About

CAST is a global artist network created by Anna Cottle & Mariana Sainz.

Connecting the work and stories of artists from all around the world, the platform brings this together to create a network of inspiration, support and global collaboration. The collective seeks to use intersectional approaches to address the treatment of women and other exploited groups. The name CAST stands for Connecting Artists’ Stories Together, which is the main aim of the network. A cast can be a net, capturing and bringing elements together and a cast also helps to heal – the current situation certainly seems broken and we hope that CAST will help to promote and encourage artists around the world.

Mariana is based in Mexico City and met Anna at the British Museum in London 2018 during an international programme she attended there. Bonding over a passion for drawing and illustration, they kept in touch digitally. The inspiration behind their collaboration stems from personal experience of global connections and how they can inspire, enrich and inform. Sharing the desire to discover artwork produced during the current Covid-19 pandemic, together they want to assist artists in sharing their work and to start with, capture the brilliant pieces that are being made worldwide as we all face the same crisis.

The founders of CAST both work in the arts whilst also occasionally practising art themselves. They discovered a wealth of new artists and artwork recently via social media, conversations with friends and artists, zoom calls and through research carried out during the lockdown. They want to use CAST to capture and share this work and to connect the creators, telling stories from artists all around the world. See Artists for more details of participants.

All mediums are to be represented but the first project concentrates on illustration. Mapping Art: Locked in Residence (See Projects) will weave together a group of artists’ work to tell the story of their lockdown/pandemic experience. This is a difficult time for artists in an already unsteady industry and the current Covid-19 crisis has added to this uncertainty. Art, however, continues to be created and Mapping Art: Locked in Residence explores the emotions, pressures and inspiration felt by the artists through the work that was made during this time.

This is a nonprofit project and acquisition enquiries should be made directly to the artist.