Throughout February, Laundry hosts placements of twelve young Polish artists, students from Instytut Kultury Polskiej - 2 groups of 5 individuals specialising in cultural animation, each for one week, plus 2 PhD students for one month.
In consideration of their specialisations and personal interests - such as literature, contemporary theatre, photography and film, gender and critical studies, mass media and the anthropology of culture – we arranged for the students to meet with a wide-range of practitioners and cultural organisations in the West Midlands, UK. These were opportunities to look at the work of artists, to find out how projects were developed, and to consider cultural strategies as well as curatorial practices.
Grupa I – Schedule of activities:
MONDAY 05/02/07
Meeting with Stuart Tait & Ana Benlloch from a.a.s in Birmingham.
Tour of Birmingham Institute of Art & Design at Margaret Street.
Meeting with Derek Nisbet from Talking Birds in Coventry.
Visit The Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry and meeting with Jack Shuttleworth.
TUESDAY 06/02/07
Visit Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent and meeting with Victoria Martin.
Meeting with Mark Webster and Janet Hetherington from Creative Communities Unit at Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent.
Presentation in Wolverhampton from all members of Laundry.
WEDNESDAY 07/02/07
Workshops at Creative Partnerships schools - Birches Head Secondary in Stoke-on-Trent and St. Hubert’s Primary in Sandwell.
Meeting with arts consultant Steve Trow
THURSDAY 08/02/07
Meeting with Glen Buglass from Creative Development Team in Walsall.
Visit New Art Gallery, Walsall.
Meeting with Jonathan Maddison and Claude Chambers from Walsall Youth Arts.
FRIDAY 09/02/07
Meeting with Zoe Rees from Photographic Archives in Birmingham.
Visit Ikon Gallery and meeting with Nigel Prince.
Visit National Trust Galleries & Museums Conference in Leicester for ‘Interpretation and Digital Media’ workshop with Graham Peet and Ania Bas.
MONDAY 12/02/07
Workshops with Brendan Jackson and Pamela Wells from Laundry.
Kasia Says:
February 22, 2007
I was one of the participants in cultural animation project based in England. We had very tight schedule but I have to admit, that I’ve learnt a lot and what’s most important to me – I got inspired and I had a chance to see many different possibilities that cultural animation gives me.
We had an opportunity to meet people that were involved in community arts from the very beginning, to listen to them and talk about our experiences and thoughts (some of our conversations were rather theoretical, and some were very practical). We could often see them in places where they were working and visit their ‘environment’ – Art Galleries, museums, University. It gave us an overall picture of their activities and of community arts itself. It was interesting to meet different people doing such a various things and actions within cultural animation, and to compare it to situation in Poland.
Not only were we ‘talking’, but also ‘doing’ – running workshops with kids or helping in organizing workshop and Polish event preparation.
I’ve spent a great time in Birmingham: learning, sharing experiences, having fun and trying some new things. I think the idea of this kind of programs and exchanges is very useful and needed.
Julia Says:
February 26, 2007
I also took part in this first [experimental?:] project.
10 days may seem to one as a long time, but when having few meetings a day and discussing the most importing and interesting matters, this time passes much too fast… but it gives experiences which in any other conditions would be matter of weeks or months. Speaking to different people who work within Community Art projects for one day - is a priceless experience. And the whole week of such meetings seems to me as a separate ‘era’ in practising cultural animation.
In fact, this journey through Community Arts projects made me look at the process of ‘cultural animation’ and its possibilities in a different way. Obviously this subject is precious and important all around the world, but It seems to have a really important role nowadays in Poland. After joining the EU, we have opened our borders to a great amount of possibilities and also for emigrants - people from cultures almost unknown to most of polish citizens. When looking at the examples from past years in UK [for example the Muslim community in Coventry or Pakistan emigrants in the area of Stoke-On-Trent] we may notice that as a country far less cosmopolitan than England, Poland isn’t prepared for newcomers as well as it should. We don’t have a government strategy and community art programmes that would enable integration amid different groups, as in England or France… so it is very valuable to see the good example of UK and try to make it work in Poland too. I guess that in many projects we should follow this good example and anticipate the problems that may occure - as they did in England- amongs different communities. Collaboration between Community Art workers from England and other european countries can set a good example of avoiding problems that had already occured somewhere else.
I have to say that programmes of this kind are in demand. In Poland in past few years we observe a great number of young people who had finished their studies and are looking for work abroad. Giving opportunity for us to go to UK and experience the work of british cultural animators, artists working in community arts - is a good example of doing interesting projects in our own country. And of doing it in your own way.
There is much more to be said about the things that Laundry made us notice…
so: to be continued:)
Matylda Says:
February 27, 2007
Those days, that I spent with the cultural animation students in West Midlands, were interesting in many ways. We had a chance to learn about and to discuss the idea of community arts with its practitioners and pioneers in England. I guess that part I liked the most… What kind of art form is the community art? What is important in it? The final product? The process of making? It’s social impact? The bond, that develops between participants and an artist? Or maybe that very division is already a problem? Is the practice of community art a kind of “permanent revolution”, that undermines the principles of the existing society? Or rather it’s a state supported way of integrating people into the society, a “creative therapy”? Or yet something else? For me it seems, that for many artists working here, community art is basically about asking questions. Questions about things that are wrong, hard to understand, different, aesthetically challenging or just interesting, about the artist’s practice and the world around.
West Midlands is a special place. A melting pot of nations and cultures creates a perfect environment to learn about at least some issues of community art. Thanks to the long cooperation between The Laundry and IKP, there are as well Polish artist working here. And after a while spent here one begins to discover, that many others came as well from different parts of the globe. Being both – artist and immigrants they have very interesting experiences, they can talk about. Everything here seems to be “on the move”: identities, people, ideas. They are not always sure, whether they are going to stay here for a lifetime. But as in many big conurbations, here there is nothing strange about working in Birmingham, living in Coventry and visiting for half and hour friends in Wolverhampton. And there are those cheap flights, that connect more and more countries. So, who knows what will happen around the corner… It was great to be here.
Ania Says:
February 27, 2007
What more may I say after detail descriptions done by girls? I find our short intership in Birmingham great and inspiring. It took me some time to discover all useful things I had learnt there. I have spent few houres on reading, thanks for all these interesting materials that we were given by almost everyone linked with culture animation in Midlands
And I am at the very beginning of visiting the websites of our interlocutors… Our programme was full of atractions, thank you very much for that!
It is a real challenge to use this experience creatively now. Here, in Poland.
Karolina Says:
March 1, 2007
Process or product what is more important? Who is an animator of culture, artist or pedagogue? Those are the two questions for which I was looking for answer during intership in Birmingham. I didn’t find an unambiguous response. Maybe that’s even better as the discussion remains open.
Animator no matter whether is an artist or pedagogue provides society with opportunity to expirience variety of situations, events, emotions. Their key objective is to keep pushing/ challenging people.
That thought which was put forward during one of evening discussions became the mental instruction for my present and future animation work.
Thank you for great time with The Laundry team!