I am delighted to be at the beginning of my ABOVE AND BELOW project – Supported using public funding by Arts Council England
How did I get here? My participation in The University of Northampton’s Heritage Accelerator Program during 2023 / 2024 significantly influenced my approach to Above & Below. The 10-month incubator provided opportunities for research and development within the heritage sector, leading to a desire to create a project that has a meaningful impact on the community. The Accelerator informed my understanding of community needs and the potential for art to engage diverse audiences.
When I began thinking about an arts and heritage based project in Corby I started with the title ‘What Lies Beneath, What Thrives Above,’ and I was in a very dark place as my partner had been diagnosed with life limiting incurable, inoperable kidney cancer. I had had pneumonia, ruined sinuses, temporary deafness, and Lyme disease in between his diagnosis and began to rethink my public facing work as I was so susceptible to infections and caring for someone with a weakened immune system. I was thinking a lot about death and our fleeting time on the earth. I was inspired by our trip to The Arc – Archaeology at Chester House Estate, seeing the importance of the traces we leave behind and the knowledge this brings.
I was able to visit https://gardenmuseum.org.uk and meet with friend and author Kathy Page to discuss ideas of Above and Below. I had been to visit her in British Columbia, and she had taken me to see some magnificent ancient forests which had trees which were both dead and alive. This was a pivotal moment as it brought me back into the land of the living and the idea of landscape as a heritage environment. I attended a variety of online writing / literature events, made very bad notes, and attempts at poems. I revisited my love of printmaking and had conversations with several inspirational artists.
I got myself into some tangles along the way as my literal brain insisted on tripping me up! My first application was unsuccessful, but the feedback was so encouraging I went back and looked at everything again and with help from my Accelerator Mentor Suzanne Oliver, Heritage Projects and Partnerships Officer Directorate of Research and Knowledge Exchange, University of Northampton managed to restructure the project and I was awarded the grant.
During the project I want to create space for people to breathe, slow down & connect with their local environment & heritage. It will be transformative experience for both the artists I will be working with and the community, combining art, history, & community engagement. The project has the potential to foster a sense of community pride and belonging, providing opportunities for individuals to see their personal responses reimagined.
13th April – Sunday tried out an alternative idea for displaying the participants work but went back to my original idea, deciding it would be best to take in the drilled wooden blocks and green garden sticks so that each person could tailor the frame to fit their creation. Just in case they were likely to whizz through that activity I put together a Tetra Pak low tech printing activity based around real or imagined archaeological finds from the Rockingham Forest area.
14th April – Monday, final session. Several members of the group had appointments which meant they couldn’t attend but I did have all the work, so some people worked together to help get them onto the frames. The Eloquent Fold kindly allowed me to put the completed work into their display cabinet. I collected some more feedback, and the general consensus was that although things had seemed strange at the start they had all enjoyed the various processes that had been employed.
“I’m quite surprised, I really enjoyed that!”.
I needn’t have worried about having a second activity as by the time we had finished the Kimono Tree Spirits, taken photos, and put them in the cabinet it was time to pack away. For many it was the opportunity to engage in social interactions in a relaxed atmosphere that had made the sessions special, and I am sure gateways to new or continued friendships have been forged.
What did I learn, or rather remember, that when working in group settings it is hard, if not impossible to remain detached, I really care about people having a high quality experience and that takes planning and thought. Whilst planning and thinking about the needs of others it is hard to stay completely focussed on the bigger picture. I now need to take some time to process the outcomes from these sessions, but I feel confident that the group will be keen to see the final outcomes at the end of the project.
7th April Monday – parking was a nightmare but with help from my group who were watching from the Library window I got the car unloaded and a space miraculously appeared. I felt a little dazed and spaced out from the stress of it all. Happily, once everyone had their work back I was able to explain part 2 of the make which was to create a tree canopy inspired head to rise out of the kimono. I hadn’t had time to drill the holes in the wooden blocks that would act as stands for the hanging framework but the group were totally engaged in completing their kimonos and thinking about what to do with the heads. Lots more cutting, sticking, talking and laughing ensued.
After the session I had a meeting with Sophie who is my Library contact for the sessions I’m holding for parents and children during the Summer Reading Challenge which has nature and indoors/outdoors at its heart. We talked about the shape and structure of the sessions, and I told Sophie more about the themes behind Above and Below and how the sessions linked with them.
6th April Sunday was spent reacquainting myself with my digital camera and attempting to find useful ways of recording all the interesting details in everyone’s work. I had hoped to take them out to some trees beyond my back fence, but it was very gusty. My poor studio needs a good sort out (again) even though I promised myself faithfully that I would keep it just for me, it is full of rusty stuff, fabric stuff, paper stuff, paints, inks, and general clutter. I need time to take everything out and get rid of the many trip hazards. As my washing line has broken I am also using is as a drying space on a daily basis (a Carer’s work is never ending) I wasn’t sure whether having light come through the layers was desirable or useful. I ended up crunched into a tight space on the floor just concentrating on the details which worked well but was hard on my legs!
31st Monday March
The first part of the session saw a sharing of all the fabric strips, we took time to study the different effects, the backs and fronts, the myriad textures and tones created by the reaction of tea, metal, and fabric. We were all fascinated by the differences. I decided not to try and photograph them in the Library, the light was terrible, time to get my digital camera out of mothballs where it had been languishing since 2019.
The second part of the session was spent stamping and collaging paper the inside and outside of the ‘kimono’ templates, trying out ideas for the Beech Tree Kimono Tent part of the final installation.
I had copies of the 100 paper patches and designs that relate to the themes of above and below in Rockingham Forest to help keep a unifying structure, then everyone stamped and collaged following their own design aesthetic.
30th Sunday in the garden unwrapping and recording the four pieces I had at home, discovered it was really tricky to capture the details effectively. I also spent time creating a maquette for our next making adventure.
I needed to sort out a variety of rubber stamps and photocopy the template on to a variety of different coloured papers, sort out scrap papers and other bits and pieces to collage with.
Everything always takes much more time than you allow for or can squeeze within your budget. The slightly pressured, anxious feelings about time and money never really depart.
