Objects and Projects...

From 7th October until the 27th November Milton Keynes Gallery presents 'Community without Propinquity: a project exploring the roles of contemporary art and communities in New Towns across the globe.'

More information is available on the MK Gallery website.

Platforma Festival 29th November - 4th December 2011

2011-10-26T13:36:00.000+01:00

'The first Platforma Festival will take place in London from 29th November 2011. Bringing together performers, artists and organisations from across the UK, the Festival will be a celebration of the arts by and about refugees and a chance to discuss different aspects of artistic practice.'

More information can be found here.

Adrian Searle on The Museum of Everything.....

2011-09-07T17:02:00.000+01:00

Adrian Searle's review last Thursday provoked some debate among readers, The Museum of Everything replied with the last word. Read the review and ensuing comments here.

'Power of Making' opens at the V&A

2011-09-07T16:42:00.002+01:00

Celebrating everything from the everyday to the height of skill and innovation 'Power of Making' celebrates the role of making in our lives. More information about the exhibition can be found here. And there is the opportunity to get you hands dirty and a whole range of accompanying events, including the Friday Late Summer Camp: Make and Create! Cardboard Furniture, an event for young people.

and here's part two.....

2011-08-24T22:37:00.000+01:00

...of Rob Alderson's interview with James Brett, The Museum of Everything founder for 'Its Nice That'.

'It's Nice That' interviews James Brett

2011-08-23T15:24:00.000+01:00

The first part of the blogs interview with The Museum of Everything founder can be found here. The second part will be published tomorrow.

Creative Scotland: Arts & Ageing: mapping activity in Scotland

2011-08-23T15:17:00.000+01:00

Creative Scotland: Arts & Ageing: mapping activity in Scotland

Women asked for memories of miners’ strike - News - Shields Gazette

2011-08-23T15:15:00.000+01:00

Women asked for memories of miners’ strike - News - Shields Gazette

Community art replaces riots in Tottenham - Features - Al Jazeera English

2011-08-23T15:11:00.001+01:00

Community art replaces riots in Tottenham - Features - Al Jazeera English

arTea...

2011-08-20T10:05:00.001+01:00

Last year you may have heard about the tea rooms in Birmingham that were making use of empty shops, bringing the community together and providing opportunities for creativity; the success of the project inspired many to initiate similar projects on recession hit high streets country wide. arTea was devised and delivered by Hybrid, it was funded by DCLG and ACE, engaged with over 2000 people, and made use of five empty retail spaces. The project wound up in April this year and the evaluation was released at the beggining of the month. Visit the website to find out more about the project and request a copy of the full report.

Urban Knit

2011-08-17T18:15:00.000+01:00

Today the Guardian illustrates some quirky, urban uses for traditional yarn based crafts, including this woolly intervention in Stokholm.

The Craft Manifesto

2011-08-17T18:03:00.000+01:00

In response to the recent unrest in town centres across England, CraftScotland are using their first conference (Craft Connected, taking place on Saturday 27th August at The Collins Gallery, Glasgow) to launch the development of 'The Craft Manifesto'. They are inviting submissions of proposals to be presented to and discussed with the audience during the event, sugested themes include reconnecting communities through the act of making, petitioning through making and making craft in order to make sense. These discussions will form part of the earliest stages of the Manifesto's development which will ultimately become...

'a collection of stories, research, anecdotes and crucially paths forward to embrace the disconnected parts of our community and reconnect them through the skills found in craft making. The evidence for making will then be presented to government (both Scottish and UK), funders and community groups, and a plan of action will be devised.'

More information can be found on the CraftScotland Website.

Chalk: Installation, performance and expereimental walks on the South Downs

2011-08-17T09:34:00.000+01:00

Since April international environmental arts group 'Red Earth' have been programming a series of events exploring the archeology and ecology of the South Downs. September sees the last chance to be involved.....

Installation: Site specific installations, made from local greenwood and coppiced on site, these are contemporary sculptural forms designed by Caitlin Easterby and Simon Pascoe. They were built by a team of local craftsmen supported by a team of volunteers, including members of Mind (on display until end of October).

