Gold
I feel now is the time to make it happen for myself as I have been struggling to get support for a larger scale project. Manchester has been very good to me and has a vibrant live art/performance circuit, however it does feel like a bit of desert for the mid career artist. Its great starting new projects, although longer research and development periods are also needed. I have been lucky the past year and been paid mostly by artist led spaces to perform. I recently participated at an a-n focus group on artists getting paid and this discussion has really kicked me up the bum to get my own funding. From this meeting there was a huge sense of institutions and events organisers getting most of the funding whilst the artists are underpaid or not paid at all. I also feel there is a massive gap, I could go as far as saying an intentional gap for the famous artists to get paid and rewarded with big shows whilst keeping artists in an emergent state which justifies them not getting paid. Becoming an artist was never a strive for a well paid career, however we cannot make work out of fresh air. I am now eight months pregnant and this has really changed my view on what kind of projects I want to make. Thinking more long term feels like the right way to create something new on my own terms.
Intro
I intend to make an Arts Council application for the research and development part of this project in 2014, and then the actual showing of
the work in 2015. At this stage I have been writing to potential partners to research and eventually show the work in both Manchester and Tampere. The work I make is performance based and would involve creating a costume, roaming around various sites. Tampere in Finland is nicknamed ‘The Manchester of Finland’ as they both share an industrial heritage and similar architectural landscapes. This has given rise to the Finnish nickname ‘Manse’ and terms such as ‘Manserock’. I intend to research and develop these links between the two cities, create an historical timeline and present my findings in a creative ‘explainer’ style performance.
My idea is to create a new character called the ‘Manse’ and make a costume mashing together cultural references from both cities. This
project would involve researching garment designs from both countries
worn during the industrial revolution and the modern day
‘Manchester/Finnish look’. The partners I want involved in the project are a museum and contemporary art space to get the mix of tradition and modern presentation of the work. It seems like a slow process getting to actually talk to various institutions in Manchester although I must be patient. This will be the first long-term project I have planned and I hope I can spark some interest to get a partner involved.
