Whilst out and about I've been taking snaps of South West Burnley. In advance of our photography session with Andy Ford at Coal Clough Library tomorrow we've been encouraged to upload our photos so that we can have a look and learn how to make them better. These are unedited snaps, so forgive wonky composition, poor light and focus! See anywhere you recognise? What should we be photographing before it changes forever?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/groundupswburnley/
Steph
First Days Are Exciting
First
days are exciting, and today - my first working on the groundUP
residency, was no exception. Much of my time was spent talking to the
lovely people of Burnley, such an open welcoming bunch of people. I have
drunk a lot of tea, joined ladies in Scott Park on outdoor fitness
equipment, chatted over the garden fence to a family on Rosehill Road
and struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman on the bus. I met
with Denzel, who is a working horse and talked to Kelly, the other
residency artist about her work and her background as a historian. Not
many projects start with such a fascinating set of experiences - my
notebook is already filling up nicely...
Hello From Kelly
I'm really happy to have the opportunity to work with the communities of
SW Burnley and look forward to starting the project. I think it's a
really exciting opportunity.
My
father grew up on Melrose Avenue, and raised his family there. I spent
the first 20 years of my life there, attending Myrtle Bank then Hargher
Clough schools - and attended Ivy Bank when they had the annex at
Rosegrove.
My
practice involves the creative use of artefacts, census data and forms
of commemoration to explore memory, connections and place. In a
community context this can become the basis for a process of 'collective
remembering' - piecing together the connective tissues which have been
severed through economic decline, physical changes in the environment
and population movement.
I'm
interested in the metaphor of fabric - the fabric of a community
(patterns, threads) which is quite appropriate in a former textile town.
I've been thinking about the image of fabric produced through an
industrial process, and the way a standard piece of cloth always has
unique features, ideosyncracies or flaws depending on how you look at
it. A piece of fabric can be durable, change over time as it's put to
different uses, altered, embellished, worked upon in different ways.
This durability allows it to carry memories, mediate connections and tie
generation together: when a wedding dress is re-used to make a
Christening gown; when treasured items of baby clothing are passed on.
In a
similar way we pass stories and memories through the generations -
stories of family, community and place. Like the piece of fabric, these
threads change over time, are put to different uses, altered and
embellished.
In
my experience, a story is often the oldest thing we have. As a child I
recall my grandmother explaining why a small area of SW Burnley was
called 'little Cornwall'. Cornish workers were brought here during a
strike and this is where they were housed. As an adult I researched this
story, and discovered that the events took place before my grandmother
was even born. The story was passed to her by her father, a coal miner
involved in the 1873 strike. I never knew my great-grandfather, but this
story came to me across the generations and became part of the fabric
of my life and my connection to a particular place.
And the artists selected for the commissions are..........
..........Kelly Loughlin and Caroline Wright.
We are incredibly excited at the prospect of working with them over the coming months. As part of the shortlisting process we created synopses of each of the applications for the community panel and thought you might be interested to read about the selected artists, their ideas and why they were inspired to apply for the commission.
Kelly Loughlin
The focus of my practice revolves around the use of found objects, collage and installation, and strives to create works that embody ‘frozen social relations’. However, as my work is driven by exploration of a specific site or context the process is necessarily fluid and responsive.
Family history is the single, most popular point of engagement with official recording practices. Rich data sets, such as the UK census, can be easily accessed online via a PC, mobile device or through gaming consoles linked to digital televisions.
As a form of engagement, family history appeals at a primary, personal level; beginning with an individual’s name, plotting a kinship network and its relationship over time to a locality. As a practice it speaks to a sense of history as attachment and lived experience; the fundamental process is one of ‘making connections’.
The project will develop through the recruitment of mentors, local residents already interested in family history. I will work alongside these mentors to facilitate access to online records in community settings e.g. The Orchard sheltered housing facility on Stoops Estate. Local residents will be encouraged to attend workshops and begin their ‘family tree’. Workshops will be inclusive i.e. participation is not dependent on set literacy, ICT skills.
Family history necessitates inter-generational discourse; the common starting point is conversation, asking family elders for names, dates, documents, and findings could then find expression across a variety of media: film; collage; installation; text; performance; event.
Running alongside this, my own practice will shape a broader community history; manipulating census data from South West Burnley as a whole to facilitate the creation of stories, artefacts and events, which celebrate the distinctive character of this locality and its people.
