Project 1 Venues , Spaces and Critical Frameworks
Research Task Where Art is made and displayed
Where art is made and the relationship to where it is displayed will have different meanings to different artists. My studio is usually very messy and disorganised. No matter how hard I try to be more disciplined in my clearing up and having a place for everything, I usually revert to almost being as bad as what we saw of Jo Whylie’s studio where layer upon layer of paint piled up and tubes were all over the floor and on any space imaginable. However the studio is my important solitary space. It provides my escapism and allows me to unleash my inner thoughts. Ideas that transform into practical creativity. Every work is an experiment and every work will usually be resolved or refined. In some cases repurposed. This solitude allowed me to create my very sensitive body of work. Portraits of children that have died from photos, Some hardly recognisable as the images I worked from were so poor. My emotions were really stirred as I worked on the features and the eyes began to look back at me. Such powerful emotions were invoked. These children spur me on and I can now believe that I am furthering my exhibition with a video and a symposium.
The solitude and serenity I feel when these children are around the walls of my small space needs to be replicated in the space that they are exhibited. I want not busy traffic but a quiet walk through or around a space that allows for contemplation, time to take in the visual images and the individual messages and interpretations to each individual viewer. As unique individuals we all experience things differently.
As previously stated and documented in Advanced Practice I visited three local venues and was really happy to have found The Old Brickworks Gallery. This replicated the serene space with white walls and low ceilings.
The text refers to every studio having some traffic. Mine does have the occassional visitor and I have also run some small art tuition groups. I can adapt and clean up for the occasion! I am also undertaking Open Studios in September where I will use the garage as well as my studio.
Research TasK, exhibitions, installations and screenings
I agree with the statements made by Wharburton.
Good planning and researching not only to underpin work but the practical implications of it all coming together and being seen. The nature of any work needs to be suitably situated to compliment what the artist is trying to convey. Discussions with different curators and gallery personnel has been really beneficial.
Exercise 1 Beginning
Why make a video?
Throughout the time I was reading the numerous government inquiry reports it was hard to digest some of the failings. While a part of me came to the realisation that these children were let down by all of the agencies I felt strongly that there could have been better training for all involved. There were key elements and themes that I believed could be pulled together, written as a series of real events that people could not only be informed about but they could learn from the key messages within. My video could be used as an information film to raise awareness of these issues with the general public but I could also write it in such a manner that it could be used as a training tool for health and social care and related professions. I was prompted also to go further by the huge positive response from the public about the exhibition. I spoke to people about my hopes in that arena, for the exhibition to tour with a video.
The script
I worked hard on the script for several weeks. It is all based on the readings and findings from inquiry reports and different government documents all in the public domain. Throughout my time with OCA if I look back and reflect on other work undertaken over several years my social conscience has always featured. I’ve researched activist artists like Kentridge and Walker and Ai Wei Wei. My work on artists that use text also features too. One was about those starving in other countries and another was about dates the deaths of important black figures murdered. In this regard I tackled racism in level two as a white woman, and from that perspective. I am firmly of the belief that its white people who must change and deal with their racism. This conscience and passion for justice and fairness won’t go away so I must work with it. Go with it and make a difference! I include below my historic examples.
It is this reflective realisation that also takes me back to my work as a social worker and the importance of words. How they are delivered and more importantly how they are received. Over time I have had to convey lots of bad news as well as positive and I am forever the optimist. My glass is always half full. To create the script I made some notes as I read and picked out the very poignant points. Points that could be learned from. I was also able to bring into play some of the narrative conveyed in my visual images. For example the impact a death had on a paramedic. I was very disappointed in my marks for my research project. Given I had undertaken my own research and survey and my project was like no other, perhaps I expected too much. I just hope that the creation of this video helps to pull all my visual two dimensional imagery together and in unison with the video and its artistry. The writing, the adaptations of what I’ve learned, how its been written, and transformed into a punchy learning tool hopefully confronts the important issues faced by vulnerable children. As I write the script I utilise and portray the real children but everything is anonymised. I decide to write in a style where the child acts out their part at the age they died but then they convey and state their situation as they experience it but as adult voices. At times its very emotional and I am writing from the heart as well as from their perspective. I wanted for them to portray their anger, their resignation, fear and pain. As my letter to the children conveyed noone could ever imagine their fear and pain and what they went through but this video is an attempt for them to have a voice and express some of their feelings. Given I know what happened to them, I am compelled to tell their story in a way that people take note of and learn from it. That is what this part of the journey is about. I further hope that the video is contextualised in regard to the information in my research and devastating findings.
