http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Live Art In Lincoln Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:37:02 +0000 a-n rss generator a-n The Artists Information Company and contributors edit@a-n.co.uk technical@a-n.co.uk http://www.a-n.co.uk/img/logo.gif http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 We at the Lincoln Art Programme have set up this blog in an attempt to allow an online audience to follow the organisations development throughout the coming months.  After initiating our inaugural event in March we have been busy writing various proposals to fund our future plans. We have been fortunate enough to recently acquire Arts Council funding in which to commission a series of events throughout Oct – Nov. I hope this blog documents the successes and shortfalls that the coming months bring. As we aim to build and develop the Lincoln Art Programme into a regionally established commissioning programme of exciting live art.   The idea behind starting the Lincoln Art Programme was to attempt to increase the level of artist led activity in the city. Myself and the three other people who direct the Lincoln Art Programme all graduated from Lincoln University and were a little miffed regarding the lack of activity in the city in comparison to other surrounding cities such as Leicester, Nottingham and even Stoke. So like most other students we moved away (although not too far)  but since leaving we have always had that urge to return to tackle the ‘lack of activity’ problem, if people don’t start doing things then I guess people will continue to leave after graduation and the trend of nothing happening will continue. Our aim with the Lincoln Art Programme is to make people aware that stuff does actually happen in Lincoln, and to inspire students alike to initiate their own projects and ideas.   We are focusing on working with artists and fellow organisations to develop events and projects that take place in accessible public spaces in and around the city. We are creating events that we think are both exiting and appealing, and critically engage with issues associated with the role of live art in public environments.     The coming months will see us publicising our events that we have hidden up our sleeve, and shining some exposure on Lincoln, all of which you can follow on this blog!     The idea is that the four members of the Lincoln Art programme team will blog independently; creating various a blog that looks what we are doing from various perspectives.     Alan... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 This week seems to have been taken up with confirming details for the Art-Jacking Debate, of which most are now completed. Its actually very exciting we have some fantastic speakers! So now begins unrolling the big press wagon! Now I have discovered how to turn the press release into a PDF it should all be plain sailing (hopefully). We had our first ever Skype meeting this week (as we are spread across the country, Nottingham, London, Manchester) which went relatively well. Apart from not knowing when to speak and experiencing delays in conversation it seemed to go smoothly. We are now planning for our development meeting which happens next week, and will be attended by our mentor John Plowman. The development meeting will focus on the here and now of the programme, alongside future planning / long term goals / programming etc, its going to be a two day marathon. Notable activity to mention in Lincoln next week will be the University's Fine Art MA show, which I have on very good authority will be the best one yet. Anneka and Alan will be going to the opening, and I will catch it during the week, so if your in Lincoln pop in its on Friday night. That's all for nowAmelia B-H... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 I call this entry : A Challenging Day. There seems to be no shortage of stressful events in the Lincoln Art Programme, and today seemed to be the pinnacle of the previous weeks stresses. I am still awaiting confirmation of certain details of the Art-Jacking Debate, which cant be confirmed until next week, not through any-one's fault I may add, it just adds to the pressure. The biggest stress arrived in my inbox this afternoon, and it was monetary based. I think it was an accumulation of post strikes and good old bad luck. One of our funders cant release funds until the end of the month due to problems with our bank account. I seem to have sorted it out but will mean a delayed payment, making the expenses coming out of my personal account which I will have to invoice for at a later date. I guess this highlights the reliance that organisations such as ours have on funding bodies. With out their support we cease to function. I have delivered many unfunded projects previously through my own practice, but often with limited capability due to financing. Funding can be an absolute God send to creating or at least making happen an exciting programme of activities, but that can have an adverse effect in as much as we overly rely upon these funders. I guess the trick is not to get into the mind set that you need money. An interesting related project comes from Plan 9. I was reading an email I got this afternoon, and they are funding a project through bar takings what ever the amount that is take 1p or 100,00p will be the financing of the show. http://www.plan9.org.uk/  Amelia B-H... