Sarah Francis

Sarah Francis is a UK-based artist, curator, and creative leader whose career spans over 15 years of fostering inclusivity, collaboration, and equity in the arts. As the Founder and Creative Director of APS, Sarah has built a radically inclusive, artist-led space prioritising LGBTQIA+, disabled, and neurodivergent. Her work dismantles systemic barriers, fostering environments that value participation, care, and trust, while championing underrepresented voices.

Sarah’s leadership extends across numerous impactful projects, including her role as Curator for the APS Gallery’s Championing Unheard Voices, the Emergence(y) Project with the International Curators Forum and Ort Gallery, and as the Founder of The Other Studios. She has curated innovative exhibitions such as Let Us See You, which reimagines curatorial practice to empower artists while addressing systemic inequities.

An advocate for systemic change, Sarah is a member of the A-N Artist Council (2022–2026), where she works to amplify artists’ voices and drive policy reform. Her leadership has been recognised with numerous accolades, including the UK Enterprise Award for Creative Community Organisation of the Year (2022) and a Lord Lieutenant Acknowledgement for Outstanding Service to the Community (2020).

Sarah’s artistic practice delves into themes of identity, consent, and access, exploring relationships and environments shaped by her lived experiences as a queer disabled artist. Her work has gained international recognition, including a debut at the Leslie Lohman Museum of Art in New York City alongside artists like Catherine Opie and Jenna Gribbon.