New Ferry Butterfly Park; Empty Shop Project

The ‘Official’ Open day has been and gone now. So though we’ve been open 3 weeks, its official and now hopefully, maybe people will start hearing about us and popping by.

Harriet Harman MP and Shadow secretary for Culture was in Wirral on a visit and came to cut the ribbon. Good exposure for the shop and the community I think. Alison Mc Govern is our local MP (and it was Alison who invited her) attended too. I’d have like Alison to open it really, she is a lovely person, you can tell she genuinely cares, she is opening the Butterfly Park Open day on May 6th though so I’m very pleased about that.

I’m also very thankful to Harriet who did seem impressed by what we’re doing, she was very pleasant and chatted to a lot of the locals and the artists too and of course the kids from the eco-council at Grove Street school, fabulous bunch of kids they are.

The opening was really well attended, lots of interest from the locals Yay and also got told off by someone who didn’t know anything about us and was rather annoyed by it. I can’t have done any more than I have really, in the time we’ve been open my volunteers and I have done what we can to make sure people are informed and this will happen more-so as time goes on. Have promised to deliver flyers to her this week.

Gerald had people cutting and chosing words which he then pasted onto a large roll of paper to be formed into a poem over the next week and read out at his open evening next Friday.

Julie Dodd (our next resident)+ Pam Sullivan (August resident and Manager at Arena Studios and Gallery)) came and put work up in the shop to show the other work that will be there over the coming months and Iain Broadley came down for the opening so he got to see the space, the village and the Butterfly Park too which is great, he’s resident in June/July.

We had local press coverage (all liks below) Johan (volunteer and film maker) has made a video which went onto a local TV channel and Harriet Harman blogged about her visit.

the Wirral Globe did an article about us, comments underneath from readers have upset me a bit. I need to grow a thicker skin I think. One guy clearly hasnt done his homework and thinks I’m just ‘painting’ and selling my own work at the taxpayers expense!!! What???
He couldnt be further from the truth. mad.
I’m not deigning to respond though. Hope someone else puts him right. Its a community project not a commercial project!!!

And you know what, what does it matter if it was a commercial enterprise, surely we should applaud those who manage to get funding in this day and age to help them set up a new business!!! Quite a few of the people who recieved the empty shop funds in Wirral are setting up businesses. Good on them and I wish them all lots of luck, they are very brave and there should be more people like that.

Rant over.

This week Gerald has a workshop for 30 local Brownies then we dash off to to Liverpool Art Prize after. Friday will be a last night ‘open evening’ to show all the work he + the local people have made this month.

Saturday Julie moves into the space for her month.

Quite an exciting week.

http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/9662103.Shadow_c…

http://www.baytvliverpool.com/vod/index.php?vid=HB…

http://www.wmhaltd.org.uk/default.asp?news_id=83&m…

http://www.harrietharman.org/new-ferry-butterfly-p…

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Gerald held the firsy workshop last Sunday. Eco-Poetry, writing Haiku poems about the Butterfly Park.

We had 8 people booked in but only 4 turned up (2 of those were my kids) so not well attended at all.

No emails from the people who couldn’t make it either, we waited 20 minutes and left a note on the shop door directing them to the park in case someone turned up late but no…

I do worry that Free workshops mean people might not turn up. I think if people pay for workshops they obviously dont want to lose their money so will turn up, free…..not so important.

hmmm

However, it was a really good day, we had a fabulous guided walk by Laura followed by a working lunch writing and reading Haiku poetry, some realy good ones came out if it too.

We’ve arranged an official ribbon cutting opening for Friday. We have a VIP but can’t say who it is online…just hope the press believe that it is a real VIP and come any way.

My worry is that the Giant Spectacular is in Liverpool this weekend, the press and ALL of Merseyside (including me in the main) will be in Liverpool to watch it. What happens if no-one comes Friday ….eek!

Cant worry…bubbly bought, cakes ordered, banner en-route.

I’ve asked some of the other artists to come along too. Julie + Pam are bringing some of their residency related work along so we look more gallery like and less shop like for the day too.

Gerald’s work has been mainly performance/video related and we hope to have his edit on the day but I thought it would be a good opportunity to show what’s to come as well.

Looking forward to it, with wobbly legs.

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That’s the first week in our Comma Project shop over. I’m sat here now, we’ve had a good few people in over the course of the week but only about 4 today, need may more.

It’s still in the planning phase as we had to move in 2 weeks early and we managed it but I still have much to do that would have been ready if we could have stuck to schedule.

Gerald needs workshops organising before he can get into the production of his work so it’s a slow start for him but we always knew this would be the case.

He’s got the Wilfred Owen (war poet) society involved and they’re in talks about putting on poetry reading sessions and a theatrical performance within the park, which would be great. Its something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now.

Shop is coming on, we now have display boards up and Gerald has been writing a daily poem onto the blackboards.

Boards are going down today to cover the carpets so that the artists can all work without the worry of getting paint/ink etc onto it. It’s the one thing I have to make sure stays clean as we cant afford to pay for a new carpet to be fitted when we vacate.

This afternoon I’m drawing up the list of workshops and dates so we can start promoting them and taking bookings.

I also need to start a calender of events and dates to figure out when we can open and if we can get volunteers to cover certain shifts.

Still in need of new volunteers, I’m sure thats going to be an ongoing issue.

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First day at the empty shop project. It took just one full day to make ‘Runnners Sports’ disappear from the building, quite sad really.

Gerald Curtis settled in well (see www.a-n.co.uk/p/2092711)

Our shop looks amazing, it has so much potential, I can’t wait to see what every artist does with it.

We’ve set aside a ‘visitor centre’ section for people to sit, read,draw etc but primarily the space will be studio.

Had to work in my other job this afternoon and felt a bit deflated leaving Gerald to it on his own but I’ll be there all day tomorrow in the main.

I took Gerald to a Liverpool Biennial artists talk at METAL Liverpool tonight.Very inspiring, I went primarily as I know Jeanne Van Heeswijk, I worked on her 2Up@Down project in its early stages and as am.azing as she is (and I can honsetly say her work is fantastic and was one of the inspirations to me starting this particular project), Fritz Haeg totally blew me away.

Our first day on a project that is all about planting in the community and informing local people how to be self sufficent (whilst attracting butterflies obviously) and here’s this Global artist doing exactly the same but on a much grander, more phonomenal scale.

I spoke to the artist afterwards to tell him about our project and to invite him to visit, he said he’d like to, I sincerely hope he takes us up on it as I just feel a massive connection in our projects regardless that I’m just starting out. I think he would love the Butterfly Park and it’s ethos. he’s back to Liverpool end of May so who knows.

Gerald and I, in our equally enthused state had much to talk about and plan for our first weeks ahead.

Very exciting!

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