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Working alongside Kids in Museums, Manchester Art Gallery hosted a national ‘Culture Babies’ conference today which focused on the importance of engaging children aged 0-2 years and their parents/carers in creative gallery sessions.

After having run Mini Art Club for a good three years at the gallery, we had reflected on the need to engage younger children aged 0-2 years as it was identified that there was a slight lack of activities available specifically for parents with very young children. Artists Naomi Kendrick and Najia Bagi went on to set up a Baby Art Club in which they further explored multi-sensory environments aimed specifically at babies who are not quite ready to walk! As Naomi is now about to have a little one herself, I stepped in to deliver a special one-off taster session, as part of the Culture Babies conference today.

As always, our inspiration comes from artworks in the gallery, in this case the 17th Century gallery on the 1st floor. A key artwork in this gallery is the painting ‘Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of his Wife’ by John Souch (see link below for image). The subject matter in this artwork is rather dark and macabre, however the gallery space also exhibits other similar artworks which depict family life in the 17th Century through formal portraits. It is an interesting exercise to respond to artworks that we may overlook or deem unsuitable or inappropriate for certain groups and then try to tease out interesting thoughts, ideas and responses.

I thought it would be useful to begin to pull out key themes and imagery from the artworks and, having spent some time looking, began to notice the intricate, lacy details on the clothing of the characters in the artwork, as well as the heavy contrast of dark and light / black and white. Black and white became the theme for our sensory installation downstairs and this proved to be a theme that could be accessed, explored and questioned at different levels.

Black and white materials were laid out and contrasted in the studio environment downstairs which created a strong visual contrast aimed specifically at young eyes. We also wanted to question the stereotypical understanding of the symbolism of black and white. Black is not often associated with young children. In Western cultures, white is often viewed positively as something which symbolises purity, light, life and innocence, whilst black is often associated with death, shadows, darkness and even the occult.

We somehow wanted to invert this so that black could be cast in a positive light and could even be portrayed as something that had the quality of something light, whereas white became heavy. Furthermore, we wanted to explore ways of interpreting the sensory qualities of black and white, i.e. what would black sound like/feel like/taste like, as opposed to white?

A small group of mums with babies entered the space and were invited to explore a variety of materials and objects with all the senses, i.e. heavy white balloons filled with water and black beans, heavy white cobbles, light black balloons, white and black velvet, black and white lace, black and white flowers and vegetables (chrysanthemums, cauliflower, aubergines, beans), and even a black and white keyboard! Meanwhile, conference delegates were invited to visit the space, make observations and ask questions.

Most of the mums hadn’t attended Baby Art Club before and many were pleasantly surprised by the taster session. In particular one mum commented on how she thought it was “refreshing” that the session wasn’t adult-led, but rather allowed time and space for her to spend time with her baby to play and explore.

It was a lovely session to run, even if it took us all morning to set up the installation. Many thanks to Andrew Moseley, Jess Wild and Alex Thorp for all their help!

Links:

http://culturebabies.org.uk/

http://www.manchestergalleries.org/

https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterArtGallery#

http://www.manchestergalleries.org/the-collections/search-the-collection/display.php?EMUSESSID=9d8060fa3a1e96ea0b37d694d9339692&irn=3461

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Bees-Sound-Vision/209126015774372

http://kidsinmuseums.org.uk/

http://vimeo.com/andrewmosley

It’s catch-up time! Here are 9 lovely photos to provide a glimpse of what I’ve been up to – creating and delivering the Mini Art Club sessions at Manchester Art Gallery over the past three months.

We’ve been interpreting and responding to some lovely artworks from the brilliant ‘First Cut’ exhibition on the top floor. It’s been a great opportunity to focus on some beautiful paper artworks large and small.

In November our ‘Shape Shifters’ session responded to the beautiful, intricate and shapely work of Sarah Bridgland. In December, we went into outer space taking the theme of ‘Navigating Nebulae’ from artist Andy Singleton’s amazing large-scale paper-cut swirls. Finally, in January, we explored and built our own ‘Forest of Wonder’, whilst being inspired by Manabu Hangai’s lovely hand-made leaves and installation.

