Postcard from Berlin 4:
Weekly meetings for English Speaking Artists in Berlin.
Last night I went to a park in Schonhauser Allee in the north of the city, looking for a group of 'English Speaking Artists'. I found them in a nearby bar – The Bird – which had been selected as a 'bad weather' contingency meeting place.
The meetings are advertised on Craig's list
http://berlin.craigslist.org/ats/332621611.html
It is run by Paul Tilyard (web link below), an artist from Tasmania who has spent nearly a year living/working in Berlin. He described to me during the evening how he came to Berlin to meet more artists – the arts scene being somewhat smaller in his hometown – only to find himself isolated and working alone in his studio.
Resolving to do something about it, he advertised a weekly meeting point for English Speaking Artists on the Craig’s List site. After two months with some "disappointing" small meetings (1 to 4 people), a critical mass was reached and the events really took off. On the night I visited there was a healthy mix of 15 – 20 frequent attendees, people (like myself) new and people passing through.
There were a variety of 'stories' from short stay visitors, local German artists to long-term ex-pats. It was interesting to hear about the range of tactics artists use to support themselves in the City, including private English tuition, cooking and literature lessons. If I decide to stay on in Berlin beyond my residency, these meetings would provide the kind of network needed to help locate studios and find work.
The evening had a pleasant, informal and sociable atmosphere – the group was 'non-cliquey' and I was made to feel welcome.
In many ways the initial motivation for the meetings is quite similar to those that prompted me to start the network newcastleGRAFT in the NE. I was impressed by Paul’s determination – not giving up in the winter months, when few people were attending.
I was left inspired by the brilliant usefulness of such a simple resource funded only by generosity and perseverance.