I had decided that as I had already exhibited my visual images already in an exhibition, for this part of the course and to ensure that I have some work to engage the public with I agreed with my tutor that I would put forward my video. I had finalised my script for the video and had booked the studio, Somerset Film for the 17th June 2025. I had been for a final editing session where I learned a few more things in preparation for making the film on 3rd June. The three hours in total meant I felt reasonably comfortable with what I needed to know and the technical skills. On the final session I went armed with questions such as how to add music, how to fade out and a refresher on cutting. Dan had offered to set me up with the lighting and a possible extra sound layer if necessary as this would aid the sound quality. I had discussed my options for equipment and both Dan and Kevin who I booked the studio with agreed that my camera phone was the best! It’s just a google pixel 7a so nothing fancy but they agreed this was a really good camera. I let all of my participants in the video know well in advance the date and times of filming. We would start at 10am through to 4pm and I hoped to get the filming complete that day. The narration was the longest part of the script so I was able to forward a copy of this to Kevin for Dan to put on autocue. There were two others who had difficulty learning their lines so I agreed to write their parts on a white board that would be positioned at the side of the camera. At least this way they didn’t have to be seen reading from a script. I wasn’t too worried about this video being perfect, but it did need to look as though its professionally done and that all the pertinent points are clear. As the day loomed near I was getting nervous.
The cast
My main star performer would be Mandy who was a professional actress who studied at the Rose Brufen College. Having seen her in several stage performances I knew she could play any part, male or female and child versus adult. The script I was writing mean’t that whatever role was played in terms of sex they would play the child and then revert to the adult. I couldn’t be 100% about how this might work. I would state in text the name and how old the child would be as this would help the audience grasp the intention and meaning from the start. For example, Kyle aged four. This sets the scene about what behaviours from a four year old might be expected. The other budding actor is a young man I knew of through his grandfather. Sean is at Plymouth College and studying media. He hopes to be an actor and has been involved in local amateur dramatics. When I first met Sean face to face he was very pleased to have been invited to take part and as he was nervous he didn’t want too lengthy parts. In this regard he fitted the bill as the hungry child and a non speaking part plus a young doctor. Again this part wasn’t too lengthy. Pat Mandy’s mother a good friend was also used to amateur dramatics and is also in a choral society. Teacher and paramedic seemed to fit the bill nicely.
A couple of days before my main actress called me to say she was still okay to come but she’d had a surgical procedure on her arm so couldn’t drive down and she was advised she couldn’t use her arm for two weeks. She’d had a large mole removed and it required nine stitches. She would be coming with the other helper, her mother, by train. She asked if it would matter if she had a bandage on. Might this add to the scene? I said for her not to worry. I was just glad she could make it and I was concerned she was okay.
The studio
I was conscious that the venue for making this film didn’t need to be large. People would not be moving around much so I wouldn’t need much space. Having been to Somerset Film for my training I had been shown the studios available with black curtains and lighting available. A lot of the video would be various people including the main narrator just talking into the camera. The actors playing their different parts would only need limited space for movements. As I wanted the video to look professionally done using one of the studios and accepting the technical advice on offer was a sound logical decision.
I was conscious that I would film in the Shepherd studio upstairs and my idea was to ask each participant in turn to act out or say their part one by one so that there was quiet. However it was difficult to say who would go first. Mandy had four child parts to play and she and Pat arrived with me as they had stayed the night in Bridgewater with me as did Barbara. I arranged to stay there as our motorway junction would be closed and I could not risk being late. I tried to suggest to one or two other participants that they could come a little later.
I have undertaken quite a bit of research around film making so this will be more fully explained in the research section Part 4.