I’m suffering from some serious paper cuts now!

Links:

http://www.manchestergalleries.org/

http://www.manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/exhibitions/index.php?itemID=92

https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterArtGallery

http://www.sarahbridgland.com/

http://andysingleton.co.uk/

http://www.hangais.com/art_web/eng/e_frame/f_set.htm

As well as continuing my work as a freelance artist and creative practitioner, I have just started working part-time at Tate Liverpool as the new Families and Early Years Curator! I’ll be working alongside my job-share Katy McCall and will be covering maternity leave for up to a year.

Part of my job will be to come up with exciting and creative ways to interpret upcoming exhibitions such as Glam! The Performance of Style, Chagall: Modern Master and the new Collections galleries at Tate Liverpool for family and early years audiences.  I’ll be working to develop and improve the existing Family Learning programme and family-friendly spaces within Tate Liverpool. I’ll also be working closely with Early Years groups to develop a new offer for young children and their parents, carers and educators. We’re also aiming to invite visitors to a special Early Years exhibition at Tate this summer… v. exciting!

For more information, keep your eye on Tate Liverpool’s webpages below:  

http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool

http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool/kids-and-families

https://www.facebook.com/tateliverpool

For the ‘Inside Outside’ slideshow and sounds, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/michikofujii/sets/72157631311504422/

‘Inside Outside’ is a series of workshops I developed with artist Sarah Marsh. Inspired by the artworks from the Turner Monet Twombly exhibition at Tate Liverpool, England, Sarah and I developed a creative and experimental programme over four weeks in August.

Each week the workshop focused on a different season, connecting to key themes in the exhibition, such as the floating world, fire and water, the vital force, atmosphere and loss. The workshops also encouraged the exploration of colour palettes, textures and materials through different processes.

Each week the workshops offered opportunities for open-ended activity, the chance to add to an evolving artwork and also something to make and take home.

The views over the Mersey from the studio window formed a poetic connection with the watery worlds of Turner, Monet and Twombly as the light and atmosphere change dramatically throughout the day. The sound of the sea through speakers added another layer to this exploration of fluid landscapes, marks, colour and emotions.

Links:

http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool

http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool/kids-and-families

http://www.evelynarts.co.uk/

Phew… I’m on a roll! Here’s a selection of images taken in the ‘Rags to Riches’ summer family workshops at Manchester Art Gallery as part of the We Face Forward festival across Manchester.

Inspired by Nnenna Okore’s artwork ‘When the Heavens Meet the Earth’, we have been challenging ourselves to transform waste materials into wondrous works of art. Okore uses a range of natural materials which she deconstructs, decays, dyes, reforms, etc. She works with natural materials such as paper, clay, burlap and natural dyes.

Over the past couple of weeks in the gallery, we have been focusing on line and form, producing drawings and experimenting with newspaper in the gallery in front of the artwork. Downstairs we’ve been working with a range of waste materials to create colliograph prints. We also had a lot of fun exploring different ways to shape clay using key words as prompts… what fun!

Links:

http://www.nnennaokore.com/

http://www.wefaceforward.org/artists/nnenna-okore

http://www.wefaceforward.org/venues/manchester-art-gallery

http://www.facebook.com/ManchesterArtGallery#

http://www.manchestergalleries.org/

After a long and lovely weekend working at the Just So festival at Rode Hall Parkland Cheshire, I’ve finally found some time to load up a few pictures.

