Groundwork South West
We have another student (well technically ex-student) to join the mentoring strand of our arts programme.
This being a difficult time of year to engage students (they’re all fretting about grades, going home for the break etc.) Francesca Steele and I were unsure how we would go about locating someone to mentor during Francesca’s time here. Luckily, we went to the University of Plymouth degree show, where we saw the work of Siobhan McKeown. We liked it so much we contacted her through the university, and have already met to discuss what help we could be to her in her future career. As with David, we will develop this collaboration as we go along…
Siobhan is intending to move to Bristol soon, but we're brewing plans to do some work in that fair city...
David Johns has been primarily working with myself and Clare Thornton during his stint as a ‘mentored student’ for the past 6 months, as part of our arts programme.
He has just graduated with a first class honours degree in media arts, and is commencing an MA in Urban Design this October.
Currently working with Part Exchange Co. to curate the Hidden City Festival exhibition at the Royal William Yard, he is also working towards opening up an independent studio and gallery space in Plymouth.
David says of his experience at Groundwork South West:
‘My time with Groundwork has given me a valuable insight into the community and professional arts environments. I've had some great first-hand experience of live projects, made links with industry and developed my skills from student to working artist. I've really enjoyed working with Ray and Clare and look forward to our paths crossing again in the future.’
Both myself and Clare would like to thank David for his professionalism (and sometimes, patience) in helping to produce the limited edition Soap Box.
And good luck for the future...
Groundwork Arts South West now has a Facebook group. This is mainly to allow members of the group to automatically receive notification of events and opportunities. I will, of course, continue to post these on the website as well. Unfortunatley, I can't get the link to work in a neat way at the moment (my fault I'm sure) so for the time being, click on this to be directed to the page. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35994457632
The launch event for Soap Box at Plymouth Arts Centre went extremely well, was well attended and was a very enjoyable night. We gave away the first 20 limited editions, and took orders for more. Thanks go to Paula Orrell and Steven Paige at PAC, and to Justin of ‘food’ for providing what was less of a buffet and more of a feast.
We haven’t quite sorted out the details yet, but individuals will be able to order one of Clare Thornton’s limited edition works direct from Purist. I will give more information shortly. And a picture of said item for the website, so you know what you’re getting.
This draws to a close Clare’s residency with us, which has been a pleasure from beginning to end. Even though there was no specified outcome at the start (it was, in effect, a completely open brief, without there necessarily being any tangible ‘object’ produced), Clare and I are both very pleased that the social enterprise came along just at the right point and focused us down the path that led to Soap Box.
I’ve a feeling we’ve not seen the last of Clare, and as David said, our paths are sure to cross in the future.
We are now in the position of one residency coming to an end, and of one in its early stages. Part of the first callout for artists ran thus:
‘We wish to develop an ongoing programme of contemporary art commissioning, and are keen to work with a wide range of practices including; performance/live art, sound art, video/film, installation, media, sculpture, and everything in-between and beyond. We are looking for artists who reflect our own organisation’s ethos and ideals and who therefore have a critical engagement with some or all of the following; public space (both urban and rural), environmental regeneration and sustainability, individual/community empowerment and participation.’
So we feel we are on track with attempting to use contemporary art in diverse contexts, focusing at present on regeneration, sustainability, empowerment and participation. Other projects are being developed in the areas of youth and also our environmental business team, Envision.
Clare Thornton’s project with Purist, a social enterprise in Paignton, is nearly complete. More on that, and details of the launch event follow.
Our second residency was intended to be a collaboration between ourselves and ZEST at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. As such, Trystan Hawkins at ZEST compiled a shortlist and the artist Francesca Steele was selected by him and staff working on the Horticultural Healing project in Royal William Yard in Plymouth. However, ZEST’s expected outcomes have shifted, with the result that the collaboration will no longer proceed as planned. Instead, the residency will focus solely on the Horticultural Healing project, although the resultant work will very likely be shown on Derriford Hospital’s many flat-screens.
Horticultural healing works with individuals with mental health issues and acquired brain injury, taking the form of ecotherapy.
Francesca Steele is an emerging artist with high profile
exhibitions in her portfolio, including performances at the
National Review of Live Art for the last 3 years. Two large public
exhibitions - the Belsay Fellowship for Picture House
at Belsay House in Northumberland and for Nexus in Newcastle,
both in 2007, had audience figures in excess of 200,000 And 140,000
respectively. Steele’s collaborative work with Manuel Vason
has been exhibited at Arnolfini, Bristol and in the book Encounters
– performance photography collaboration, again produced by
Arnolfini 2007. She is represented by Waygood Gallery, Newcastle
upon Tyne.