The focus of my practice revolves around the use of found objects, collage and installation, and strives to create works that embody ‘frozen social relations’. However, as my work is driven by exploration of a specific site or context the process is necessarily fluid and responsive.
Family history is the single, most popular point of engagement with official recording practices. Rich data sets, such as the UK census, can be easily accessed online via a PC, mobile device or through gaming consoles linked to digital televisions.
As a form of engagement, family history appeals at a primary, personal level; beginning with an individual’s name, plotting a kinship network and its relationship over time to a locality. As a practice it speaks to a sense of history as attachment and lived experience; the fundamental process is one of ‘making connections’.
The project will develop through the recruitment of mentors, local residents already interested in family history. I will work alongside these mentors to facilitate access to online records in community settings e.g. The Orchard sheltered housing facility on Stoops Estate. Local residents will be encouraged to attend workshops and begin their ‘family tree’. Workshops will be inclusive i.e. participation is not dependent on set literacy, ICT skills.
Family history necessitates inter-generational discourse; the common starting point is conversation, asking family elders for names, dates, documents, and findings could then find expression across a variety of media: film; collage; installation; text; performance; event.
Running alongside this, my own practice will shape a broader community history; manipulating census data from South West Burnley as a whole to facilitate the creation of stories, artefacts and events, which celebrate the distinctive character of this locality and its people.
Caroline Wright
I believe in taking conversations to people, using existing groups, meetings, gatherings to raise awareness and start to build momentum. To balance this approach I would like to take advantage of being a stranger in the midst of the SW Burnley community. I would like to learn about people’s stories of the place where they live, uncovering information that would not be read in tourist guides/attractions or in the local paper, in order to understand the specifity of the town.
I will do this by partaking in chance encounters: the fortuitous chat over the garden fence; the conversation on the street corner or at the bus stop; by taking part in everyday routines and patterns of life; helping out at the corner shop.
Taking the advice of the Creative Collaborators, I would like to run interactive workshops (based on themes emerging from the locality – maybe cooking, gardening, a market stalls, a community led walk around the town, etc.) and possibly a local newspaper/ radio campaign to generate views and involvement. All these strategies will be based around the idea of ‘sharing’ and ‘giving’ which is central to my approach – a gift of information in exchange for a physical gift from the artist. The latter ‘artist’s gift’ could be a multiple made especially for the project to recognise people’s contribution and the entire collection of gifts might be relevant to the South West Streets Museum.
After the consultation outlined above, I will bring the gathered knowledge together with ideas from my own practice to either make participatory/interactive works and/or co-create works with the public, leading towards a final work if this is an appropriate outcome to the residency. It might be that there is a public vote on the most interesting and popular gift, this could be done through an event – maybe a clapometer might decide the winner! I am reluctant to offer specific suggestions as to what further actual works might result as they are dependent on the wishes and gifts of the community of SW Burnley and so the process by its nature should remain open at this stage.
I will do this by partaking in chance encounters: the fortuitous chat over the garden fence; the conversation on the street corner or at the bus stop; by taking part in everyday routines and patterns of life; helping out at the corner shop.
Taking the advice of the Creative Collaborators, I would like to run interactive workshops (based on themes emerging from the locality – maybe cooking, gardening, a market stalls, a community led walk around the town, etc.) and possibly a local newspaper/ radio campaign to generate views and involvement. All these strategies will be based around the idea of ‘sharing’ and ‘giving’ which is central to my approach – a gift of information in exchange for a physical gift from the artist. The latter ‘artist’s gift’ could be a multiple made especially for the project to recognise people’s contribution and the entire collection of gifts might be relevant to the South West Streets Museum.
After the consultation outlined above, I will bring the gathered knowledge together with ideas from my own practice to either make participatory/interactive works and/or co-create works with the public, leading towards a final work if this is an appropriate outcome to the residency. It might be that there is a public vote on the most interesting and popular gift, this could be done through an event – maybe a clapometer might decide the winner! I am reluctant to offer specific suggestions as to what further actual works might result as they are dependent on the wishes and gifts of the community of SW Burnley and so the process by its nature should remain open at this stage.
We Want Everyone!
Yesterday we had the community shortlisting panel for the two residencies. The panel was made up of local residents, people who work in the local area and the Ground Up team (including Helen from Burnley Borough Council). We had initially longlisted from 50 to 25, and this process took us from 25 to 8.