Walks: These walks took place in the spring, and unfortunatley will not be repeated. They explored theme of archeology, wild food, natural navigation and national trust.

Performance: The Red Earth website discribes the Chalk Performances...

"The landscape becomes the protagonist, animated through performance, song, live sound, and fire: Extraordinary performance from Atsushi Takenouchi in a soundscape of horn, bell, and bronze. Local choirs bring together voices from the South Downs and the Russian Steppe, as the land resonates with the sound of Mongolian Longsong from Badamkhorol Sandandamba. "

Red Earth have two choirs, one based in Chichester and one based in Brighton. If you are interested in getting involved email choir@redearth.co.uk

For more information about installation location and performance schedules visit the Red Earth.

Happy 1st Bithday to Peckham Space!

2011-08-13T15:25:00.000+01:00

More information about the first year of Peckham Space can be found here. And to visit the website and join their mailing list click here.

Why We Love Peckham....

2011-08-11T15:26:00.000+01:00

Visit the Guardian website to see Peckham Shed's creative reaction to the riots in Peckham.....

The Museum of Everything brings us The Workshops of Everything

2011-08-10T21:47:00.000+01:00

On the 2nd of September The Museum of Everything returns to London with Exhibition #4.

The Museum began with Exhibition #1 featuring 500 works plus essays by Grayson Perry, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Maurizio Cattelan, Paula Rego, Nick Cave among others. The exhibition was a hit and wen on to travel to the Agnelli Museum in Italy.

Exhibition #2 took place at Tate Modern over 3 days, it featured over 200 unknown works by self-taught British artists to over 100,000 visitors. The works were selected by a revolving panel of artists and curators, including Ron Arad, Iwona Blazwick and Jarvis Cocker.

Exhibition #3 was a vast installation of self-taught art and ephemera co-curated with artist Sir Peter Blake. Including assemblies of Punch and Judy, side-show banners and the miniature fairgrounds of Norfolk farmer Arthur Windley.

Exhibition #4 will take place between 2nd September and 25th October at Selfridges Department Store on Oxford Street and will exhibit work by artists with developmental disabilities, including work by a number of Action Space artists. The Museum of Everything describes the exhibition...

"The private worlds of fifty new discoveries will be revealed in the show. Creations range from intimate works on paper to giant three dimensional sculptures. This is the first time many of these unintentional artists have been seen in Britain. The Museum of Everything invites the public
to discover the work for themselves and ask why these invisible artists remain overlooked by every gallery and museum in the land."

It goes on to reveal an exciting opportunity for artists with developmental disabilities to get involved and develop their practice with Action Space...

"In conjunction with Exhibition #4, The Museum of Everything is launching The Workshops of Everything: an initiative to highlight the essential role of studios for self-taught artists with
developmental and other disabilities. Progressive art studios are unique places which make art, not therapy. They give artists the freedom to express themselves however they wish, by offering support, space, time and materials. Progressive studios exist around the world, especially America, Japan, Belgium and Germany. They are still emerging in Britain and mainland Europe and the aim of The Workshops of Everything is to encourage greater development and raise awareness of what they do."

The workshops are open to adults with learning disabilities who are not professional artists but have some kind of artistic experience, either from making art at home or as part of a wider group. Action Space Artist Facilitator Charlotte Hollinshead will be leading the sessions, if you or someone you know is interested in taking part please contact The Workshops of Everything at we@musevery.com.

Pay what you can the the New End Theatre....

2011-08-09T13:29:00.002+01:00

'Where's your Mama gone?' comes to the New End Theatre, Hampstead from a sell out run in Leeds. The story explores the problems of identity and 'the impact of heritage loss' experience by many looked after children growing up in care. In order to reach as many people as possible affected by the themes of the play tickets are being sold on a 'pay what you can' basis, with a recommended donation for those able to of £15.

More details can be found here.
And a review of the run at The Carriageworks in Leeds can be found here.

Autism Friendly Films.....