Filming Day 17th June 2025
After the four of us had breakfast we got to the studio which was just over a mile away at 945am. Dan and Kevin greeted us and said they were just getting the room and equipment ready. There were two overhead lights and our backdrop was the black curtain. I fitted my camera to my tripod and I had also bought an easel for the whiteboard text and would place this as planned at the side of the camera when filming the two members who hadn’t learned their lines. Dan had arranged that we have additional sound in case the video might be weak. In this regard each time we filmed Dan helped wire people up and he used an audio machine for want of a better word. Downstairs Karl and his partner Esther had arrived so I made a start with Mandy first. As a professional actress she had learned her lines. She was absolutely great to work with and she was happy for me to direct her. We talked through how my scenario was of the child incessant crying looking up toward the adult but no response until they eventually gave up. What can I say……Mandy was just brilliant. As she continued to cry she was having quite an impact on not just me but Dan too. In just a couple of minutes Dan and I were both a bit choaked. Wow…that was brilliant. Mandy had real tears at the end and I’m still not sure how she did this. Such a lot of real emotion. I was aware of needing to give her a minute to recover/debrief. We only needed the one take for sure.
Each contributor came one by one upstairs to film their part. One or two were a bit nervous. Although Sean had learned his part he was a bit nervous and forgot his lines a couple of times. I kept reassuring him it didn’t matter and that we had plenty of time. I wanted and tried to help him relax, but I was conscience he wanted to do his best. He did me proud in the end. He is a young student and is wanting to be an actor. He is very glad of the opportunity to be included in the film. Sean played two parts, a doctor and a child.
The other more getting into role was the teacher and paramedic played by Mandy’s mother Pat. She is in one or two singing groups and has sang with the CBSO in Birmingham. She is also keen and has been in several amateur dramatics. When she began with the teacher it was clear she was over acting, far too expressive and gestural. I stopped after a minute or two of the teacher role. She had learned her lines so I was able to compliment her on this but she almost knew what I was going to say. She said am I overacting. I nodded and said yes its just a little too expressive. I suggest she just naturally talked through without any emotion. The second take was brilliant and having praised her performance we then had a minute or two to talk about the next part as paramedic. I suggested that this was a part about feeling the emotion and recalling the moments and focussing on the words as described. She acknowledged how difficult this kind of issue must be. When it came to her role as paramedic later she was really into the role at an emotional level. She did me proud too.
Each time I went downstairs to collect someone there was a great atmosphere. Although one or two of them had never met before they were all getting along well. Three were ex-colleagues and another ex colleague joined us too. It was great to see her although she didn’t want to be in the video.
Mandy had a little space in between filming each section as she needed to dress accordingly. We used chocolate sauce for hiding bruises in one scene and to replicate faeces in another. She was just brilliant to work with and she really got into not just the character as I’d written it but also some brilliant adlib, poetic license. For example with one child she came right up to the camera lens as if to whisper. Fabulous stuff.
Roger is Sean’s grandfather and had bought Sean to the studio. I was conscious that I hadn’t included a police officer. I was able to give Roger a role on the day so to speak and he was happy to be in it. It was only a couple of lines but very poignant and relevant.
Marlene and Barbara were a little nervous for their parts but were okay. Marlene had at one time been my boss and was a very good one. Barbara made a couple of errors but I hope to edit okay. Barbara has recently had a stroke and kidney failure and I didn’t want to exclude her. She had also been my boss, practice teacher years ago, and we live together. She was just brilliant both as a Social Worker and a Manager. She only came out of hospital a week ago so is still a bit fragile. She has been my rock over the years and it has recently been a very difficult time for us both.
Out of the need to film others Karl the narrator was happy to be last and we undertook all of his sections in one go. I made sure that there was a pause after each one so that I could edit accordingly.
Karl was just on fire! He was able to narrate very clearly and expressively. Once he got the measure of the autocue he romped home through each part brilliantly! He was very passionate and was quite expressive with hand gestures. He has been so complimentary about me undertaking this, the script and is so pleased to be a part of it.
