Well, this really is a constantly moving feast – one step forward, two steps back as we come across aspects we hadn’t thought of but inch by inch we are getting there, and it is certainly exciting as the realisation of our project gets closer and closer.
We had a meeting with the Green Estates team with Mir Jansen from Yorkshire Artspace, Sue France, CEO Green Estate, Peter Machan who has an education brief and Chris Reece in charge of events. The programme for the year is beginning to shape up and we have agreed to time firing in line with major events at Green Estate. We have also agreed that the building next to the kiln will be a dedicated Ceramics Studio and as such needs to be kitted out, although this and the adjacent room will remain shared use. Penny and I will take on the role of tutor within Green Estate’s Care programme as well as devising and running our own courses, the first of which will be a kiln building course at the end of March (details to follow). In addition we will need to apply for funding as currrently we do not have sufficient funds to equip the studio and build the kiln so this is rather urgent!
At the same time we are awaiting the results of Rob the Structural Engineer’s report on the feasibility of building such a high chimney and how we can ensure its safety and durability. He seemed very positive at the meeting we had just before Christmas but with holidays and such we have had no further word. Fingers crossed he comes up with a solution.
Meanwhile we have invited a group of Hungarian ceramicists – CERATIVE- to come visit us and help us build the kiln. They were on the course in Hungary with me and were keen enthusiastic and capable workers so it will be a real bonus to have them on board. They have responded very positively and are also hoping that we might visit them in Budapest in the summer. Hopefully we can make the NAN Bursary stretch that far. This feels like a really exciting way forward with the bursary after our initial set-back. I was impressed with the arts scene in Hungary and think an ongoing exchange could be very very fruitful. There are differences of approach – for instance there seems to be much more ceramic “design” and architectural work in Hungary than here and on the other hand, they have very little concept of working with the community through the arts. In addition art education seems quite different – very structured and at a high level in specialist state schools which are astonishingly well equipped as compared with the parlous state of art education at school level in this country. I am really keen to find out more about this.
Their group has only recently set themselves up as a studio-based practice – members are recent graduates based in Budapest. You can find out more about them at http://www.cerativegroup.blogspot.com although you might have to hone up on your Hungarian in order to understand this!
So plenty to do – write some funding applications, do up the studio and furnish it with workbenches, wheels, and hopefully a kiln, start thinking about purchasing materials for the kiln-build, start storing wood, continue liaising with our Hungarian friends, and recruit for the kiln-building course! And make some pots. Not long to go really if its the end of March. Ah well, plenty to keep us on our toes.
