Second thought best
It’s been a busy few weeks with starting my a-n Re:view meetings, co-curating an upcoming exhibition, viewing studios and looking after a six-week-old baby. I have had a bit of a creative revelation since my meeting with Lowri Evans and an awkward email correspondence from a museum open mic event. For this project I have always been split between two concepts, the museum connection seemed the most structured and the other less defined. My second idea is more visual creating a costumed character, like a mascot symbolising international exchange between Manchester and Tampere. After speaking to Lowri this second strand has become more crystalized in my mind and has more potential to go beyond Finland. Although Tampere is known as the Manchester of Finland there are other cities that make this reference. For example other cities known as ‘The Manchester of…’ are in Osaka, Japan and Ahmedabad in India.
For the past few years I have imitated foreign characters taking inspiration from drag/beauty queens and female hosts. The ‘host’ costumes can look pretty ridiculous, particularly the recent Sochi Winter Olympic ladies. They unfortunately looked like human plant pots. I have become more intrigued by how I can develop international relations on a local scale. Could the public make suggestions, challenges for me to achieve in each city. The work could be documented online or filmed, maybe even made into a stage performance further down the line. Since focusing more on this idea, connections between visual art and performance venues are making more sense. This also follows on from an awkward email conversation; a response from a museum open mic event that I thought would be a good opportunity to perform part of the Mansi character. Initially the organiser thought the project looked interesting, but didn’t get it! Oh dear I thought. This has made me question how creative can I really be in the museum, as they like to deal with facts were as my performance would be a creative interpretation.
Ideas for International Exchange
Get a local baker in Tampere to sell Eccles cakes
Plant the seeds of a Tampere plant in Manchester
Give basic Finnish lessons for free
Teach Manc slang
Demonstrate traditional/contemporary dance moves
Talk about the art scene in both cities
Be a tour guide for one hour
Welcome you from the airport
Parade the streets in costume
Have a special ritual re-enacted at every exchange
