I am exhausted. Having spent the week heading up and down the country and stressing (hadn't realised just how much until I stopped!) I am ready for bed at 19.40 on a Saturday night.
Lancaster on Tuesday was great, a very warm welcome from Suzy at Storey Gallery. Gave tutorials at the uni, had a very nice dinner and then gave a talk about me/Wolstenholme Projects/the state of money and arts at the Duke's Theatre there. I hope I didn't rant too much, but a lot of issues from the blog came up, especially as it was a chance for me to see what artists elsewhere thought. The talk resulted in a fair bit of discussion, which is good, I think. I was asked a lot of questions I couldn't really answer, but people seemed to agree about rates of pay and not working for free!!
Wednesday was an interview for a bursary at Yorkshire Sculpture Park – which I got!! Success and 100 days of gainful employment over 09/10. I am having to think of it as a kind of apprenticeship really as it pays, but only £100 per day and I will also have to pay for my own travel/accomodation out of the bursary. It will still be a fantastic thing to do, but not as glossy as it seems. I am very excited though and looking forward to the first meeting in June.
Thursday I went up to Bishop Auckland to meet James Lowther, one of the organisers of Art Land, a site-specific art festival taking place in April. A lovely chap and an amazing sunny day looking round and gathering information and scraps of inspiration for the bookwork I have been commissioned to make. He also offered to pay my expenses to come up for the opening to do a reading from the work (when I have made it!!). I'm very glad as the other work going into the festival looks really interesting and it would be a shame to not see it!
http://artlandne.com/programme/
Friday was a funeral and Saturday was being shattered.
Now I have to try hard not to spend my future money before it has been earned, but I would so like some resin… ahem.