Francesca has set up a blog on her residency. It can be found at: horticulturalhealingresidency.blogspot.com
I will attempt to keep individuals up to date with developments on launch dates and other events on an ongoing basis. More anon.
Ray White
Strategic Arts Coordinator
IMAGE: Manuel Vason and Francesca Steele
Thoughts on the Strategic Arts Coordinator post as a whole, plus random thoughts that come into my head. It's at: slightly-imperfect.blogspot.com
Groundwork South West was contacted
by Working Links Plymouth to organise a one-day workshop for young
people. We contacted Plymouth Arts Centre and they kindly agreed to
host the day. Linda Cleary facilitated a creative writing workshop,
‘What’s the Story’ on the 05/12/07.Linda
commented on the day, saying:
'At the beginning of the day 2 people said that they had previously been inside the Arts Centre and at the end of the day, all participants had not only viewed the Barbara Holub More Opportunities exhibition but also interacted with it; using it as a stimulus for their afternoon writing tasks. The participants who had previously felt disengagement with 'the arts' were forming opinions and views on the exhibition and writing creatively about it. Through interaction and involvement all participants felt positively about the arts centre. The aim of the workshop was not only to use the exhibition as a stimulus but to write about architectural/structural aspects of Plymouth, which the group also did; opening up group discussion on local & community issues and each person then being able to have a voice through the creative writing process.'
Clare Thornton has set up a blog to chronicle her thoughts and experiences whilst in residence. As you will see if you take a visit, she has been engaging fully with our organisation, even attending our Business Planning day!
http://groundworkresidency.blogspot.com
We are very pleased to announce that Clare Thornton has been selected to be Groundwork Devon and Cornwall’s first Artist in Residence, starting in November 2007.
Thornton is ideas-led, responding in each instance to the
people and places that she encounters, yet there are some recurrent
themes in her work concerning history, location & identity,
class/labour and unravelling ‘hidden’ narratives. She
is interested in gathering personal and collective stories and
exploring ways in which they can be distilled and presented as art
pieces in public contexts. Thornton uses performance, video, print,
photography and textile as a way of exploring these ideas.
"I like to work collaboratively and am especially interested in navigating the path between the contemporary arts milieu and individuals and groups operating, or producing, at its periphery, either by chose or exclusion. I’m interested in territories, borders and working at the edges of things…
I’m really excited by this forthcoming Groundwork Artist in Residency project. There seems to be a genuine desire for transaction and exchange between the artist and Groundwork staff…I look forward very much to getting the creative chat going"
She has also worked within the field of sci-art as a project manager and artist (another border crossing activity). Her visual and public art performance project "Looking for the Black Redstart" looks at wildlife/nature in urban contexts and performances of the everyday (www.fiercetv.co.uk Fierce! 2005 ).
Thornton has shown work in Australia, Denmark, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Turkey and UK. And has been supported by Arts Council England, The British Council, Norwegian Office for Contemporary Arts (OCA) and was recipient of an Artsadmin Artist Bursary.
She recently co-founded Thornton-PITT with artist/curator Trevor Pitt, which engages in artistic research and production around curatorial and artistic processes within public & community contexts.
Other projects:
Curator of ‘Hardcore Soft’ for the Nasjonalmuseet for Art, Architecture and Design Norway a touring exhibition that presents the work of artists addressing ‘hard’ political issues (e.g. class, conflict, homelessness) through ‘soft’ means (e.g. textile, soft sculpture, participatory practices)
Recent collaboration ‘Home & Away – wherever I lay my hat that’s my home’ - a participatory mixed media project developed with two women’s group (in Oslo and smaller commuter town of Drammen) was exhibited in the International Kultursenter og Museum Oslo and Union Scene Drammen. To view the artist action ‘Bike Block’ where project participants joined friends Survival Strategists & Eat the Rich Film Club in blocking advertising and reclaiming public space visit: www.spisderike.net
Thornton was born in Birmingham - studied Theatre, Film Studies & English Literature MA at University of Glasgow – and currently lives in Bristol, UK.
Groundwork South West
1st Floor, Lyster Court
Queen Alexandra Square
The Millfields
Plymouth PL1 3JB
T : 01752 217729
F : 01752
217718
E : Enquiries
Groundwork South West |
1st Floor, Lyster Court |
Queen Alexandra Square |
The Millfields |
Plymouth PL1 3JB
T 01752 217729 | F 01752 217718 | E southwestregion@groundwork.org.uk
Registered charity no. 291558 | Registered company no. 1900511 England