Hidden in enchanted woodland, ‘Away with the Fairies’, my Tent of Surprise revealed a paper forest (literally!) growing inside the tent. With baskets filled with surprises to rummage through, families were able to explore objects through all the senses. Torches revealed paper-cut shadows and bugs (both imaginary and real!), pots of perfumes or potions conjured up responses, emotions and memories, children listened out for noises and the feely basket was full of surprises – including a real frog that had accidentally landed in there and gone to sleep! Perhaps it was the fairy queen who had been out casting spells…

Links:

http://www.justsofestival.org.uk/

http://www.justsofestival.org.uk/away-with-the-fairies-at-a-glance/

http://www.facebook.com/justsofestival

This month’s ‘We Face Forward’ Mini Art Club session responded to the artist Piniang’s semi-abstract collaged paintings ‘Flood in the Suburb 1 and 2′ and ‘Power Cut in the Suburb’. Piniang (real name Ibrahima Niang) is a multi-media artist who works with a fusion of materials. The paintings in this exhibition depict the architecture of Dakar and somehow capture the chaos of an overcrowded city after a flood or power cut. Here, Piniang is concerned with population growth and urban development out of control.

Families visited the exhibition virtually in the dark, accompanied by the frenetic beat of the drum played by Danny Henry. We then headed down to the studio to mark-make and explore various recycled materials, focusing on the colour palette in Piniang’s work. We later constructed (and knocked down) a fragile cardboard city, and danced to the beat of a chaotic city, led by the amazingly versatile Danny.

What a fast, colourful, frenzied and fun morning!

Links:

http://www.wefaceforward.org/venues/manchester-art-gallery

http://www.wefaceforward.org/artists/piniang

http://www.facebook.com/ManchesterArtGallery#

http://www.mancky.co.uk/?p=3896

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR8-EWcRo08

We’ve just had our 50th Mini Art Club… and what a morning!

As part of the ‘We Face Forward’ summer programme, we responded to artist Nnenna Okore’s work ‘Where Heaven Meets the Earth’, concentrating on the theme of decay and transformation. Materials to be explored and transformed were a variety of recycled papers, different consistencies and types of clay, as well as natural materials such as hessian, twine, vegetables and spices!

Okore is particularly concerned with re-using and transforming materials, working into them using a variety of techniques to test the limits of each material as it deconstructs, falls apart, decays, fades, changes colour, etc. We attempted to explore this laying out a wet clay and natural dye room with paper and also a dark, shadowy paper room. To complement and extend this further, dancer, percussionist and musician Danny Henry interpreted key words (such as rip, stamp, fold) through a series of beats, rhythms and movement – much to the delight of everyone involved! It was really insightful to work with such a diverse and experimental performer who instinctively understood the ethos of Mini Art Club.

Such a great way to celebrate our 50th session!

N.B. Lo-fi mini vid clips hopefully coming up soon!

Links:

http://www.nnennaokore.com/

http://www.wefaceforward.org/venues/manchester-art-gallery

http://www.wefaceforward.org/artists/nnenna-okore

http://www.facebook.com/ManchesterArtGallery#

http://www.mancky.co.uk/?p=3896

…am recovering from a random, last-minute art gallery-packed day down in London!

The Serpentine Gallery 

First, a long walk from Knightsbridge and through Hyde Park to the Serpentine Gallery to see Yoko Ono’s latest show ‘To the Light’ which opened yesterday. The exhibition features a variety of installations, films, photos and archive material – threaded together by an accompanying sound piece of bird cries and ambiguous heartbeats.

The central piece Amaze 1971 invites viewers to take their shoes off and lose themselves within a disorientating maze of clear perspex, which simultaneously serves the purpose of revealing the participants to the rest of the gallery. The installation seeks to reveal the viewer as the ‘viewed’, as the participant struggles through the space, unsure of whether they are about to hit a wall as subtle reflections confuse their sense of space. Finally, the lost viewer finds or ‘re-discovers’ themselves once more as their reflection is revealed in a small, cubic water well at the centre of the piece.

Elsewhere, the world distorts as the viewer encounters suggestive objects, such as a ladder leading up to a suspended magnifying glass. The seemingly overlooked soldiers’ helmets filled with jigsaw pieces of a blue sky also provide a sad testament – rather heartbreaking on reflection. Perhaps the lost blue skies can be found on the ‘Sky TV’ in another room where a plasma screen transports us to a flat, one-dimensional, filmed sky. Ono leaves a trail of suggestive notes here, telling us that the ceiling is, in fact, ‘the floor’ and the floor ‘is the ceiling’, or is it?

