The weeks are flying by and I need to make a choice about the location for my ‘residency’. At the moment I’m keen to use one whole day for exploration and observation – during this time I don’t want to interact too much with anyone from the chosen place..I want to build up my own impression of the place first and will only record or acknowledge interaction that happens naturally rather than seeking out anyone to interview or chat to.
Once I’ve created a response to this part of the project then I’ll be seeking out connections and I’ll return to the area to visit anyone who is willing to meet with me!
My initial idea was to choose somewhere at random; shut my eyes and point my finger at a map. Then over the last couple of weeks I began to think about linking the project to the current political turmoil and choosing somewhere where there was a major divide (with a majority for the Leave vote) during the EU referendum. This is still something that I want to weave into the project in some way, most likely through discussion with arts organisations or creative practitioners that I come across during my exploration of the area.
I want the project to be based around the north west of England as this is where I grew up and currently live and work. I’ve looked a little further north however and have decided to focus on the area around Colne, Nelson and Brierfield in Pendle. After an initial Google search of Colne and Nelson I found very little cultural activity and really struggled to find any visual artists or art organisations beyond a private art gallery and framers. However after a bit more digging (and so far I’ve only spent an hour or so looking) I discovered In Situ, an artist led organisation that holds residencies, workshops, discussions and projects and focuses on injecting arts and culture into the Pendle area through community engagement. This was a really exciting discovery and I’ll definitely be contacting them about ‘Think, Question, Print’.
Right now I need to set aside some time to plan my research day (or perhaps research days – one in each town) and work out exactly what I’ll be doing, what equipment to take etc. and then take it further once I’ve gathered my initial body of research.
