
Leeds College of Art, ‘Library Interventions’ residency recipient, 2016
Ruskin School of Art, Erna Plachte Scholarship Award, 2015
Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts, for Shady Dealings With Language, 2014
The Banff Centre, Calgary, Canada, ‘In(ter)ventions’ residency recipient, 2014
Works in collections
Kirsten Cooke, London. Pigs (triune), ink of photographic paper, 10.5 x 16cm, 2022
Vittorio Micucci, Italy. Lads of Aran, giclée print on Canson-Infinity Rag Photographique 310gsm, 13.7cm x 21.32cm, nine page single edition
Carlos Marsano, Peru. Smashbelt, ink on polythene, 5x4m, 2019
Carlos Marsano, Peru. Roy (Miki and Elvis Potts) ink on watercolour paper 30x42cm, 2019