- Caroline Huckleberry
Showing posts with label kelly loughlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kelly loughlin. Show all posts
Bryan Dixon
- Caroline Huckleberry
Butterfly House
The Butterfly House is here! It's
been exciting coming and seeing it being constructed, and finding out
more about the reasons behind its construction, and it's great to see it finished and ready for the public to interact with.
As well as the house, old local photographs lined the unit walls. Kelly left notebooks handy for visitors to jot down names and locations if they spotted any familiar places/faces on the photographs. I saw lots of the visitors to the space seeking out old friends and family members, and trying to identify classrooms and schools. There was a photo walk around the mill too, for people to capture modern images of the area.
Cath Ford ran a lantern making workshop in the space, and lots of houses and buildings of all shapes were created in the session. The finished ones were filled with battery operated tea light and fairy lights...and placed inside inside Butterfly House.
The space inside the Butterfly House acted as a mini cinema, with old film footage projecting onto the inner walls... and it looked really magical in there, especially once the lanterns had been added to the space.
Kelly
held a variety of events over the course of the week which included
singing, decorating the house with images, storytelling, performances and even clog
dancing! A choir came from the Calico Group to sing in the space, and it was their very first public performance! They sounded fantastic, and received a good welcome from the crowd of residents and mill users.
Ex Emmerdale actress Ursula Holden-Gill entertained the crowd with her brilliant storytelling, clog dancing and singing... with funny and engaging local tales.
News from the Mill
Kelly's News from The Mill - The Butterfly House
Had a busy time at Habergham Mill in SW Burnley; it's a former textile mill and still a hive of activity where small businesses operate from a series of units. Houses surround the mill, so much so that from the main road you wouldn't know it was there. As you enter the yard you're hit by the sounds of industry, machinery, especially the saws from the wood yard and the clatter of the metal recycling. The proximity of industry and housing was one reason I wanted to set-up in this space - the domestic and industrial sit cheek by jowl.
Industry was the engine for Burnley's development, textiles, coal and engineering drew people from far and wide looking for work. The town has a rich and celebrated industrial heritage, most evident in the Weavers' Triangle. SW Burnley sits adjacent to this, forming its own awkward triangle, located between Manchester Road, Rossendale Road and the south side of Accrington Road (where the M65 runs). Manchester Road and Accrington Road don't join-up to form a neat triangle, they are linked via Trafalgar - where the Weavers' Triangle begins.
Standing at the southern tip of this truncated triangle, looking down towards Accrington Road and the hills on the horizon you see a largely residential area, where the grid iron pattern of nineteenth century terraces gives way to more widely spaced semis - especially the council estates. Looking at the roofs of the buildings you can see a distinct angular shape to some of the council semis - these are the Butterfly Houses, large family homes situated at the corner of streets and avenues.
This butterfly shape came to the fore in the 1920s when municipal housing was given the green light and the country set to work building Homes fit for Heroes. The municipal housing schemes built in the years between the two wars expanded the population of SW Burnley; Stoops, Bleak House and Hargher Clough estates were built on green fields, all three take their name from local farms.
I was really struck by the Butterfly Houses because they were built as big family homes and I've spent some time doing family history with residents at The Orchard in SW Burnley. A butterfly is a symbol of transformation, the magic of one thing turning into another, and this seemed to chime with family life, with a process of renewal and the new emerging from the old.
With this in mind, and with the help of artists I've worked with previously (David Pugh & Vincent James) a scale model of a butterfly house now sits in Habegrham Mill.
We began with a model in card, then built the wooden structure - working out the angle where the two pitched roofs joined was tricky. Once this was done, Emma, a local volunteer helped with painting. Emma was impressed with the structure but she questioned why build it here and why paint it white? I explained my thinking. Building a structure within a structure makes me aware of different kinds of spaces. Outside we walked from residential through to the industrial and once inside we again entered a different kind of space - as we entered this new space we were aware of how the sound of our voices changed, and how the sounds from outside were muted, the light changed and the scale of our immediate environment shifted too. I also liked the idea of a domestic structure within an industrial space - we move through industry and return to what remains - the houses, the families.
At this point Emma's mum arrived, at the same time as two council workers delivering chairs and tables. They were also curious, so I started to explain - "it's a model of one of the houses from the estate". One of the council men replied "I can see what it is, what's it doing in here"?
I continued with my explanation but was struck by the way they were busy identifying where the windows and doors should be - this was a blank wooden structure which referenced the houses - it had no representational detail - but they all recognised it - the shape of the Butterfly House!
Eventually, the structure was painted white and now it seemed to shine, a clean white object sitting beneath a north lights roof in a dirty industrial space. Emma's response? "It's sick". And that apparently is high praise indeed!
So why were the council workers delivering tables and chairs? The Butterfly House will go 'live' in the second week of September. Hopefully, different groups will help to decorate the house, which can now be collaged with photographs I've been collecting from people in the area. The space will also be one of performance, with a community choir, drama performances, a craft group and photo walks in the local vicinity.