It was almost 4pm when we finished and Mandy and her mom had to catch her train at 4.50pm. As we started packing up downstairs too Pat came over to me. I couldn’t believe what she was saying. She wanted to pledge £500 towards helping the project to tour! I was so stunned. The next day she took my bank details and the money was there. She is happy for me to share details of her donation. I think she did this following my conversation with her the previous evening about the funding issues. See research part 4 for further details. The support for this project never ceases to amaze me. I am so well blessed with great genuine people who really do care about these children and the project.
Exercise 2 3D plans
I undertook a mock up studio in Fine Art 3 and this was very useful but I feel I’m a bit beyond this now. Although you have an ideal situation in your head, its like looking for the perfect house. There is always a need to compromise.
Exercise 3 Scoping venues
As previously mentioned in Exercise 1 I took great care when selecting my venue for the first exhibition. However things are different as I proceed further as my target audience will be in Universities where I hope my exhibition can be situated. Most Universities have numerous spaces with white walls and this is also very fitting for my project and provides the necessary serenity. I do need to explore this more with curators once interested as I don’t want a walk through for passing traffic.
For this part of the course I include the feedback and evaluation of my exhibition that took place in November 2024. I sent this report to the ethics committee OCA. Their reply was so very positive that I was spurred on to make the video.
Exercise 4 Space testing
Space testing. As previously documented for the exhibition it was necessary for the space to be quiet and serene. I managed to achieve this at the brickworks gallery and the low ceiling lent itself to creating the security and solid feel to the work.The video however is a different matter. I have been very firm in my resolve about the video being used as a training tool for health and care and related professionals, however it could be used as a continuously running video in parallel to the exhibition. Although it raises awareness for the general public too and is suitable to show it does come with its warnings and I would want there to be a physical presence when it is shown. In my proposals to Universities and colleges I am offering to undertake a symposium. The video can be shown in this arena and I feel that this is more appropriate if I am to market it or sell to appropriate agencies. I have already had some discussions with Karl the narrator in the video and a current practicing social work consultant and he would like to utilise it for his work with the police. He has been working with the constabulary around traumatised victims. Mandy my main lead actress through her contacts in Health and Social Care, has also passed on my details to a couple of University Professors at Birmingham University so watch this space. This has all happened since we shot the video.
The video is quite an emotionally charged and powerful tool. Both Mandy and Karl have read the full script but haven’t yet seen the video. I really need some more feedback about the video so my current plan is to hold a private view with all the participants but to also invite a few people who attended the exhibition. As the video supports the exhibition and can also stand-alone it would be good to have the overall view of it from not just practitioners but the public too. The intended space as suggested seems more vital to have undivided attention and not to just run in a gallery like an add-on. The more I consider it the more important it is to be given real dedicated air space. The symposium seems the best option. Getting the second opinion is so important. I’m not choosing my peer students as the video could potentially be copied. As much as I like to think I can trust my peers, I’m not so sure that they are as ethically sound. My maximum no could be twenty maybe to include the participants.
In regard to the context I have written the script in a manner that I believe it is tailored to the general public too. In this regard it can be adaptable and what I might do is undertake some road trips with different organisations maybe to make money for the charities. Its early days but I could show at WI’s, Rotary groups or U3A maybe. These are all options where I could make money. What I am very certain about is that it won’t be put on public platforms such as You-tube.
Project 2 Artist platforms, Promotion and Documentation
Research task Personal reference points for exhibition strategies.
The artists that I choose are Kentridge, Kollwitz and Walker.
I choose Kentridge as his work really helped me to develop my drawing practice. When I saw his exhibition at the Royal Academy in 2023 the range of work was awesome. It was so extensive including several videos, installations as well as all the visual images in charcoal. If I have any criticisms they would be that the exhibition was almost too big and the sensitive nature of some of the content needed to be seen in a more reverend place to give time to digest what was before you. Instead there were different people milling around and too many distractions. Each room was similar in this regard. Although Kentridge was present in videos I would have liked to meet the man in person. Perhaps too much to ask. I learned such a lot from Kentridge but in contrast I wasn’t going to draw my figures with injuries. He depicted in drawings and animations quite violent scenes that he documented of apartheid in South Africa. In many ways I think my exhibition is just the right size for my purpose. It needs to be in an intimate space and the video is compelling so needs to be seen through to the end.
