Rima Staines & Nana Tomova

London-born artist Rima Staines works across painting, theatre, music and storytelling. Rooted in myth, imagination and a lifelong vagabond spirit, her work conjures dreamlike, melancholic figures and otherworldly landscapes that feel both ancient and strangely familiar. Now living in South Devon, Rima creates immersive worlds where memory, magic and beauty converge.

For this special event, Rima will share something of her artistic journey and the worlds behind her paintings — exploring the stories, myths and influences that have shaped her work, and the way painting, music and storytelling intertwine within her practice.

Joining her is traditional oral storyteller Nana Tomova, based in Speyside, Scotland. Born in Bulgaria, where the Black Sea meets the Old Mountain, Nana carries a rich inheritance of tales of wise women and healing herbs, golden maidens and winged serpents, stretching back to ancient Thracian times.

Nana is the author of the newly published Bulgarian Folk Tales, beautifully illustrated by Rima Staines. She will bring some of these stories to life through the spoken word, offering a glimpse into the folklore and landscapes that have inspired this remarkable collaboration.

An evening of art, stories, myth and imagination, with two artists working in different forms to bring old worlds vividly into the present.