Title
Make It Now!
Year
2020
Location
Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth, publication online via Facebook and Youtube; exhibition in 2023 at the Kirkgate
Partners and Coverage
Kirkgate, Cockermouth, Arts Council England, coverage on Facebook and Instagram, News and Star, and via Kirkgate Newsletter
Description
While the Kirkgate Centre, a community venue in West Cumbria, remained closed during lockdown, the Artistic Director Chris Bridgman commissioned myself and the poet, Lucy Burnett, to write and deliver an online course for their remote audiences. After initial discussions, the Chris came up with the title "Make it Now", coupled with the broad prompt that we could use items from their archive to work with, as the Kirkgate enjoy reanimating and investigating aspects of local history and identity.
I devised a course segmented into 3 films, with an accompanying advice sheet. The written accounts were by former inhabitants of Cockermouth (including William Wordsworth) looking back at a moment in their childhood. I presented this as an opportunity for participants to look back at their own experiences. I then referred to 3 or 4 historical and contemporary artists, architects, and fashion designers, highlighting their methods and inspirations. I would then break this down into an exercise for participants to follow with whatever materials they had to hand at home.
I invited them all into a private Facebook group so that they could share ideas and comments and also receive feedback if they desired. The physical work produced was then exhibited in 2023 at the Kirkgate. I'm still in touch with members of this group.
I noted how participants had enjoyed the balance between the public nature of the group and the private space of the home environment, a restorative rhythm within which to create work.
I devised a course segmented into 3 films, with an accompanying advice sheet. The written accounts were by former inhabitants of Cockermouth (including William Wordsworth) looking back at a moment in their childhood. I presented this as an opportunity for participants to look back at their own experiences. I then referred to 3 or 4 historical and contemporary artists, architects, and fashion designers, highlighting their methods and inspirations. I would then break this down into an exercise for participants to follow with whatever materials they had to hand at home.
I invited them all into a private Facebook group so that they could share ideas and comments and also receive feedback if they desired. The physical work produced was then exhibited in 2023 at the Kirkgate. I'm still in touch with members of this group.
I noted how participants had enjoyed the balance between the public nature of the group and the private space of the home environment, a restorative rhythm within which to create work.