I include a couple of works by Kentridge that are quite powerful. This image is of Nandi who lies dead on the road. She features in one of his animations. The outer lines are heavy and he adds red into the drawing. He picks out the lighter planes on her face and there is a serenity about her.
This second image is a little blurry but you can see the similar heavier style as he captures the expression of the sick woman.
I saw the work of Kollwitz online as I undertook my research for the project. Her work was seen as we walked through the Kollwitz museum. I could see that if I was physically present the space was very appropriate to her work. All the images that were related to one another in a certain way were hung together. For example, images of her own children were together. There were no high ceilings and the work was respectfully hung not on white walls but darkly toned walls which suited her work mainly in charcoal. She depicted death and dying in a very demure but impactful manner. My work is probably a little more akin or aligned with Kollwitz. Again, and similar to my work, she didn’t depict injuries on her subjects either, but the work was very expressive in regard to faces and features. She also used the charcoal with great expertise and some of her drawings in paint/watercolour are so simplistic and beautiful. I include one below titled a child’s head.
The second of her drawings in graphite is below. Its titled workerwoman with sleeping child. 1927
I love and appreciate her more sedate and serene drawings in contrast to Kentridge’s heavier hand.
I include the work of Barbara Walker as I also appreciate all the detail in her large scale drawings. She has done a lot to help confront racism and raising the profile of important black personnel who were forgotten in our wars. She also must have selected my drawing as she was a judge for the 2023 Trinity Buoy Wharf Exhibition. I have previously researched these artists so I won’t labour their details and information. Each of them have had a lasting impression on me as I proceed further.
With regard to further consideration of venues I am conscious that I might not be able to view some venues in colleges but I am sending with my proposals details of the works in terms of size and scale. In this regard I am conscious that I will need to rely on the curators judgements. I send them the handout on the body of work. Its similar to what I send to OCA. Another important consideration is Public Liability Insurance and I have this as part of my membership with the Society of All Artists. It provide me with £500,000 of cover. With regard to other legal issues about the work please see Research Part 4.
Self reflection and my own exhibition strategies.
As already indicated if I am successful in my project touring in Universities I will gladly endeavour to work with the respective curators and check out their views on assembly. I hope they will agree to the seminars and either liaise with their internal colleagues in Health ans Social Care to arrange these details or if they wish me to promote and take this aspect on board then I am fully prepared to do this. At the moment I can be flexible on dates and time next year onwards.
I have now set up both an Instagram page and a website and both are looking a little better although I do need to now make a post or two and upload one or two more works to the website. I plan to advertise the touring if I get some responses and I shall also advertise Open Studios which starts in September 2025. Instagram can be such a good platform and my video skills and editing should help soon with updating pages/sites.
Book design and experimental books
I do like the idea of books and having written the script for Silent Voices I believe I am an ideas person and I like the use and importance of words and language. It’s another very powerful tool that can convey many social messages. I have sent a first draft to another artist about the creation of a character she has designed and who knows we may well collaborate on a story/narrative in the future. Her character has many possible journeys so watch this space. I like the idea of the print on demand eBooks. An artist I know has completed one and her work really looked good and had a strong narrative.
Research task Artist Writing as Practice
I consider I have already used writing and text in my practice. The letter Y that I wrote to the children, was such an important milestone in kick starting my project. I have always appreciated how words, the use of them, and more importantly how they are received are so crucial. As indicated previously, even if I have bad news to report words can help couch things sensitively and can help limit the damage. The script although direct and confronts many issues I believe I have also created a balance and a sensitivity considering the childs’ point of view and perspective. See research for more details on the writing.
Artists websites
When setting my website up I anticipated it catering for everything. My current project will be at the forefront and reflect my activism, but there is also some of my other work too. I am not putting any of the photos of real children who have died on the website as I haven’t with my OCA blog. I have built up a few followers on Instagram so I am going to put a link on to my website in the next few days. Work will be to sell and the proceeds will go towards the project touring and some to the Charity Save the Children.
