(Continued from last post)
“…Isn’t it more about how we can apply our skills or how we use the tools we have, how we can exchange or share these in different ways and settings, guided by our own personal commitments and intentions? socio-political cultural practices are important and necessary and should allow for an opening up of opportunity rather than creating restriction.
It would be interesting to look at other models/frameworks /cultural practices outside of the UK and what tools and skills artists can bring/exchange in a wider community context.”
Relating these points to my own practice, Caroline asked me
What is your motivation?What are you doing, and who is it for? Are you a political animal? What are you the agent of?
She encouraged me to think of myself as a free agent, and not to place limits on how I approach, describe and present my practice. It seemed significant that these conversations took place at the Bradford Baked Zines popup shop (http://bradfordbakedzines.wordpress.com) which although a hugely positive project, with a good spread of events on exploring self-publishing of all kinds, engaged a relatively small part of the public – mainly other artists and creatives who are already involved in DIY activity. Similarly, attendance at another DIY event Just Do(ing) It, Again: The Politics of DIY and Self-Organised Culture, an excellent, inspiring conference organized by Andy at the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford on 11th May(http://storify.com/braduniarts/just-do-ing-it-again-the-politics-of-diy-and-self?utm_source=embed_header) , was relatively small, and was made up mostly of contributors – DIY artists, writers, activists. I felt at the time – more people should be here! Talking, engaging, making plans for a better world! Why aren’t they?
This raises a question of reach, and impact which I have been mulling over in relation to my project on my Nana’s photographic archive. Through talking with all three artists about the project, I was able to see the potential for a broader focus for the project – beyond the personal -which could reach and engage with a larger number of people. Doing the project as an unofficial, unfunded venture seems to be limiting its possibilities This brought me to the point last week of approaching Fabric with an proposal for a research project and exhibition in which I framed the project in a wider, universal terms – a participatory project seeking to engage members of the public in a process of co-research on social and cultural meanings of family photography:
Here is a excerpt from my proposal
“ How is family photography used to make meaning? What are the cultural and social conventions of the family snap? How can these be explored and remade? How can we enlarge our understanding of ourselves, our family members past and present through creative engagement with our family albums?
The exhibition is a research project which looks at how family photography is used to make meaning and define identity. It explores the family album as potential raw material for creative processes which search and transform our understanding of ourselves, our relationships and our memories. It also seeks to find out how different cultural communities in Bradford use family photography and to learn from members of the public about how they use and understand their own family snaps.”
The exhibition will include:
re-presentations of pairings and groups of images from my own family photographic archive, collaborative work I have done with my own family member, my own creative responses to my own family album which include photography, collage and installation works, and artist books and zines, and a co- research process, which involves a residency period in which I am present in the gallery space to work with members of the public on their photographic archive and present their own stories, images and experiences as part of the exhibition.
I would not considered framing the project in this wider way or proposing it to Fabric if I hadn’t had these conversations – which has led me to this point of considering an application for ACE funding with optimism and positivity. Thanks are due to Caroline, Sarah and Andy for sharing their experiences and knowledge and to a-n for giving me the opportunity to have these discussions.
