Thought I would start a separate blog about the trials and tribulations of my residency at the Butterfly Park.
The next 18 months are sure to have highs and lows, maybe even some tears and tantrums but will hopefully prove to be very exciting.
I know the MA is finished now but I’m staying with the Butterfly Park on the committee as a Board Member now. I got so passionate about the place that I can’t leave.
So I have applied for two lots of funding. The first one has 6 days left of voting, anyone can sign up and vote, you get 3 votes so have a look at your local projects too!!
At time of writing I have 99 votes, 100 would be lovely.
MANY more would be fantastic. If we do win some money we can put on a whole lot of fabulous workshops in the Butterfly Park next summer.
Here’s the link.
http://communityforce.natwest.com/project/1375
The Empty Shops Project held a vote within the local area forum. All the applicants gave a 3minute presentation and were allowed to answer 3 questions from those attending.
It was terrifying but I have done my best for the park and can only hope now. This could potentially be a fantastic project. It would allow me to take on a shop in New Ferry, promote the Butterfly Park and have 6 artists in residence over the course of the project with a pot of money for each artist and enough money to pay for artists and more to give further (free) workshops on site.
The local people would benefit tonnes, not just art workshops but local history, environmental, greening the community… planting sessions, butterfly attracting plants all over New Ferry. I really want a New Ferry Butterlfy Town ultimately, can you imagine it?
My bit is done.
I don’t find out until January and we are up against some great projects bidding. I am keeping fingers and toes firmly crossed.
What a week….
Schools back, started my new job, took the caravan visitor centre up to Preston to see the external assessor, set up an Arena drawing exhibition in Bankley Studios, Manchester and …..got my MA results!!!
I got a Distinction, can’t quite believe it but I am really thrilled.
and tired.
Our MA show is really strong, considering there areonly 8 of us. It is on this week in Hanover Building, off Kirkham Street, Preston and the PV is 5-8pm this Wednesday, all welcome. I must buy some wine for the caravan so we can have our very own PV as we’ll be parked outside (away from the bar).
Also at 2am this morning I submitted a bid for funding for an Empty Shops Project in New Ferry to continue and enhance the project. I think this could just be the beginning.
I forgot to mention that I have a new job too :)
I leave Liverpool Biennial next week after 4 fantastic years to be ‘Activity Plan and Volunteer Manager’ at a Heritage restoration site in Kensington, Liverpool. A beautiful old Jewish cemetery that is being restored to its former glory for the local community to use in as a space in the future.
I’m pretty sure the Butterfly Park project played a big part in my getting the job which is so great.
And its only part time which means I can still stay on as volunteer board member at the Butterfly park and do whatever I can to help out in the future.
I’m already fundraising to do workshops next summer, keeping everything crossed and public vote starts 26 September here:
Sorry to have been awol for a while.
So busy writing my contextual report it’s untrue. However – it’s done!!!
Can’t quite believe I’m saying that, published online through Blurb, people can buy a copy, not that anyone will want to except perhaps for my family haha.
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2408319
I sent the link to the Board of the Butterfly Park and they really loved it, in fact they did buy a copy to have as a reference and archive of the project.
Paul emailed the link around to the whole team and to Cheshire Wildlife Trust to let them see what we have achieved there over the last 18 months.
It’s so fantastic to see it all in print, the copies arrived yesterday and holding it was a surreal moment, so glad it’s finished and yet my work with the Butterfly Park isn’t I hope.
I’ve asked to stay on the Board and work with them as a volunteer for as long as they’ll have me, it’s such an amazing place and I love being part of it.
In July I did a good few workshops with local schoolchildren, taking them on tours of the park and then making all kinds of butterflies out of sandwich bags, paper, found objects. Great fun.
I received a pile of thankyou letters from one class, really touched me to the point that I included some of them in my thesis. That’s what it’s a been about for me, the people, it is a wonderful place and I am very passionate about helping to save it but the people have become really important, all of the volunteer team and the visitors, the kids, the traders, all in their own way have really helped and been an influence on this whole project.
I hand in my thesis on 30th August, set up the exhibition the following week (though my part in this is just a few framed map type illustrations as how can you exhibit a site that’s so far away?) and then 14th September up to Preston with the caravan visitor centre for the Private View of our MA show.
Then it’s over.
Crikey!
