I’ve started my blog a few times this week, written the first sentence and then abandoned it. There’s been a lot to do and even more to question.
Monday – Bank Holiday, I had to work as I don’t earn enough not to (like everyone else). Still fuzzy from my NY trip a week on, I was thrown in to do a children’s workshop. It was good that it stimulated me enough to keep me from falling asleep, but it was tiring. The families enjoyed it, but it was loud.
Tuesday, I was cashier. I used to enjoy that job as it used to be done in our pace, but now we do the job of two people so it makes it a nonstop day. We should complain, but we don’t – fear of it being taken off us.
Wednesday was my day off and I had arranged to meet the artist Joe Venning, to check out the space we will be using for the Open Studio tour in June. I had expected to be given rooms that were not in use, so that we could set up a couple of days earlier, so I was a bit of surprise to be shown the immaculate conference rooms. It’s a new bar, restaurant and conference centre close to Birkenhead’s Hamilton Square and right by the town hall. The place was lovely, but I had my doubts. I didn’t want to sound ungrateful – especially as the owners had offered to set up a PV on the Friday night before, inviting all of their mailing list, but it was pretty obvious we couldn’t hang anything on the walls.
Now I have to think of an alternative way of showing my work.
Thursday, back in work and we’d heard just the day before that all museums in the Liverpool area were to close for the day http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/about/venue-closure.aspx although it didn’t directly affect us, it made us reflect on the cuts we’d had nearly 3 years ago. Was it really that long ago? No one really feels safe in their jobs anymore.
I really feel for the graduates this year – there is NO chance of getting a job in the arts.
….and realistically, no chance of me going back to part time so that I can do my own work ( and thus creating an opening for someone else to have my spare hours)
The week has just swung from highs (well, not really) to lows (most definitely) and in between I’ve had to use every spare minute of my ‘free’ time to make more paper boots for the Barnaby Festival. This has made me question, yet again, why I do these installations. They are far too time consuming and there is no payment.
..and yet again, like most artists I should think, I am working seven days a week with no free time :-(
Oh how spoiled I was in NY!
