Playing for guests on arrival at the premiere of The Bagpipe Maker’s Baby at Hull Truck yesterday. I did some of the music for the film the opening credit theme tune and some diagetic sound when the pipes are played on screen – my favourite bit though were the sounds created as I imitated a baby crying on the pipes – it set off the baby in the audience – a win!
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Diverse-city Moth
Here I am pictured with Diverse-city Moth which is positioned opposite the Open Doors Project which supports refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants. The moth is situated on the wall of Fudge just off Prince’s Avenue on Blenheim street so that all the members of the Open Doors Community can get to see their moth. You can find out more about Open Doors herehttps://thestrangerstale.com/
A little bit of information about the process of creating the moth I initially pitched the idea of creating the moth to Bashir Shiraj the project co-ordinator for the Open Doors Project who thought it was a great idea. So I approached Rick to see if the Amy Johnson Festival would like an Open Doors Moth, he was very receptive to the idea and helped to find a sponsor for the art work.
Then came the tricky business of embodying the spirit of a community in a visual way …
Asking people from Open Doors to draw and write on the figure templates at Open Doors and turning them into the graphic designs on each figure.
Artist and Open Doors volunteer Jean Rippon giving me a hand to paint Diverse-city moth
To find out more about the Open Doors Community visit https://thestrangerstale.com/
location: Fudge, Princes Avenue, HU5 3QP
About the Design:
The design concept was developed through a period of consultation with the Open Doors Community during which the idea of linked hands emerged as a key motif. The group wanted to celebrate and show respect for differences in the community members.
The idea of sunshine, clear skies and freedom influenced the design, leading to the idea of the linked hands of paper chain people. Each paper chain person has their own symbol and colour, representing what Open Doors means to them. The clear blue skies can be seen symbolising freedom in the background, and the sunrise orange in the moth’s orange head symbolises eternally renewing hope.
About the Artists:
Quentin Budworth is a Bridlington based artist, primarily working with photography and music. He is interested in storytelling, perception and imagination, and seeing his work displayed in places where interesting things can happen. Jean is a member of the Open Doors community.
About the Sponsor:
The Open Doors project is a community led organisation which aims to help asylum seekers and refugees in Hull, by integrating them into local society to live independently and confidently. Its members contribute by becoming part of the project to help others as well as accessing its service and maintaining the Open Doors community approach.
The project works to provide resources and classes, as well as advice and support for migrant workers. The project hosts coffee mornings and helps to provide clothes and food for those in need. http://opendoors-hull.org.uk/
Istanbul – Street Art
The street art in Istanbul is quite remarkable check it out. The works featured are from: Istiklal Avenue, Galata, Sishane, Karakoy, Kadikoy, Yeldegirmeni, Moda, Taksim and Balat.
Mentoring
Recently I was asked to mentor up and coming creative business Feet First Studios. Run by Gus and Owen who have recently graduated from Hull School of Art and Design with first class honours degrees and are working on their video production company based on the High Street in Hull’s old town.
This is what they had to say about the session:
‘We approached Quentin for professional advice and mentoring with our business venture. He was more than willing to share his personal experiences and ensure that we were making the right decisions with Feet First Studios. We found the discussion extremely helpful in many aspects that related to both film and general business management. We would confidently recommend Quentin to anyone in need of a professional input with regards to film, both practically and theoretically.’
Gus/Owen – Feet First Studios
Well I guess 30 years working in the Arts and that Arts Council funded training to become an accredited coach wasn’t wasted.
A list of things that I have worked out recently #artsfunding
1. All work that is made from public subsidy in the Arts – should be made free and available for all – at some point during the life of its production or presentation
2. Explaining, to some people, that these changes are going to have to happen, can be exhausting.
3. Continuing to think, even just an arms reach into the future, actually threatens some people.
4. The ones who get it, have always got it. The ones who don’t, never did.
5. Understanding the civic role of artists in their communities has a potential for inspiring creative social change
6. There will always be people who will tell you why your ideas are wrong and will not work
7. Knowing that Creativity is actually imaginative ideas that have value
8. Taking time to develop imaginative ideas is most important…
9. …before trying to make ideas fit into a funding…
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Toads Revisited
I was asked by the Roots and Wings organisation to document in photography and video – the progress of the giant floating Toad and Toads Revisited workshop and performance programme throughout the city of Hull here are the images – I hope they give a feeling of the events and the places where they took place.
Hull Cultural Powerhouse
As an artist working in Hull I have to say it’s a really exciting time, thursday the 28th of May was an amazing day for the City of Hull.
It started well with news of the Turner prize coming to The Ferens Art Gallery in Hull in 2017 a huge win for the city and for the City of Culture Team, it is one of the biggest events in British art, when it is UK City of Culture in 2017. Unfortunately at 51 I’m too old to be in it but I’m really looking forwards to seeing it!
The Turner prize and corresponding exhibition will be staged at the city’s Ferens art gallery. It is the first event to be announced for Hull’s City of Culture year. The gallery will get a £4.5m facelift to bring it up to the required standards.
Hull 2017 chief executive Martin Green said the prize would boost Hull’s image in the art world and attract more visitors to the city.”You can only see it if you come to Hull and that’s what’s great about these major events. They act as a honeypot,” he said.”All those people who come will spend money here and stay, drink and shop here. So this is great world-class culture being used as a regenerative and economic boost to the city.” Martin Green is hoping that the year’s festivities will attract a million visitors to Hull and be worth £60m to the city’s economy.