I also practically walked into Yoko Ono as she was being accompanied out of the Serpentine’s learning studio towards the new Pavilion – in preparation for her talk, in conversation with Waldemar Januszczak in the warm, dark, cork-filled, sensory pavilion designed by architects Herzog and de Meuron and artist-activist Ai Weiwei!

Links:

http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2011/03/yoko_ono_to_the_light.html

http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2012/02/serpentine_gallery_pavilion_2012.html

Then it was on to the Barbican’s current Bauhaus: Art as Life exhibition, an in-depth portrayal of the Bauhaus movement and manifesto – the UK’s biggest Bauhaus exhibition in over 40 years. At first slightly hesitant to enter a world of rigid architecture, geometry and colour theory I did, however, become quickly immersed. The Bauhaus vision of utopia is hopeful and appealing as creativity, imagination, play, celebration, community and shared identity are emphasised as key ideals in a movement that blossomed and then dissolved in the dawn of the Second World War. The path through the exhibition provided a comprehensive timeline of the Bauhaus movement, but the curated space, did not seem to capture enough of the playful, free spirit of the movement. This was to be found, instead, in the close examination of small archive photographs and photograms, prints, drawings and paintings.

http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=12409

After being properly immersed in the world of Bauhaus, it was a mad dash to the British Museum to the Art Fund Prize 2012 award ceremony! The two prize categories were The Art Fund Prize for Museums and Galleries – Museum of the Year 2012 and, also, The Clore Award for Museum Learning 2012.

And the winners were….

Museum of the Year 2012 – Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (although I was rooting for and had my fingers crossed for the Hepworth, the team have achieved a tremendous amount over such a short space of time and were favourites to win).

Clore Award for Museum Learning 2012 – joint winners Leicestershire County Council Heritage & Arts Service – Held in the Hand and Touch Tables and also… the Whitworth Art Gallery/ Manchester Museum / Manchester Art Gallery with the Manchester Early Years Partnerships!! The early years initiative began over 5-6 years ago through the Creative Collaboration projects in Sure Start Children’s Centres and rippled out to the galleries which provide innovative sessions as part of a core offer for the early years, where ‘children lead the way’! It has all come a long way and our Mini Art Club session at Manchester Art Gallery will turn 50 next month – yes, that’s the 50th session!

To read more about the shortlists:

http://www.artfundprize.org.uk/clore-award/shortlist-announced.php

http://www.artfundprize.org.uk/2012/art-fund-prize-2012-shortlist-announced.php

To hear/read about the winner of the Art Fund Prize 2012:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jrqry#p00tx76g

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2012/jun/20/royal-albert-memorial-museum-art-fund

http://www.artfundprize.org.uk/press/2012/press-release-120619.php

Links:

http://www.facebook.com/ManchesterArtGallery

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anE0oZg1DOs&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CIvnrQFvyE&feature=relmfu

Time flies… and I’m starting to gather my ideas and materials to fill a tent full of magical surprises at the Just So Festival this August!

The Just So Festival is a quirky, creative, boutique festival aimed at children, young people and their families. Originally based in Shropshire, it has moved this year to Rode Hall Parkland in Cheshire for a weekend of camping and creativity in the woods. It will be a treat to spend some time doing my creative thing outdoors surrounded by trees, natural light and sunbeams (fingers crossed!)

Just So aims to be more than just a family festival – featuring some of the best UK arts activity. There’ll be lots of story-telling, dancing, visual arts, lights, magic and mayhem in the woods!

I will be hiding in a tent ‘Away with the Fairies’ (I’m already there), creating a world of papery delights – the rest is a secret, so I will keep ‘schtum’ for now….

For more information about the festival visit the site at: http://www.justsofestival.org.uk/

For a plan of the festival site, please view the map and click on the different areas: http://www.justsofestival.org.uk/2012-programme-2/

I’m very, very excited!