14 May
On the same day I met another artist, recommended by Prof. Thomas Acton, Eva Sajovic originally from Slovenia but living and working in the UK for many years now. Eva is a photographer and curator and has worked on many projects with Roma communities. At present she has various exhibitions as part of the Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month. She has also curated an exhibition, that opened yesterday at The Arts Pavilion in Mile End, as part of The Holocaust Against The Roma and Sinti and Present Day Racism in Europe.
http://www.grthm.co.uk/index.php
14 May
I have been searching and looking to create contacts with different Roma communities on the South East Coast. Through recommendation by Daniel Baker I contacted Camilla Palestra at the London College of Fashion and Prof. Thomas A. Acton at the University of Greenwich.
Camilla worked on a very interesting project called ‘Mapping the Invisible EU Roma Gypsies’. http://blackdogonline.com/all-books/mapping-the-invisible.html
Myself and Camilla had a very productive meeting at her office in London where she explain the history of the Mapping the Invisible project, that she worked on together with Lucy Orta, how the project was established and all the different groups involved in the project. She gave me a copy of the book, which is amazing.
I then explained what I am planning to do through my R&D project, the research work that myself and Dr Fiona Dean started in Macedonia last year (http://www.rhiz.eu/artefact-36839-en.html) and how I am now looking for Roma communities to work with in this Country.
She recommended contacts that I am following up at the moment.
11 May
I met with Verity Slater to discuss and follow up on how my R&D is going. Verity was so helpful as always and gave me the support. We discussed what I have done so far and the next stage of my project. Verity advised me on possibility artist and other professionals that I should contact to engage and help with my project.
6 May
I had my interview for the Southgate commission in Bath. I worked very hard to achieve the design I had imagined for this project. I gave them a concept that could be done in different materials. I worked with two different companies to be able to achieve the costing and the different production of the work.
After two weeks of intense waiting and not knowing which way this will go, I was told that the board of members really like my design and they would like to see me again. They have some questions in regards to maintenance and slight concerns of pigeons nesting within the work. I am now one of the two artists who’s been asked to give a second presentation.
The next meeting is to be held on the 1st of July.
21 April
Day of presentation of my initial proposal to St Bede’s College staff, Skanska staff, Batterham Matthews architect and Art and Sacred Places.
Everyone loved the proposal and my design and I was given the go ahead to proceed to the next stage.
The next stage is the design of the 3D model of the staircase and the artwork.
