Round Lemon

Wondering where the name ‘Round Lemon’ came from? In May 2020, a group of art students brainstormed a name for a concept aiming to create opportunities for creatives. Picture international open calls for artists, virtual exhibitions, and an accessible platform for writers to publish their work online. We wanted a fun, quirky name, so someone suggested picking up the closest object—a lemon. Combined with a variant of our group chat name, ‘circle’, Round Lemon was born. As our community started re-engaging with their local environments in real life, we began making our mark in ours. We've undertaken projects beyond our wildest dreams, creating digital workshops for SHOUT Festival, dressing up as performative Lemon Gods for Fierce Festival, and became artists in residence at Bruntwood and Grand Union. Our projects have had a special impact across various spaces: Our Gender Gap project, which includes workshops, gallery tours, and zine resources hosted at the Barber Institute, is reshaping perceptions of gender inequalities within gallery spaces. This initiative is now offered as a workshop in schools through Learning and Education. Commissioned by Lubaina Himid Projects, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Arts Council Collection, we created a billboard with artist Helen Grundy. This project sparked important conversations about the representation of women in Birmingham. In collaboration with Midlands-based arts organization No Jobs In The Arts, we provided micro-bursaries to five early-career creatives from the Midlands. Their work was featured in a zine themed around Environment and Sustainability. The creative trio behind Round Lemon are Andreea Pislaru, Bethan Jayne, and Carmela Vienna. Born out of a period of uncertainty and disconnect, Round Lemon has taught us to be resourceful, trust our creative vision, and bring creative joy to everyone we encounter. Say Hi! admin@roundlemon.co.uk Instagram:@round__lemon