So watch this space (literally).
Kelly
Had a busy time at Habergham Mill in SW Burnley; it's a former textile mill and still a hive of activity where small businesses operate from a series of units. Houses surround the mill, so much so that from the main road you wouldn't know it was there. As you enter the yard you're hit by the sounds of industry, machinery, especially the saws from the wood yard and the clatter of the metal recycling. The proximity of industry and housing was one reason I wanted to set-up in this space - the domestic and industrial sit cheek by jowl.
Industry was the engine for Burnley's development, textiles, coal and engineering drew people from far and wide looking for work. The town has a rich and celebrated industrial heritage, most evident in the Weavers' Triangle. SW Burnley sits adjacent to this, forming its own awkward triangle, located between Manchester Road, Rossendale Road and the south side of Accrington Road (where the M65 runs). Manchester Road and Accrington Road don't join-up to form a neat triangle, they are linked via Trafalgar - where the Weavers' Triangle begins.
Standing at the southern tip of this truncated triangle, looking down towards Accrington Road and the hills on the horizon you see a largely residential area, where the grid iron pattern of nineteenth century terraces gives way to more widely spaced semis - especially the council estates. Looking at the roofs of the buildings you can see a distinct angular shape to some of the council semis - these are the Butterfly Houses, large family homes situated at the corner of streets and avenues.
This butterfly shape came to the fore in the 1920s when municipal housing was given the green light and the country set to work building Homes fit for Heroes. The municipal housing schemes built in the years between the two wars expanded the population of SW Burnley; Stoops, Bleak House and Hargher Clough estates were built on green fields, all three take their name from local farms.
I was really struck by the Butterfly Houses because they were built as big family homes and I've spent some time doing family history with residents at The Orchard in SW Burnley. A butterfly is a symbol of transformation, the magic of one thing turning into another, and this seemed to chime with family life, with a process of renewal and the new emerging from the old.
With this in mind, and with the help of artists I've worked with previously (David Pugh & Vincent James) a scale model of a butterfly house now sits in Habegrham Mill.
We began with a model in card, then built the wooden structure - working out the angle where the two pitched roofs joined was tricky. Once this was done, Emma, a local volunteer helped with painting. Emma was impressed with the structure but she questioned why build it here and why paint it white? I explained my thinking. Building a structure within a structure makes me aware of different kinds of spaces. Outside we walked from residential through to the industrial and once inside we again entered a different kind of space - as we entered this new space we were aware of how the sound of our voices changed, and how the sounds from outside were muted, the light changed and the scale of our immediate environment shifted too. I also liked the idea of a domestic structure within an industrial space - we move through industry and return to what remains - the houses, the families.
At this point Emma's mum arrived, at the same time as two council workers delivering chairs and tables. They were also curious, so I started to explain - "it's a model of one of the houses from the estate". One of the council men replied "I can see what it is, what's it doing in here"?
I continued with my explanation but was struck by the way they were busy identifying where the windows and doors should be - this was a blank wooden structure which referenced the houses - it had no representational detail - but they all recognised it - the shape of the Butterfly House!
Eventually, the structure was painted white and now it seemed to shine, a clean white object sitting beneath a north lights roof in a dirty industrial space. Emma's response? "It's sick". And that apparently is high praise indeed!
So why were the council workers delivering tables and chairs? The Butterfly House will go 'live' in the second week of September. Hopefully, different groups will help to decorate the house, which can now be collaged with photographs I've been collecting from people in the area. The space will also be one of performance, with a community choir, drama performances, a craft group and photo walks in the local vicinity.
So watch this space (literally).
Kelly
Location, Location, Location
I've just spent a very pleasant hour driving around SW Burnley with Caroline Wright seeking exhibition locations for the final art work from her residency. Much of the route we took was similar to the walking route from our first photo walk and it was fascinating to be observing familiar areas but from a different perspective. On our photo walk I was seeking out and capturing detail, colour and texture, this time we were looking for public spaces suitable for large portraits of local people to be exhibited.
The conversation and thinking was very different this time as we imagined the photos placed in the environment and considered not just the visual impact of the work, but the emotional impact for the people in the photos and those viewing them (as well as the practicalities of installing them).
Both Caroline and Kelly have approached their residencies with real care and consideration for the people they have worked with, just as we hoped. The relationships they have built, the trust which has enabled people to open up and share their lives, stories and communities is evident in every stage off their thinking and their work.
We did a couple of circuits of the area, each time adding to my own social and emotional map of the area, and ended up deciding on a building that we had driven past, acknowledged but not considered as viable on the first circuit. As the journey progressed it became clear that this building was the best option. It's a building that is well known to everyone in the area which might well explain why we overlooked it in the first place - it was just too obvious. I think we had to do the journey together to help develop ideas and reject some possibilities before the obvious became visible and I really appreciated being asked to accompany Caroline on her scouting mission.
