Artist in Residence - Groundwork (The early days)

I officially started as Groundwork South West's first Artist in Residence on 14th November 2007.
I've created this blog as a way of sharing some of my ideas and activities surrounding this project as it unfolds.

Who are Groundwork? I'd describe them as a trust engaged in environmental and community activism - working with groups and agencies to improve their local environment and public spaces and responding to site specific concerns and issues. To find out more about Groundwork visit: http://www.groundwork-sw.org.uk

Who am I? That's a work-in-progress! But if you'd like to see what i've been upto creatively of late check out my profile on the New Work Network site: http://www.newworknetwork.org.uk

OK, So I'll begin near to the beginning! That's a good place to start i'm told...

13/11/07
Arrived in Plymouth by train and spent several hours walking around the city to get a feel for the place and let initial impressions wash over me...I headed towards the water, as I always do when I arrive in a new town. Whether that's canal, river, sea, park pond or public swimming baths I have to get to water so I can 'land' in a place!

Related digression (they'll be a few of these!) - I'd like to mention a book for those of you that also have a passion for walking and swimming 'Waterlog - A swimmer's journey through britain' by Roger Deakin. Its well worth a look.

The Lido, which was shut up for the winter, looked amazing - definately something to come back and check out in the summer!
I'm a sucker for a good Lido (that 30's style architecture gets me every time).
Initial thoughts on this grey blustery day overlooking the choppy sea and fenced-off diving boards "you are so doing this residency at the wrong time of year!"
But I've learned already of a local Plymouth group that take a sea dip everyday of the year so perhaps i'll brave it before the residency is out! (watch this space)

I also walked down through the Barbican area, which I'd visited once before when Duncan, Alex and myself had come down for the opening of the Ultra-red exhibition at Plymouth Arts Centre (part of the 'I say culture, you say...! programme).

14/11/07
After an fairly un-eventful night at the Travelodge (apart from some guy running down the corridor banging on doors shouting 'knob-head!' - charming!), I headed out to Totnes to have my first meeting with Ray White, Strategic Arts Co-ordinator for Groundwork, South West.
We talked about Berlin (Ray was just back from a trip there and its without doubt my favourite European city) and discussed projects we'd produced in recent years and jammed about the presentation we were going to make at the University of Plymouth the next morning. Ray and I had chatted over the phone and exchanged a few emails following my appointment in August so it was good to finally meet and talk F2F about how this residency might develop. The brief for the residency is very open, which was/is liberating and daunting in equal measure.

That evening back in Plymouth I met Hannah Jones and Rachel Dobbs (Low-Profile) for a pint. It was nice to see some familiar faces and they made me feel most welcome. I'd initially met H&R during the 'I'm your worst nightmare' performance platform at Arnolfini, Bristol back in April 07. They'd both taken part in my 'Girl Racer III' sewing machine contest and were 'great sports'. Our paths had crossed since at The Exchange, Penzance and Exeter Pheonix and it was so nice to catch up again. They updated me on their exhibition programme at the PCAD Gallery (more on that later!)

15/11/07
Ray and I arrived at the University's Main Hall to make a presentation to 3rd year media and sound students on the 'Collaborative & Contextual Practice' course. Following the obligatory technical problems (yeah yeah yawn!) we shared documentation from a selection of our own project work (undertaken in galleries/art centres, sited in public space, examples of collaborative/participatory interventions..) and Ray introduced the student mentoring opportunity that Groundwork had agreed with the University. A couple of students have since contacted us about this and Ray and I shall meet up with them in the new year (so more on that later too!) Before we left campus we took a peak at the new art school building - looked good and was a darn site warmer than the hall we'd just been freezing our buns in!

After lunch Ray and I headed back to the Groundwork offices at The Millfields (site of the former Royal Naval Hospital) and continued to talk about the organisation, the residency and how my role might begin to play out. Standing in the kitchen next to the hot water urn (I wanna say tea urn - Morecombe and Wise stylee!) I met and chatted to a few of the G-Work crew. Tea and chat, always a good way to start.

Back to Bristol that evening. Mobile phone connection really patchy on this train journey. Sit back enjoy the trip and pick up the current read: 'One Place After Another: Site Specific Art & Locational Identity' by Miwon Kwon (a critical history of site specific/public art since the late 1960's - its written really nicely and i've found it very useful.)