2011-08-09T12:43:00.000+01:00

Dimensions, an organisation supporting people with learning disabilities and people with autism, is working with ODEON to launch 'Autism Friendly Films', a project aiming to raise awareness of the sensory differences experienced by people living with autism and provide opportunities for those people to experience cinema in a way they can feel safe and enjoy. It is the first time a national chain of cinemas has embarked on such a project, meaning that people from all over the country can be part of the pilot taking place on Thursday 11th August, the first film to be screened will be 'Mr Poppers Penguins'. Visit the project's website for information about the project, including a full list of participating cinemas and interviews with participants.

The Lion & Unicorn

2011-08-09T12:15:00.002+01:00

This summer the South Bank is awash with retro Festival of Britain memorabilia. You can explore beach huts, each containing a different coastal themed installation, eat fish and chips bought from a 1950's chip van under Hungerford Bridge, and enjoy a display of juggling with a vintage edge by The Gandinis. Then, sitting quietly amongst the hustle and bustle of the summer in the city, is a moving visual and aural sculpture; stories of strength, bravery and hope flutter in the breeze. Audio recordings accompany the visual experience, the voices of the authors re-telling their stories, some young, some old. The piece is by participants from The Refugee Council, Refugee Youth, The Refugee Home School Support Project, and The Klevis Kola Foundation with artist Gitta Gschwendtner. The title refers to 'The Lion & Unicorn' pavilion from the Festival of Britain, it explored and represented 'Britishness', an account of the pavilion recorded by the Museum of London in 2001, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, can be found here. The centre piece of the display was an installation of a flight of ceramic birds, symbolising migration and freedom of speech. It is this installation that is homaged by today's 'The Lion and Unicorn', sharing stories of migration and seeking refuge an celebrating Britain's freedom of speech.

Youth Arts Transforms Lives - FACT

2011-08-02T09:53:00.000+01:00

On 15th June last year ENYAN launched it's 2010/11 campaign 'Youth Arts Transforms Lives - FACT' with the aim of:

Producing evidence to support key messages regarding the value of youth arts

Increase knowledge, understanding and support for youth arts by politicians and government ministers
Making a stronger case to funding bodies to allocate specific funds to youth arts and to provide evidence as to why this is relevant
Demonstrating the value of youth arts to services supporting hard to reach young people
Highlighting key national initiatives benefiting the youth arts sector and creating a framework for how they can be delivered at a regional level

Last month the findings of the campaign were compiled and presented in a report which is sure to become an invaluable resource for those working to justify project funding in these tight times. It is an uplifting and inspiring read, packed full of case studies, and can be downloaded here.

Action Space @ Studio Voltaire Open House.....

2011-07-27T14:08:00.000+01:00

Last weekend I was involved with Action Space's contribution to the '2012 Open Weekend'. 'Be Part of It' saw the organisation's Camden Studio Artists invite members of the public to collaborate on a multi-media installation using sculpture, projection, video and drawing. The event was really well attended and I will post photographs along with a report on the event at a later date.

Next weekend Action Space opens its doors again, this time at its south London studio located within the Studio Voltaire complex as part of the Open House weekend.

More information avilable here.

The Arts Case: Why the arts make a difference

2011-07-27T12:57:00.000+01:00

What better start to this blog than posting a report examining the role and value of arts organisations in tackling disadvantage. The Knowledge is a 'bite-sized' publication from the City Bridge Trust, its latest edition (issue 7, The Arts Case: Why the arts make a difference, researched and compiled by Lemos & Crane) focuses on the work of 7 London based community arts organisations and analyses the positive social impact their projects have on participating communities. Of particular interest is the section detailing the role of arts activity in reducing and removing stigma, two contrary methods were used in the work of the studied organisations, one focusing on 'difference' to explore 'motive, consequence and impact', the other ignoring 'difference', 'If people are treated equally, the theory goes, they will feel more equal and if they feel more equal, they will feel more included.' The former is used primarily in work with offenders.

Download the report here

Thanks to Chris Gibbon, blogger for BOP Consulting, for bringing the report to my attention.