I'll not tell you any more as I'm sure Caroline will. It was also great to hear about the studio portrait day they held yesterday which went on until late in the evening. I'm really looking forward to seeing the resulting portraits.
Cath
The conversation and thinking was very different this time as we imagined the photos placed in the environment and considered not just the visual impact of the work, but the emotional impact for the people in the photos and those viewing them (as well as the practicalities of installing them).
Both Caroline and Kelly have approached their residencies with real care and consideration for the people they have worked with, just as we hoped. The relationships they have built, the trust which has enabled people to open up and share their lives, stories and communities is evident in every stage off their thinking and their work.
We did a couple of circuits of the area, each time adding to my own social and emotional map of the area, and ended up deciding on a building that we had driven past, acknowledged but not considered as viable on the first circuit. As the journey progressed it became clear that this building was the best option. It's a building that is well known to everyone in the area which might well explain why we overlooked it in the first place - it was just too obvious. I think we had to do the journey together to help develop ideas and reject some possibilities before the obvious became visible and I really appreciated being asked to accompany Caroline on her scouting mission.
I'll not tell you any more as I'm sure Caroline will. It was also great to hear about the studio portrait day they held yesterday which went on until late in the evening. I'm really looking forward to seeing the resulting portraits.
Cath
Kelly in the Mill
We went to Habergham Mill to document Kelly and her installation. When we arrived she was beginning the construction with Dave and Vinnie, in one of the empty spaces at the mill. There was lots of wood and drilling sounds... and an exciting vibe in the air.
Kelly is making a replica of a house, and it was great looking through the original full size house blueprints/plans with her to see how they are being re-interpreted in the space.
I'm looking forward to seeing it all completed, and hopefully meeting the local resident who lived in the house that inspired the installation. The mill is a fantastic place to start with - full of interesting textures, peeling paint and a general 'lived in' feel to it... and the addition of Kellys installation and photo archive will make it a very exciting place to be.
Caroline - Huckleberry Films
Kelly is making a replica of a house, and it was great looking through the original full size house blueprints/plans with her to see how they are being re-interpreted in the space.
I'm looking forward to seeing it all completed, and hopefully meeting the local resident who lived in the house that inspired the installation. The mill is a fantastic place to start with - full of interesting textures, peeling paint and a general 'lived in' feel to it... and the addition of Kellys installation and photo archive will make it a very exciting place to be.
Caroline - Huckleberry Films
The Red Triangle
Catch up and planning meeting with Caroline, Cath, Kelly, Helen, Steph and Caroline and Dave from Huckleberry Films.
We met at the Red Triangle in Burnley, and drank our way through a lot of tea between us. It was a really inspiring meeting full of ideas and plans... and was a great chance to find out what each person is working on. It's good to keep in touch via e-mail, but even better to meet in person to chat.
Caroline - Huckleberry Films
We met at the Red Triangle in Burnley, and drank our way through a lot of tea between us. It was a really inspiring meeting full of ideas and plans... and was a great chance to find out what each person is working on. It's good to keep in touch via e-mail, but even better to meet in person to chat.
Caroline - Huckleberry Films
Coal Clough
Some of the photos were of Kelly's own family, as she grew up in the area... and it was great to find out more about some of the amazing old photographs.
Caroline and Dave, Huckleberry Films
Jacob's Join
The craft group from The Fold/Ground UP project had a group outing to the SAMS scrap store in Blackburn. They returned with lots of materials and ideas for future projects, and we joined them as they gathered for lunch back at the Fold.
It was an 'ideas lunch' with the community, and ideas were shared about future plans. It was also a 'Jacobs Join', which meant everyone brought food with them to share. One of the artists hadn't heard the term before, and we realised it was a specifically Northern term. If you use the phrase where you live, let us know so we can see how local it is! Wikipedia refers to 'potluck':
'A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people may contribute a dish of food prepared by the person or the group of people, to be shared among the group. Synonyms include: potluck dinner, spread, Jacob's join,Jacob's supper, faith supper, covered dish supper, dish party, bring and share, shared lunch, pitch-in, carry-in, bring-a-plate, dish-to-pass, fuddle. It is also referred to as a smorgasbord or potlatch'.
We filmed some of the meet up, shared food and ideas and looked at old photographs that one of the artists was drawing inspiration from.
Our youngest lunch member was little Phoenix!
Caroline and Dave, Huckleberry Films
'A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people may contribute a dish of food prepared by the person or the group of people, to be shared among the group. Synonyms include: potluck dinner, spread, Jacob's join,Jacob's supper, faith supper, covered dish supper, dish party, bring and share, shared lunch, pitch-in, carry-in, bring-a-plate, dish-to-pass, fuddle. It is also referred to as a smorgasbord or potlatch'.
We filmed some of the meet up, shared food and ideas and looked at old photographs that one of the artists was drawing inspiration from.
Our youngest lunch member was little Phoenix!
Caroline and Dave, Huckleberry Films
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