Hidden Landscapes Project

It’s over a whole month since I last added a post, opps! But this is only a reflection of the progress I’ve made this month, notably… not a lot, which is really disappointing.

I was feeling so positive about things last time I wrote and confident about moving this project forward, but a combination of post Christmas blues, a few set backs and dwindling confidence seems to of left me in completely the opposite frame of mind.

It’s just plain scary trying to do this alone at my kitchen table and I’m really starting to feel the isolation of being home, with no studio, no regular visits to Uni, and very little contact with other artists. Surrounded by application forms, a half completed budget, endless scribbled notes in the notebook and numerous information documents arranged rather haphazardly on my laptop. This feels a million miles away from being creative. And I’ve got a head ache!

There it is then…. my rubbish January post.

I apologise.

I’ve had two meetings, one with Maria from Letchworth Arts Centre and one with Josh the curator from the Heritage Museum. Both where incredibly positive and highly encouraging. My project outline received an enthusiastic and exciting response in both meetings…excellent! It looks that Maria is keen for the Arts Centre to act as a base for the project and Josh seemed confident that Letchworth Heritage Foundation would like to offer support. I’m still in the process of trying to arrange that meeting with the Museum Archaeologist but hoping to have that before the end of the year. The Artist/Archaeologist collaborative element is key and I just hope it is received with the same enthusiasm I’ve had so far.

It felt very good to be able to talk through the project and have some really good discussions. These ideas have sat in my head for quite a while and the opportunity to start bringing them to life is extremely exciting!

My other aim before the year is out is the budget. I need to really sit down and get this worked out thoroughly, so I can actually send in my funding application to the Heritage and seriously start the Arts Council funding application. Maria also suggested that the project may possibly be eligible for Heritage Lottery funding, so there’s that to look at too. Trying not to be too daunted by this stuff and just work it through in little friendly pieces.

This definitely feels like the hard bit though – getting things off the ground and out of my head, but I’m determined to get this preparation bit built and establish the best project I can.

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Aside from all this the baby’s started kicking… exciting times!!!

Project Summary

“The Garden City Outskirts Project will be a year long research and development period spent exploring and rediscovering key areas around the town of Letchworth Garden City based in North Hertfordshire. The focus areas will be those located around the perimeters of the town that lay between the urban codes and regulations of the town and the open fields of the countryside beyond. I will be looking for areas that show evidence of use and occupation, where human meets ‘wild’.

The study will examine these areas through an analytical approach, adopted through the role of ‘explorer’. Evidence will be collected in the form of photographs, films, drawings, maps, audio commentary, as well as personal accounts by local residents that may have specific experience of these places. Through this collection of evidence I aim to build narratives or portraits of this marginal landscape.

Alongside this contemporary analysis, I am interested in the narratives of history and its relationship to the current use of the landscape. Through this scientific role I wish to adopt, the archaeologist will be a key influence. I will spend a proportion of my time working alongside, interviewing and studying the work of local archaeologists in order to examine their own methods of building portraits from this landscape.

Throughout this duration of time spent at these islands or archipelagos I will keep an online blog that records my daily experiences, finds and observations.

The material collected from this period of exploration will then be used as a way to engage the local residents with the landscape that occupies the perimeters of their everyday lives. The findings will be organised into an exhibition as a series of narratives created through interpretation of the findings, presented through a number of different mediums, namely drawing, mapping, photography, audio and film.

As well as this multi media exhibition, there will be an artist talk that will discuss the period of research and the experiences gained as an ‘explorer of the edge’ of their town. There will also be invited talks from collaborators that were involved in the research. (local artists, archaeologists, residents, etc).

If films are made, special screenings will be arranged to show them.

All of the areas that were studied will be given a page in an artist book with an introduction and map along with documentation of the finds located there.

There will also be a walking tour in which small groups of residents at a time may be taken to the different locations and invited to carry out their own explorer discoveries, through maps, notes, drawings and photography. ”

My plans are all based around this initial idea and at the moment I am trying to get together with local organisations in the hope that they would like to have some involvement. Looking forward to a meeting with the Chief Executive of the Letchworth Arts Centre next week and the following week the Chief Executive of the Letchworth Heritage Foundation. Also trying to get some contact with the museum curator and the museum service archaeologist. Hopefully I can get some honest feedback on my initial proposal before I take it any further. I hope I will have positive things to report soon!

Slightly warily I’m going to start blogging again, after quite a long time off for me. I’m not wary because I doubt the value of it but more because I doubt where I’m actually going with it and fear that this rather energetic start might tail off to a rather disappointing, slightly pathetic ending.

The thing is I’m feeling quite optimistic at the moment. I’ve finished my MA, had a great time doing it and although it was a lot of twists and turns, regrets and doubts, I feel my work has real direction and focus.

Also – I have a plan! A clear objective about what I want to do and where I want to take my research (for the next few years at least anyway). I’m just trying to make it grow and blogging as I’ve found in the past is a good way to start nurturing those seedlings of ideas into first shoots.

Another thing is… I’m pregnant. Expecting baby’s arrival about the end of April. I am giddy with excitement about being a mum and having this new addition to our family but also slightly terrified at the responsibility and how I will make artist and mum compatible.

So with quite a bit of nervous energy I’m making my plans and hoping they work out.

And I’ve got a lot to work out before April. Studio, planning, funding, …nursery! Yiks.

Hopefully the studio is almost sorted, although there maybe a wait to move in and planning is pretty much underway in the sense that I’m able to write an outline and have a few meetings in the diary, funding is terrifying me though. I’m going for Arts Council funding, I have never done it before and was initially completely spooked by the forms and my statistical chances of getting it but after speaking to an encouraging man on the phone from their help desk I felt what the hell. If I don’t try, I don’t get! I like to think I’m realistic about it though and won’t be pinning all my hopes and dreams on their decision. So as well as a plan, there is also a contingency plan to work on (that’s a lot of planning!).

Lets hope it pays off.