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 So, last week was the week of the mammoth Lincoln Art Programme development meeting. Lots of discussion was had about current and future activities. Seems crazy that we're already coming up with ideas for next year before our first event (Art-jacking Debate on 7th October) has even happened! But I guess that's how these things go... We also met with our LAP official mentor, artist/curator/lecturer extraordinaire John Plowman, and with a lady from the Collection regarding our second event (Feng-Ru Lee's exciting commission on 7th November). In other news, Alan and I attended the MA show at the Fine Art department of Lincoln University, the very lovely Greestone building. The show was truly remarkable- please go see it if you get the chance! Notable works include Gwen Tooke's 'info exchange' and George Hardy's 'Trio' group of sculptures. Review to appear on Interface soon. So, we're all busy bees right now preparing for the debate, doing advertising and marketing and all that malarkey. Much to do! Anneka  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 I thought i'd go into more detail on our development weekend, and the benefits of using some of our Arts Council budget to employ a mentor. The 11-12 of September saw us reside in Lincoln for 2 days to work on developing the organisational side of the Lincoln Art Programmes well as looking forward to our future plans / projects. When writing the ACE application for this period of activity we decided it would be beneficial for us to use some of the funding to employ a mentor that would guide us in things we have limited experience on, such as organisational development, and financial planning. we took the decision to ask Lincolnshire based artist and curator John Plowman, head of Lincoln universities MA course and co-director of lincolnshire based art organisation Beacon Art project, we felt his experience of developing an organisation in the region and dealing with audience development in low engagement areas was a resource we felt we could tap into. In the first meeting we had with him, during our development weekend, it soon became clear that his advice was invaluable, he was able to advise us on the decisions we had already made in relation to where we want to take the Lincoln Art Programme, as well as giving us advice on things we hadnt thought about or considered.  If i could give any advice to other new art organisations, it would be to think about utilising other people experience who are willing to help your own organization grow, in a mentor role.   As myself and Anneka attended the Lincoln MA Show we have spent some time thinking about the possibility of commissioning some of the MA graduates to develop their practice further through a Lincoln Art Programme project. It seems odd planning for future events next year, even tho we haven't started the upcoming events, but to develop projects and work with artists there is a need to start somewhat in advance, i think this is an important lesson learnt, as the planning time for the art jacking event has being a bit short. Other news to report, My Dads Strip Club have sent through their publicity material, titled 'Bite The Hand' we have commissioned them to create a comedy Esq evening at the dog and bone pub, in Lincoln on the 26th Nov. here's a bit of info on the event. Bite The Hand Enjoy an evening at the Dog and Bone with My Dads Strip Club as they demonstrate to you 'the art of reclaiming space'. Putting embarrassment aside, they will address the delicate subject of carnal knowledge of Coke machines. The comedy in the work runs very close to anger, and excites all kinds of stuff in on-lookers. My Dads Strip Club has mostly shunned traditional arts spaces, preferring to operate in the public realm with a focus on criticising consumer culture.  Working with others they are known to carry out un-authorised, issue-based urban interventions. Art jacking debate is only 12 days away....... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954   I thought I would reflect on the Lincoln Art Programmes most recent event 'Art Jacking'. As the Lincoln Art Programme is focusing on initiating a live art orientated programme, we decided to initiate a debate on the role of live art in public environments. We invited various speakers to be involved in an open debate with our audience, including Lois Keidan from the Liver Art Development Agency, and Laura Eldret from Collecting Live Art. The discussion began with the various speakers talking about their own relationships with live art and how they feel it fits with unexpected audiences and public environments. With a-n review editor Hugh Dichmont getting a few laughs from the audience explaining his embarrassment and pity for live art performers an participants. Before the audience got the opportunity to explain their own thoughts and experiences on live art events. The event was a great success, specifically in terms of the audience who attended, we understand that we are building new audiences in a city that has little other artistic activity, but the interest in the Lincoln Art Programme is really high, attracting both local audiences and arts professionals from across the country, its great that we had people travelling from London, Liverpool, Norwich and Manchester all to Lincoln, as well as people from East Midlands arts bodies who are interested to see the Lincoln art programme develop. I think people are excited to see the Lincoln art programme, and watch how it grows and develops.   There is always the worry when hosting a debate that the discussion will trial off and speakers will struggle to draw out a discussion. But this debate seemed to grow as the event went on, the audience became actively involved in the discussion, and with various conflicting opinions We had one blunt comment from the audience which I quite like; "Lincoln's a pretty crusty place. Things like this is only going to make it better" I was trying to think during the debate about how I’m meant to interpret the word ‘crusty’. But I think he meant crusty as in a ‘bit stale’, a bit behind maybe, and that this is only going to freshen things up, bringing innovative contemporary activity to the city.   