My tutor Diana was recently very helpful. Sh’d had a look at the website and on her advice I have darkened the background. It is much better. In comparison to others I do have quite a lot of text but I hope the public will read once they know about the project.
Social Media for Artists
I am on LINKEDIN but as a Social Worker. When time permits I will change this and promote my art accordingly. First things first…completion of the BA! Having said that I think it may be useful in promoting my project. I will consider this soon. I seldom use Facebook and more people seem to be using Instagram now.
Traditional Media and Press Releases.
I have already demonstrated the use of my local press and this has worked very well. I am promoting the project through direct liaison with Universities, Colleges and one or two private agencies. I am sending for this one or two copies of the proposals. If successful and we offer a symposium then this would be advertised jointly with the Uni. I include one of my press releases that took place for the visual images exhibition again below. For this I liaised with the local newspaper Wellington Weekly.
I include another article for one of the earlier Pop up exhibitions. This one below was from the first solo exhibition.
Exercise 5
Since making the video I continue to edit. Some of the technical skills I’ve learned are paying off but it is still very tricky. Barbara’s part has become very difficult to edit as due to her stroke she has at times paused and not been able to continue. Its like she is word blind. In another section she adds a different word into the script and she says this instead of the right word several times. I was hoping to edit well as I couldn’t put her through going through reading the text again. She already had five takes and I felt she was becoming distressed. Its 13th July today and we have a friend staying. I suggest to Barbara and she agrees to another take at home. I decide to use a bedroom that has dark curtains, similar to the studio and we try that as the background. She may be less nervous at home. Mary our friend who is staying can hold up the script. I decide that we complete in four small sections. Bite sized manageable chunks. Thankfully this works well. I have four sections that I can piece together. Hurray! I need to add into the video in the next couple of days. I have at least thirty people attending the private view. I need to get it done!
I’ve had three further days of editing and trying to get Barbara’s part right however it is still difficult. There’s some fading in and out. Some parts cant be cut where I want it cut to get rid of the black fade. I ring Somerset Film in desperation but Dan doesn’t ring me back. Dan will be able to sort this quickly.
Dan hasn’t replied and today 24th July I try ringing to book a session with him. He is fully booked until 26th August which will be too late but I still book a session 1.30pm. Laura who I spoke to suggested reinstalling the clips again and cutting. I will try this but will download a copy as it is today.
Dan rings and offers me a zoom session tomorrow at 10am. I meet with Dan for half an hour. Apart from the black fade there is a button called mix. This helped with the transition of Barbara’s parts. He also advised on how to eliminate the dark to light in the introductory part of narration. Yipee its done!
When I look it over there is still a bit of Barbara’s section that I need to adjust. I’ll try this before I download.
At this juncture I include a bit more work that I am trying to prepare for Somerset Art Weeks, Open Studio. I want to eventually progress to portraiture. The one I started below is of a friends grandchild. I’m experimenting a little and not sure as it progresses how it will be completed as I try to capture the light in his face. I’ve previously researched Rembrandt and Caravaggio who were real masters of the chiaroscuro. Its a slow process o building up layers in oils. I will be able to complete more than likely when the course work is complete. I have permission to use the photo on the blog and I think I’m developing a good likeness. I want to portray the angelic look of the child.
Its got a way to go yet. I still need to adjust some of the features. The facial shape needs adjustment as my next step.
Exercise 6 SYP Fine Art and OCA peers
Our OCA fine art group met on Sunday 27th and prior to this I had put my Practice Statement on the padlet and was hoping for some feedback. I think the group have been really supportive of this project. Although the video is complete they understood that I couldn’t show them as I needed to submit it first and have to be careful that it doesn’t get exploited. The feedback was really amazing. Comments included wow, very powerful, maybe a little more contextualising?
So moving! And honest, and challenging, too- art should always have a social conscience- with all the cuts made to arts funding, it feels kind of “meta” to use art as a voice for the disadvantaged, not to mention the downright wrong. Art for fundraising- and for protest- speaks volumes about what is missing in today’s society. Fab, fab, fab! Keep on keeping on.
