Siddall Moor Sports College Part 2

Today Adel and I worked with two children to continue with the hoops, so they were able to put their ideas into practice, including using more than one strip of crepe paper for a medal ribbon, which I feel really gives that particular hoop an eye-catching focal point. 

I worked to add more flowers to the outer ring of the hoops, and rolled crepe paper balls for the union jack flag and letters, so that the participants could experience the more interesting side of arranging the balls and sticking them down faster than they would have normally. Speed was still a slight issue, as Adel’s plans and time allocations were made with 10 participants in mind. However, we have made good progress today, so we are not worried about meeting the deadline.

Siddall Moor Sports College

This was the first of four sessions working as an Assistant Artist to Adel Abbey, making parade items for the Darnhill Festival.  Kerry was there for the beginning of the session to introduce Adel and me. Unfortunately there seemed to have been an error in communication on the school’s part, and with it being Parents' Evening that night, there were no children to participate in the activity. 

Adel and I still made the most of the time, and began to work on decorating the five hoops. This was actually quite beneficial, as the fabric netting on the hoops needed to be quite taught, and letting the participants do these themselves may have produced inconsistencies that caused problems at a later date. We began making flowers for the outside of the hoops, as this is likely to be the action that takes the longest, and we need to stay roughly on schedule in order to ensure the hoops are ready for the festival.

Willow Workshop and Office Work

Art and Soul were in the Cartwheel Office garden today, making various things from willow branches, which are to be sprayed gold and used in the Darnhill Festival. I spent some time with them talking to the group and having a go at making a fish myself! The session was great fun, and it was brilliant to finally meet some of the people that were involved with Art & Soul. 

New Ghosts Exhibition at Falinge Park High School

For the New Ghosts project, children had made a variety of items that were to be exhibited in the school hall. These included zines, shields, books and games. Vik and myself worked with the artists involved and school staff to arrange the exhibition, before the children came in to view the exhibition as a whole. Due to the vast amount of artwork, displaying it all well was a challenge, but we managed it in the end.

This seemed to be a great resolution that all the participants could share together, with the smoke machine and dim lighting really making it a special experience. 

There's more about the project here http://bit.ly/ZqlMPq

Office day

Today was my first full office day, and it came with many cups of tea! J I edited the templates of a bunting-based evaluation form to make three different questions for each activity stall at the Darnhill Festival. This should be a way of gathering opinions in a more interesting way than a questionnaire. I also made Attendee Tally sheets for each of the workshops too.

There were also around 20 poems from Tell Us Another One story groups for me to type up to be made into posters for display, and to be performed at the festival. 

Delivery of work to Touchstones

We delivered the work that was picked up from the framers last week to Touchstones Art Gallery in Rochdale ready for the upcoming exhibition. Prior to this, I foam mounted and cut out the descriptions for the work in the exhibition, and the informational panels.

Afterwards, I mentioned the day’s activities on Twitter, and Touchstones followed me! 

First Day

The day began with a quick tour around the office, and an introduction into Cartwheel Arts, including new and on-going projects. Lucy and I then went over to Heywood Sports Village to take down the Art and Soul exhibition that had been situated there.  It was good to be able to see some of the outcomes from the Art and Soul sessions, as up to now I had no idea of the mediums, size, etc. of the work that was produced. After removing the work and making good the walls, Lucy and I returned to Cartwheel, via picking up work from the framers, and Darnhill, where I was shown the festival locations for future reference, and the planters that had recently been added.

I’ve got my own in-tray, which I’m probably a bit too excited about, but it really makes me feel like I’m going to be a proper part of the team, rather than just an add-on. All in all a very nice first day, and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the Traineeship.