On Thursday I went to the AIR Open Dialogue event at Fabrica which was interesting for all sorts of reasons not least being able to match names and faces of people whose projects have become familiar through the a-n blogs. The main discussion centred around 'support'. The desirability and need for support in all its forms, financial and emotional countered by the need to be 'off balance', and not too comfortable. There was a fair amount of doom laden talk about how we have never had it so good and also some gentle reminders about how lucky we are to have a subsidised art sector at all by comparison with say Italy.
I always get incredibly frustrated when I hear discussions about how artists need contact and a forum to be in touch with other artists because it seems to me that the forum is there. It's where the discussion is being held. I suppose I am a very direct sort of person. If there is a need for something I want to say 'Ok lets organize it now!' Probably why I have been on so many committees in the past!
Earlier in the day I had gone to see Alice Maher's 'Natural Artifice' at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. I really liked this exhibition. There are so many people in different ways dealing with this meeting place between Culture and Nature and I found her approach very enticing. After that I dodged the pouring rain and met up with Bettina Linstrum from artagenda who is my mentor for the Papertrails project. She had given me much good and calm advice when I was applying for my Grant from ACE and now was in the same boat having just made an application. So we had a nice cup of tea.
Back home afterwards and it was time to finish putting up the exhibition of school's work related to the 'Papertrails' residency. I have mixed feelings about this show. I know most people will view it (if they come along at all) as just jolly kids stuff or even more cynically as a bit of box ticking on my part but I know how much of an effect (particularly with the week-long School residency) the opportunity to work like that had on the children participating.