When we had been planning the session we had been conscious of how to make it interesting, how to stop us all losing energy and keep focused during the Big Task. We didn't need to wory. The level of enthusiasm, insight and input from everyone was great and most people even stayed behind for an extra half hour to make sure we were finished. Even our youngest panel member stayed focused for almost the whole session!
I think the input from the community was crucial to finding the right artists. They were able to pick up on things that we, as we just get to know the people and places of South West Burnley, would never have picked up on. It must be said that 'We want everyone' was a cry that went out a one point. All of the longlisted proposals were viewed favourably and each had its own potential, but the final 8 for interview stood out and each for different reasons.
I think Helen is going to contact everyone today to let them know the outcome. If you have been shortlisted for interview, we really look forward to meeting you. To those who didn't make the final stages, thank you so much for your proposals and your enthusiasm for the project. We really were blown away by the quality and diversity of the proposals we received. None of us had experienced anything like this before.
So, next stage is to set up interviews which will be in the next couple of weeks.
When we had been planning the session we had been conscious of how to make it interesting, how to stop us all losing energy and keep focused during the Big Task. We didn't need to wory. The level of enthusiasm, insight and input from everyone was great and most people even stayed behind for an extra half hour to make sure we were finished. Even our youngest panel member stayed focused for almost the whole session!
I think the input from the community was crucial to finding the right artists. They were able to pick up on things that we, as we just get to know the people and places of South West Burnley, would never have picked up on. It must be said that 'We want everyone' was a cry that went out a one point. All of the longlisted proposals were viewed favourably and each had its own potential, but the final 8 for interview stood out and each for different reasons.
I think Helen is going to contact everyone today to let them know the outcome. If you have been shortlisted for interview, we really look forward to meeting you. To those who didn't make the final stages, thank you so much for your proposals and your enthusiasm for the project. We really were blown away by the quality and diversity of the proposals we received. None of us had experienced anything like this before.
So, next stage is to set up interviews which will be in the next couple of weeks.
People, Stuff and lots of Heart
I am working with the community charity shop based at the Fold at the moment. It's an amazing place, crammed full of stuff, with huge ambition and heart and is very busy. I had been meaning to go in for ages and as soon as I did ideas began popping in my head and I knew it was the place for me.
The shop is run by local people and not only do they raise money for local good causes, they provide an invaluable service to the local community by providing affordable clothes, toys and household goods. They put together packages for people who have nothing and sell fresh fruit and veg at affordable prices - they really need more space. The shop has become such a community hub they are organising their first coffee afternoon at the end of the month and I'm going to join them to do some making.
I don't know what will come out of our collaboration. Of course I had initial ideas about headdresses made of stuff from the shop (anyone who knows me will know my love of sticking stuff on my head), costumes, upcycling and sculpture, portraits of people connected to the shop.......but I know that part of this process is about supporting my development as an artist and part of that is about taking risks and experimenting. We may end up following some of the original ideas, but only if it's right for us as a group. For now, let's play!
I spent some time in the shop last week getting to know people, taking photos and drinking tea. It's a very welcoming place and there seems to be a real enthusiasm for getting involved. I also think we will have a few people for the photography sessions we are going to be running over the next few weeks.
Annette (below) who manages the shop will be part of the shortlisting group for the residencies tomorrow. The jacket and dress she's holding belonged to her Aunt who died recently.
The shop is run by local people and not only do they raise money for local good causes, they provide an invaluable service to the local community by providing affordable clothes, toys and household goods. They put together packages for people who have nothing and sell fresh fruit and veg at affordable prices - they really need more space. The shop has become such a community hub they are organising their first coffee afternoon at the end of the month and I'm going to join them to do some making.
I don't know what will come out of our collaboration. Of course I had initial ideas about headdresses made of stuff from the shop (anyone who knows me will know my love of sticking stuff on my head), costumes, upcycling and sculpture, portraits of people connected to the shop.......but I know that part of this process is about supporting my development as an artist and part of that is about taking risks and experimenting. We may end up following some of the original ideas, but only if it's right for us as a group. For now, let's play!
I spent some time in the shop last week getting to know people, taking photos and drinking tea. It's a very welcoming place and there seems to be a real enthusiasm for getting involved. I also think we will have a few people for the photography sessions we are going to be running over the next few weeks.
Annette (below) who manages the shop will be part of the shortlisting group for the residencies tomorrow. The jacket and dress she's holding belonged to her Aunt who died recently.
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