Other comments included good feedback on my use of second to first person and changing this. I did change it to me as me so overlooked a couple of things. There were also sound suggestions about grammatical issues and to omit one or two words. I shall adjust where appropriate.
This section explores the different platforms that might facilitate our work. I have explored instagram but will become more active once the video is complete and the project might tour. I am always conscious of the need for sensitivity and for work to be ethically sound.
I have explored many of the suggestions in this exercise. The writing angle is something I may collaborate on further with another OCA student. I would write the script that might underpin her ideas and her work. Her work has great narrative potential. The video once its been to OCA has many possibilities. It could be marketed and promoted on a stand alone basis but I initially want it to be part of the tour and symposium. While making my proposals to Universities and Colleges I have become conscious that the work may not be received well. Uni’s and colleges are funded by the Government and my project is about exposing the content of Government commissioned documents. This kind of issue could also arise when I try to seek funding if I apply to the Arts Council. I will still pursue this but I may be unsuccessful. I have written my three year plan to reflect a two pronged approach. If the exhibition doesn’t have a positive approach to touring and I have decided to initially send out around ten applications. If there is little or no response then I shall try to approach training providers separately to promote the video as a training tool. Other avenues to raise money and to get the project out there is to undertake talks with the video and PowerPoint images to different community groups. My three year plan will include all the details and steps I shall take. As this is a very precarious pathway I have chosen to undertake my visual road map and diagram as a snakes and ladders board. This seems very fitting. I’m not really a road map person. I like to list and make text boxes. We adopt what is best suited to us in regard to how we learn.
The Private view of the Video Saturday 2nd August 2025
My video day is here. I sit and reflect on it and I have very mixed feelings, apprehension, fear and a little excitement at seeing the participants again. My audience is very mixed. Some saw the previous exhibition a few have not. For some reason the book by Tina M Campt, titled A Black Gaze comes to mind. She is a black feminist writer. She explains how some artists’ work has impacted on the audience in such a way that it can change how they see. I guess I am expecting this of my work and the video. I hope that this might make a difference to children’s lives.
Eventually the day was okay. One or two people were a little late due to the distance and traffic. I then had some technical difficulties. I had arranged food for people and intended to have this after the video but due to late arrivals we had the food first as it was hot food and couldn’t wait. I had already pre-checked with the owner that a USB stick would suffice. As a back up I charged my surface pro and took an appropriate lead in case there was a problem. It was lucky I did this as the television wasn’t quite up to the task. Although it loaded the video from memory stick, it would only play the sound and not show video. I was able to eventually work from the laptop to the large screen and it worked.
As the video started I held back a little but was scanning the room for reactions throughout. As it progressed I did notice about three or four people wipe a tear from their eyes. I had elicited that people fill in the comments book for me before the video started. Prior to its start I explained the purpose of it and some of the plans for the project to tour. Another couple of artists were there too and I asked one to take a video of me talking. Anna Goodchild sent me some videos but I have only had time to see one so far. My audience was from different community groups as well as the attendees that are in the video. Only two of the audience hadn’t seen the previous exhibition.
At the end of the film there was some applause and one of my attendees gave me a public thankyou. I was so relieved that it had gone okay. I was quite emotional too. The worst possible scenario if I couldn’t have used the large TV provided was to seat 30+ people around my small laptop. I am so glad I took it and we could hitch it up.
All the comments were very positive but one highlighted all the technical errors for me! Another artist suggested I could go back to the head of Somerset Film and ask her to look at it. I am going to do this in the next couple of weeks. I am sending it to my tutor as it was shown to the audience. I intend to put one or two more images in as my tutor also suggested and put these in the middle where I deliberately left the pause/curtains. I will also put one of my recent images of the children in monotone grey at the end. I include all the comments below. A couple were emails and I’ve scanned them in.
I couldn’t be more pleased with the comments. This morning as I try to submit the work I have a call from one of the participant who’s daughter undertakes training in Early Years in Bedfordshire. She spoke of the video and her daughter is interested in inviting me to show the video. Where there is a will there will be a way to get the messages out and improve situations for children. She undertakes work for Bedford University? I will speak with her soon.
Art for the power of good 