A noticeable group absentee was students from the University. I’ve being told by other course leaders from other universities that they also have difficulties in raising enthusiasms from their students. and maybe when I was a  student i was guilty of the same thing, this is something we at the Lincoln Art programme are going to have to re-address, and find better strategies for attracting their attention.    Next up, event number two out of three is Feng-Ru Lee’s performance on Saturady 7th November, Mille will underkae her alter ego, milee the sheep, and is bringing with her, her own ‘animal orchestra’ for a surreal musical performance.  check out the website for more details.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Looking to the future is a funny thing, ambition and realistic ambition can often be two very different things. Aiming high is definitely essential for progression but its important to realise the immediate capabilities that we have. The reason I say this is the Lincoln Art Programme has set its self a bar, and in my opinion a high bar to progress from, the Art Jacking debate was most definitely a success, but yes there is room for improvement. The pressure is on to put bums on seats but that can often be a distraction. Feng-Ru Lee's performance is only a few weeks away and the hard work of marketing is kicking in now. We are behind with flyer printing as we had a custom size created but they are due back any day now, so its not too much of a problem. One thing that has stuck in all of our heads ever since John (Plowman) (our mentor) mentioned it is that printed publicity is not always necessary. I am beginning to agree, making use of distribution networks and the excessive amount of online marketing facilities is creating way for cheaper and potentially more direct marketing. This is one of the successes of the debate, however the problem still lies with attracting a local audince. I tend to think that a local audince would be the ones the printed publicity is for. Next week we are getting together to develop the future into 2010, and we are going to pay a visit to Hatch, a live art platform in Nottingham, on the way. There is a strange tension in the group about inclusivity and having a range of high profile works and that of emerging artists for our programme. My initial reaction is to have a big impact in Lincoln, and less so to worry about level of development, but we shall see. Amelia... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Last week both the flyers and posters arrived for Feng-Ru Lee's forthcoming performance. So we're distributing those at the moment as well as sending out e-flyers left, right and centre. Have sent some lovely cotton bags to print with one of her perfomance drawings on the side so can't wait to see how those come out. For this perfomance, we're hoping to attract a Lincoln audience as well as those from further afield. We've had a couple of articles in the local press this week and The Collection are going to help with our e-marketing, which should both help in this respect. Fingers crossed for a good turn-out. Amelia and I had a catch-up meeting with Feng-Ru (Milee) last week in the oldest pub in England to see how things are progressing and talk through how things will pan out on the day. Also arranging things like her filming day in Thieves Woods and  transport for all her equipment/props and things on the day (courtesy of a kindly offer from a lovely white van man). Also trying to sort out volunteers and things to help out on the day as we were a bit rushed off our feet at Art-jacking. Amelia and I also visited Broad St in Nottingham as part of Hatch Abroad, an evening of performances in bars and restaurants etc along the length of the road. I had to leave early but managed to squeeze in two fantastic and extremely bizarre performances from Nottingham-founded Reckless Sleepers in a beautiful old theatre and Nottingham based Daniel Hunt and his chum in a dark and dingy pub basement. Highly recommended. All very exciting! Anyway, must go, must send out more e-flyers....... Anneka... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Last weekend saw Feng-Ru Lee's performance take place in the Collection Auditorium. The performance began with a film that saw Milee the Sheep and her Animal Orchestra preforming in a forest from dawn to dusk, which felt like the animals were contributing to the natural sounds of the forest and making it come alive. This added to the already set atmosphere and flowed into performance with Milee and the Orchestra taking to the floor to preform a live ensemble to the audince, a concofany of noise and shadows as Milee the Sheep swung a light bulb at her drum skin, vibrating the atmosphere. The performance concluded with a 60 second count down of audince participation, where each person was given a sheet of A4 paper to create a noise with whilst Milee the Sheep counted down via tearing off numbers from a paper pad. The general reaction from the audince was that the disjointed nature of the work played on the strengths of the atmosphere and created an all encompassing event. After the performance I interviewed members of the audience with out video camera to gage their reactions, my favorite feedback came from a little girl who was talking to the camera with her mother saying how the rabbit from the orchestra was her favorite character and that they enjoyed scrumping the paper to make noises with. I am certainly keen to carry on the participation elements that some of our programming has as I feel there is more to engage with that way that having something presented to you. I am hoping that this will come across in our development day next week. We are finally going to sit down and have a presumably long discussion on our future programming and current evaluation.  