We're behind with marketing, so Kat and I were a bit concerned on Saturday that no one would turn up for a talk by Professor David Crouch on 'The Art of Allotments'. However, the first visitors arrived promptly at midday – from London. A car load from Leamington Spa arrived shortly afterwards and so our worries turned quickly to concerns about the logistics and seating arrangements.
In the end, the talk attracted 35 people – a mix of allotment holders and artists. We collected 22 chairs (donkey easels and stools included) – so it was 'cosy' with standing room only for late arrivals. The event was therefore v informal but the feed-back was fantastic. Lots of food for thought in relation to common ground shared by artists and allotment holders – creativity, shared spaces and property developers have also dentified both groups as soft targets.
The event provided a good rehearsal for the Artquest visit next week. I'm expecting roughly 40 artists so we will use the exhibition space for the presentation instead of the communal area. More seating and a projector have already been organised.