Darren Henley New Chairman of the Arts Council’s inaugural speech from the Ferens – great stuff..
Martin Green says he believes UK City of Culture is a “once in a generation opportunity” to transform the city. I say:
“Let’s make the most of it!”
Martin spoke a lot about the strategic vision and national and international partnerships the team are making and I was really impressed by his speech and the amount of work the team has already done on the City of Culture 2017 planning.
Here is the new City of Culture film that was part of the presentation made by the City of Culture team at Hull Truck on thursday afternoon. Hull 2017:The Seasons
Governments do come and go and I’m really not a fan of politics but it is nice and extremely positive however that for a while a light will be shining in, on and from Hull and the towns and cities of the M62 corridor. It is no accident that Darren Henley’s inaugural speech was made at the Ferens Art Gallery which will be refurbished for the 2017 Turner prize in Hull City of Culture 2017. Interestingly Darren Henley’s speech included the words “Imagine a corridor of culturally driven regeneration all along the M62, linking Hull with Liverpool, and taking in Manchester and Leeds. I call it ‘The M62 Corridor of Culture’.” Which to my mind signals some strategic funding commitments from the Arts Council to Hull, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Merseyside.
Human Rights Political Wrongs
To mess with the The Human Rights Act 1998 (also known as the Act or the HRA) is wrong. The Human Rights Act came into force in the United Kingdom in October 2000. It is composed of a series of sections that have the effect of codifying the protections in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.
All public bodies (such as courts, police, local governments, hospitals, publicly funded schools, and others) and other bodies carrying out public functions have to comply with the Convention rights.
This means, among other things, that individuals can take human rights cases in domestic courts; they no longer have to go to Strasbourg to argue their case in the European Court of Human Rights.
The Act sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that individuals in the UK have access to. They include:
Right to life
Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment
Right to liberty and security
Freedom from slavery and forced labour
Right to a fair trial
No punishment without law
Respect for your private and family life, home and correspondence
Freedom of thought, belief and religion
Freedom of expression
Freedom of assembly and association
Right to marry and start a family
Protection from discrimination in respect of these rights and freedoms
Right to peaceful enjoyment of your property
Right to education
Right to participate in free elections
A jolly good set of rights and designed to ensure humanity and fairness I’m sure we all agree.
Follow The Diversion – Symposium
A really inspiring day of Learning at the Junction in Goole – Faceless Arts presents a one-day discursive event in partnership with the Knowledge Exchange Network (ArtsKEN), exploring creativity in the regions and on the borders, with inspirational talks from UK arts practitioners, policy-makers and academics. The day will feature dynamic case-studies, thought-provoking discussions and practical suggestions for instigating creativity, and is aimed at artists, academics, policy makers and community groups.
* Follow the Diversion is a strategic touring project for 2014/15, run in partnership with Junction Goole, which aims to increase appetite for outdoor community events by exploring poignant memories, shared identity and taking time the to stop and see what is around you. Funded by Arts Council England, the project included a tour of 6 communities towards York, Hull and Doncaster, within a 45 minute drive of Junction, Goole; a series of training courses for community event managers and the Follow the Diversion Symposium. About Faceless Arts Established in 1990, Faceless Arts works at the leading edge of outdoor community arts practice with communities less well-served by creating exceptional arts experiences for everyone … everywhere.
Faceless Arts builds creative communities, bringing art and people together in the outdoors, on doorsteps, playing fields, in parks, shopping centres and at public events. The company aims to inspire, connect and energise; helping people to feel proud of who they are and where they live by exploring identity and well-being, tackling isolation and redefining outdoor spaces as places for creativity and social gathering. http://facelessco.com @FacelessCompany
About Knowledge Exchange Network The Knowledge Exchange Network conducts research exploring key issues in participation and engagement in the arts across the North of England. Coordinated by Leila Jancovich, (Senior Lecturer in Cultural Policy, Arts and Festivals Management at Leeds Beckett University) and Professor Franco Bianchini (Cultural Planning and Policy), the Network creates opportunities for knowledge exchange between cultural researchers, policy makers, managers and practitioners from across the North, to debate key issues around cultural development generally and participation and engagement in particular. http://www.participationandengagement-arts.co.uk @artsken
Amsterdam Gallery Trip Feb 2015
A reallly fantastic couple of days visiting galleries in Amsterdam with a strong eye on the curation of photography and video installations:
Day 1:
Huis Marseille – Dancing Light / Let it move you
Foam – ARAKI Ojo Shashu – Photography for the Afterlife: Alluring Hell gives a distinct reflection on the oeuvre of the Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki (Tokyo, 1940). The extensive exhibition comprises both his notorious early work, as well as his very recent series that have never been shown in the Netherlands before – A Family Portrayed – Van Loon in Foam.
Rembrandts Haus – awesome!
Day 2
Rijks Museum – Dutch still life, vanitas and 17th/18th century objects – a revelation
Stedelijk Museum – awesome exhibition ‘On the move – story-telling in contemporary photography and graphic design. Also collections.
Photos and reflections to follow
Quentin Budworth 