A couple of weeks time will see the My Dads Strip Club events in the city, which I am very much looking forward to. A lot of the decisions have  been relatively last minuet due to the nature of the work and the activities to co-inside with eco-groups in the city. My Dads Strips Clubs work will tie in with two national / international events that are politically and socially relevant, Buy Nothing Day on the 28th and the Mini Wave event on the 27th; http://www.ecolincs.org/, we are releasing some information with a couple of days / hours notice which I find exciting and intriguing, although the main event is being publicised as normal.  Amelia   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 1/2   What a way to end the 2009 programme than with a crescendo from My Dads Strip Club. Although not everyone’s cup of tea the events over the 26-28th November have provided an exceptionally immersive experience for some.   We began on Thursday with an event in the Dog and Bone pub, which I may add is a wonderful venue who are really keen to support art and have a fantastic book exchange scheme. The event saw MDSC present an event which I have dubbed as a stand up comedy style presentation of art and activism and the work of MDSC. Chris’s no frills attitude had the pub filled with laughter at regular intervals, exploring the exploitation of the public through corporations, particularly focusing on coke. MDSC show cased Coke Fuck and other works that highlighted the issues that are often left behind the scenes of large corporations.   The evening ended on a high with pub filled of conversations about creating work with human left over’s and the politics of presenting art that perhaps is a little risky for a Lincoln audience.   Friday’s event was made to tie in with the Mini Wave hosted by Critical Mass in Lincoln. The Mini Wave was a sibling event to the main event in London next week which is a climate protest aiming to raise awareness of the UN Copenhagen conference. After participating in the Mini Wave and narrowly avoiding blue face paint I went alongside a large crowd of protesters and some other found audience members who had assembled en route to the Healthy Hub to be entertained by MDSC presenting an event in support of the days events. Dirty Cash To Clean Green showcased Chris’s drawing whilst Ange animated it live and narrate the evening with tales of the Titanic and other nuggets of information.   The nice thing about Friday was that the event was made almost for the Mini Wave people and they really seemed to enjoy it, after Chris had finished MDSC allowed members of the audience to play with the tools, and various people rose to the challenge creating their own animated art works, on the X Box style tool kit.   The grand finale to a thoroughly entertaining and exhilarating few days finished with two happenings. The first saw Chris peddling deer shit, to willing punters in Lincoln. The premise of which was instead of buying cheap shit for Christmas you should buy deer shit, and so it came to be Chris stood in his flasher jacket in the middle of Lincoln train crossing overtly opening his coat to reveal pouches of glittery laded deer shit to sell to willing punters for £4000, unfortunately he had no takers, but many a puzzled expression. I know what’s going on my Christmas list.   Amelia (1/2)... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 2/2   The day ended with a Whirl in Tescos. 15 participants descended on Tescos to push an empty shopping trolley around the store for an hour. Using a highly sophisticated covert surveillance technique (a camera in a bag with a hole) I set out to document the event. Dodgy footage aside we independently walked into Tescos the idea being that we would begin to find other people with empty trolleys and follow them around the store until we had a long chain. Whilst doing this we would be in a meditative state and casually browsing. After about fifteen minuets the chain had formed creating a visual spectacle down the aisles, with people say things such as ‘Are they all out on day release’ and taking a double look. There was the odd occasion when one of us accidentally cracked a smile but on the whole we were calm, especially Chris as I kept accidentally walking my trolley into the back of his heels. After thirty minuets security realised some thing odd was a foot and asked us to vacate the premises for causing obstructions to other shoppers, and not shopping properly. That’s what Buy Nothing Day is all about!   Although Anges highest figure for Whirling is 26, we were all exceptionally happy with the experience of 15 which warranted further discussion down the pub. This series of activities across three days has really bought people together in Lincoln, as they have followed the three day marathon and made connections from it, so much so that there is now in motion an Action Lincoln group that has been initiated from this, which I will be eagerly following and supporting. There is also a rumour that the challenge of beating 26 has been set, so Lincoln may see more activity to come.   MDSC were a risk to present to a Lincoln audience for a new organisation, but I am really glad that we went through with doing so, from feedback we have received people are really refreshed to see art that addresses politics and speaks its mind, that isn’t safe and cosy, and from this we have engaged a large core of people who are now instigating their own activities, I don’t think I could ask for more. Its defiantly a high to go out on for 2009, and I have loved every moment, warts and all.     See http://www.breathingplanet.net/whirl/ for information on Whirl Mart’s and http://www.ecolincs.org/ for more information on Lincolns green activities.   MDSC can be found on http://www.mydadsstripclub.com/ , and it seems like Lincolnshire maybe seeing more of them with a few offers in the pipe line from the few days activity.   Amelia 2/2... