The weeks are passing so quickly. It feels very late to mention the snow sculpture workshop again but I just want to say that the two days out on the field were great. The weather was perfect – cold and sunny – the children were great, and I had a great time too. The whole thing reminded me just how enjoyable this kind of event can be, it reminded me why I got involved in education and children’s projects in the first place.
Birgitta did a wonderful job organising everything, I would never have guessed it the first time she’s done it. She designed, managed and promoted the event, raised money for it, employed three artists, recruited volunteers from the Årstafältet Nättverk, she also organised hot food and drinks for everyone, got a cinema ticket and made a ‘Snöstjänor’ [Snow Star] ‘diploma’ for each participant, and commissioned Irina to make a trophy for the sculpture that won the most votes. Did I mention that she also provided simultaneous translations when I spoke!
And again I was very impressed with the children, and how they worked together and behaved.
And I was really impressed with the sculptures they made!
Saturday was a little chaotic because the public were invited to come along too and they arrived before we set up! Some of the children came with their parents and other siblings, all of who joined in too.
I’m very pleased to say that the public vote for the ‘best’ sculpture was a tie so the trophy was awarded jointly to two schools. (I also very pleased that one of the winning teams was one I worked with!) I found it very interesting that although there was a competition (and some of the children really got involved in campaigning for their sculpture,) it was a good natured kind of competition.
As I don’t have a studio at the moment I’ve decided that I will go to at least one art event during the ‘working week’ – this an extra thing and in addition to visiting galleries. Last night I went to the launch of a new exhibit in the ‘Studio’ programme at Moderna Museet. It’s a curatorial project by students on the curating course at Konstfack. It was very ‘curatorial’! I met up with Karen and Hans (Karen’s husband) who were very good at introducing me to their artist and curator friends. In another example of my ever-shrinking world it turns that Hans knows my former Swedish teacher in London. They worked for the same translation office many years ago! One day I’m going to draw a diagram of all these Swedish connections … I’m fascinated by how coincidental they all are …
Last week I heard about some new studios near to Färgfabriken (an independent contemporary art space) in a very post-industrial part of town. I want to go and check them out. When I heard there were whole floors being let out I started having fantasies about having a real live/work studio. Apparently live/work doesn’t happen here – maybe I should start it ….
