As you might be aware of from previous posts, after our third meeting in November we’ve decided to divide into 4 sub-groups of interest to focus on specific aspects of our broad research.
We will now be introducing the contents and materials produced by the 4 sub-groups :
How artists networks can connect with society and support each other in a wider context to facilitate social and systemic change – Sub-Group by Anna Haydock-Wilson, Dan Petley, Fraisia Dunn.
We kicked off our Doughnut Economics sub-group by meeting in Hotwells Piazza on one cold December afternoon. In the fading light we mapped out how an Art Doughnut might look. You can find out more about that here.
Our research has led us to consider the many needs artists and the wider community have and how Artists’ Networks and the community as a whole can combine their forces to help create the ‘safe and just space’ of the inner ring. Our research so far has led us to focus on some distinct areas.
Neurodivergence- can furthering our understanding of neurodivergence (dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD to name a few) develop our ability to communicate with each other, the community and our wider networks. Could this lead to, not only greater accessibility, but more exciting, creative, and non-linear methods of communication?
Linking with existing networks and schemes to help artists survive by making art rather than having to take on ‘day jobs’. Social Prescribing is a way to prescribe non-medical treatments to individuals. How can we let Link Workers know that we undertake activities that might be a good ‘social prescription’? Is there a way to potentially link whole artists’ networks to these services allowing artists the freedom to identify which artists’ practises might be a good fit for the individual?
How can labour-intensive forms of recycling (i.e. constructing Eco Bricks) be tied to art practises, converting them from a labour activity into a creative activity? Anna uses Eco Bricks for planters and sculptures at Hotwells Piazza and Dan developed a production system at a Workaway space when he lived in Bulgaria. All of us have privately engaged in making and submitting Eco Bricks. If made in a community art context they become a fun and useful activity. The arts and ecological campaign groups have a strong history of collaborating- how can we strengthen this and pave the way for future funding?
Can we try to curate dialogues with taggers at public art spaces? Individualism and competition are integral parts of street art, so confronting that competitive drive is essential to channelling individual expression into something communal that could develop collective joy and authentic community building. Fraisia and Dan, as Brick Project, developed a project over the summer, Moon Temple. This stemmed from an invitation to ‘decorate’ an old signal box that sits in an urban nature reserve. After the project was finished, there were many interventions, paintings and tags added. Recently a ceramicist has installed pieces in the ruin and toilet roll art has erupted out of no-where. What interventions can we make that ‘pass the baton’ of creativity on to the wider public?
Unexpectedly we have found that these two seemingly disparate umbrella subjects- Economics and Art are actually very compatible. In fact, in the same way, that Doughnut Economics demonstrates how an ‘embedded economy’ is essential for the wellbeing of the planet and all inhabitants, we have realised that an economic model that takes the health and happiness of all planetary dwellers into account needs a creatively dynamic core in order to communicate, play and investigate the world in which we live.
Film: Anna Haydock-Wilson Watch: https://vimeo.com/488498551
Text: Anna Haydock-Wilson, Dan Petley and Fraisia Dunn
Images: Anna Haydock-Wilson, Dan Petley and Fraisia Dunn