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 The slow crawl back into work begins this week as we pick up speed heading into the new year. Things on the to do list that remain, is to finish the ACE report form, and burn a DVD to go with it, and then to move on to planning. We are planning on making a DVD of all the footage we have taken over the course of 2009, and I have spent what seems for ever editing footage for web versions and DVD versions, and then converting to compressed files, the next stage is to find out how to make an intro page to a DVD of which I have no clues about. For 2010 we want to have a permanent presence in the city of Lincoln, and are making some headway into securing a base in the city which we can work from, as well as making connections around the city that will introduce the programme to people. Although this is obviously not as fun as programming its equally as important if we want to grow as an organisation, and support other fledgling groups in the city. Speaking of which DR are looking very promising as they have secured a short term gallery space in the city in spring of next year. Just a few more late nights and we will have completed all the paper work etc from 2009, and then its all forward planning. Amelia... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Our evaluation of last years activity is now complete and we have a shiny new business plan to take us to the end of 2012 in place! That said we now need to implement the plan, and that begins with getting funding!Last year we relied heavily on Arts Council England for funding but 2010 onwards needs to see a larger proportion of income from other sources. We have set up numerous meetings to try and raise awareness of the organisation and to secure funding. Every meeting we have had thus far has gone well, but there have been no pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. We have managed to pin down application writing to an extent but not meeting styles to sell the organisation. This has become quite a worry because with out funding from other sources we wont get Arts Council funding! What we need is a wealthy beneficiary to come our way. The plan for this year is to secure a permanent base in the city that functions as an office and base for art work to originate or tie into. We also want to formally constitute the organisation and work towards three commissions. The first stage of this is primarily meetings and application writing, I think it will be some time before any project outwardly materialises so our presence in the city will be limited for the time being. This is really why we need a base in the city. Evan a caravan with a plot would do, in fact I quite like that idea, the Lincoln Art Programme caravan....Amelia... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 After a short down time it seems to have been all hands on deck for Lincoln Art Programme over the past few weeks. We have had countless meeting which have been really helpful, many of which involve trying to find an office space free of charge, not a small order by any means. We may have hit lucky with this, but am not counting my chickens before they have hatched, there is always strings attached. It also came from an unlikely source through our business adviser who I may add is surprisingly helpful, I would recommend Business Link they are really good at what they do and seem to have time for everyone, even those asking for a free office. Its the time of year when we are applying for funding, and dont we just know it. After many high blood pressure occasions we are about to send the first of three off in the post. This year we have gone for more of a match funding application with two main funders and one more contributory. A lot rests on these as if one funder says no the other is also likely too, which would be terrible as 2010 programme would be put on hold until we can secure the funding. The only foreseeable reason we would fall down on is that if the assessors dont think our project is art, our demand for activity is strong though, and we are doing more research to prove this. I have updated the website so we now have a new front page which is up to date. We need to build our Facebook page now, and get lots of people directed to the site for more information. This was something that was raised recently with a meeting I had at the Collection. The Collection are about to branch into social networking as do a lot of places these days as a more cost effective and directly targeting way of communicating to people. It seems strange that the casual social networking sites that seem very unofficial are becoming places where big institutions can appeal to a mass audince, it just seems a little informal, but I see the logic. Amelia... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 We are excitedly planning our 2010 activity and getting the funding applications sorted. We received funding from NAN towards our activities and are planning a trip to the Southern counties, hopfully the research trip will inform the development of our future programming.We will have on overnight trip and stay in Bristol, and there meet some of the artists we are working with this season, whilst having a look at Bristol's art spaces and activities. We also plan to sample what Frome has to offer, relating to art activities in a sparsely populated area. I have become more familiar with art activities in smaller cities and towns, even villages since working on the Lincoln Art Programme. Despite many sceptical opinions I believe that with perseverance small places can sustain art environments, and Frome is proof of this.   In other news we are attempting the new online ACE application system and rather hoping that there isn't an official word limit. We seem to be rather good at exceeding all word counts on applications. We have also set up a new mailing list subscription page on our website, which should make it a lot easier for people to receive information from us. Amelia... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Blog posts seem a bit sporadic here, so there is lots to talk about. