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I’ve just returned from beautiful Vilnius in Lithuania having taken part in a transnational research project to learn about forests! The project aimed to bring educators and adult learners together from different European countries (Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Turkey and the UK) to research the facts and figures about different European forests. It also aimed to study the ways forests are used as a precious resource for educational and cultural activities.

As part of the UK contingency, I accompanied other ‘creatives’ a.k.a. Aspire’s ‘Magnificent Seven’. The Aspire Trust had joined the initiative as project evaluators and were really keen to include artists and musicians within this process. I joined Denise Wright (visual artist), Jake Ryan (filmmaker / digital artist), Jase Hood (outdoor educator, Natural Footsteps), Nick Owen (director, Aspire), Patrick Ryan (storyteller) and Rob Nzeyimana (musician). The aim was to share ideas, knowledge and skills and develop a creative document of the project.

The last phase of the project will take place in Liverpool  this summer and we’ll hopefully be creating an animation and illustrated educational resource in response to our experiences in Vilnius!

Links:

http://www.aspire-trust.org/

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=80807ba226016c577e411f698&id=12a973461d&e=863a22d730

http://forestforallallforforest.blogspot.co.uk/

I’ve had a long but fun day working in my local Arndale shopping centre working with shoppers to help re-create a painting by L.S. Lowry!

In the shopping centre entrance, we set up easels, mini canvases and acrylic paints and invited people to have a go at painting sections of ‘Coming from the Mill’ by Lowry. There were 63 sections in total, which were placed together like a jigsaw puzzle to create the entire painting. The finished artwork will be exhibited at The Lowry in Salford Quays next to the original painting from next week. To see an image of the original, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/coming-from-the-mill-162324

I worked alongside artist Tasha Whittle, staff from the BBC and also The Lowry to help make the painting happen. It was an interesting space to place an art activity and there were certainly lots of enthusiastic painters. Some spent up to an hour having a go, and many got really into it. I don’t think I’ll forget the experience of a group of us cleaning a load of acrylic filled palettes and brushes in the Arndale toilets, in front of a big queue of shoppers though!

Your Paintings is a joint initiative between the BBC, the Public Catalogue Foundation and participating collections, galleries and museums across the UK. It encourages people to take an interest in painting and also promotes the UK’s national collection – some 212,000 oil paintings.

For more information about the project click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/

The Art Works was the second phase of a community arts project working on behalf of Lime Art. I worked with textile / surface designer and educator Hazel Hewitt to engage a group of adults who attend a weekly job club at a college in Wigan. The aim was to create a programme of 6 sessions spread out one evening a week from October-November, in order to provide the opportunity for job club attendees to learn new skills, increase their confidence and have an outlet for self-expression.

Our workshops quickly evolved into a creative, drop-in social space for a small number of core participants. As opposed to taught sessions, it became clear that participants wanted to try out new techniques such as printing, mark-making, sewing, paper-construction, etc. The project evolved as a safe space to express feelings and personal issues through creative activity, rather than work in a prescriptive manner to create an end product. The approach was participant-led as it emerged that each participant had a particular idea or interest and wanted to develop this individually.

As an example, one participant who was initially reluctant to join as he was only there “for job club”, revealed a former interest in photographing local landscapes, building dry stone walls and making charcoal! His enthusiasm and confidence increased as he brought shoe boxes full of photos to sort through, edit and select. We facilitated this process of editing, selecting and curating an exhibition of photos. We also suggested ways to mount, frame and potentially sell the photos, encouraging him to recognise the value and quality of his photographic ‘hobby’.

Although aimed at adults only, a couple of dads decided to bring their children along to the sessions. This altered the dynamic of the group as the children were energetic, easily excited and enthusiastic to try out lots of different things. They confidently worked their way through the range of materials in a more exploratory manner. It was perhaps a good thing that there were two artist-facilitators present as it meant that one of us could engage the children, whilst the other could give more attention to the adults, who regularly asked for one-to-one assistance.

We felt that we only touched on the surface of what we could offer in terms of developing individualised projects. Unfortunately, 6 x 3 hour sessions didn’t seem enough for the group to really become absorbed. Project momentum only seemed to pick up halfway through and participants couldn’t always arrive on time or attend every session. At the end, participants expressed their desire for the sessions to continue as a regular, social, drop-in creative space – a place where they could work, talk and have lots of tea and biscuits! It also became clear that they felt like things were suddenly ending, just as they were building confidence to try new things.

This programme of activities followed on from another project led by artist Johnny Woodhams during the summer, in which another group worked together to create plans and artworks for an outdoor shelter to be installed within the local community area. This group will be building and installing an outdoor gazebo, which will function as a shelter, alternative gallery/performance and multi-purpose space within a community garden. The structure is due to be installed in spring 2013 and it is hoped that, from this, the groups will come together in order to decide on a programme of creative, community activity…. watch this space!

Links:

http://www.limeart.org/

http://www.hazelhewitt.com/

http://www.johnnywoodhams.co.uk/

I’ve had a great day playing with colour in the atrium of the Children’s Hospital Manchester, as part of the +Culture Shots week!

Working with artist and Culture Shots volunteer Louisa Hammond, on behalf of Manchester Art Gallery, we invited people to have a go at playing with coloured acetate on the windows in the main entrance of the hospital. The idea behind Colour Pop comes from previous workshops, playing with acetate on windows as part of the ‘Interactive Laboratory’ and ‘Imagine’ – Anish Kapoor weekend sessions at the gallery (to see examples, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/michikofujii/5525858773/in/photostream ).

The idea behind Colour Pop was simply to use the amazingly tall hospital windows, as a natural light box, upon which to place the acetate colours. As the sun began to move around the building in the afternoon, the most amazing colourful glow began to stream through into the waiting area, bathing visitors and patients in colourful light and projections. The acetate could be cut up and used as a way of creating colourful lines, images or abstract compositions. All ages took part, including a group of 30 children and their carers from the hospital nursery. We had quite a few compliments from staff, visitors and parents who enjoyed looking at and through the colourful windows… we also had a request to leave it up for the whole week!

Click here to listen to the Colour Pop audioboo: http://audioboo.fm/boos/658728-colour-pop

+Culture Shots is an innovative initiative of creative activities run by different cultural institutions across Manchester, taking place in all of the 5 Manchester Hospitals this week. Click here for more info:

http://www.healthandculture.org.uk/about/

Culture Shot blog: http://www.healthandculture.org.uk

Twitter (for audio boos): http://twitter.com/health_culture

‘The Guardian’:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/08/art-hospital-trust-culture-wellbeing

Manchester Art Gallery: http://www.manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/culture-shots/

Manchester Art Gallery Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150831844424128.511346.68496394127&type=1

Louisa Hammond: http://louisahammond.tumblr.com/

Lime Art: http://www.limeart.org/