With my next Magnum & BJP Workshop coming up this weekend, I thought I’d give you a quick update on what I’ve been doing since July…
Lingering Ghosts at St Martin-in-the-Fields
From June to September this year I exhibited 13 original Lingering Ghosts at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square. Thank you to all who attended the opening in June. As well as celebrating the opening of the Lingering Ghosts’s summer show at SmitF, Trafalgar Square, everyone who attended was invited to create Polaroid Cards with welcome messages for Refugees. Which were then displayed at drop-in centre Akwaaba in Hackney.
The exhibition had really positive responses, with a couple of strange, not so nice ones thrown in for good measure.
-“I HAVE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND REGRET LOOKING AT THIS”
-“In terms of art – not of interest In terms of message – very important”
-“WHY DO THEY COME”
-“I cried-the comments/stories combined with the images themselves are so powerful + poignant + illustrate on so many levels “man’s inhumanity to man.”
Overall a fantastic experience, which has hopefully made a few people pause for thought about the UK’s asylum system. I also felt a sense of closure showing original Lingering Ghosts shown in London, as that was always one of the main, desired outcomes of the work.
Southsea Skatepark
Using Polaroids leftover from a project at West Dean college I created a banner in collaboration with riders at Southsea Skatepark for Journeys Festival – although I’m still not sure if the banner was used. I spent a day with riders earlier this summer showing them how to use a Polaroid camera, and helping them write messages to welcome local refugees to the area.
Settling Project
Since the end of August I have also started work on expanding the Settling project I started last year after a residency with GRAIN projects and Appetite Stoke. The work aims to document the pictures and stories of those who have migrated to Stoke-on-Trent from elsewhere in the UK and abroad both past and present. Alongside their own images will artwork participants have created in workshop sessions. Both will be exhibited next year at the Potteries Museum.
This Weekend
Looking forward to the next Magnum & BJP workshop this weekend on NGO’s, Social Practice and Advocacy with Sim Chi Yin, Alexia Singh, Richard Burton and Anthony Luvera. Will let you know how it goes!
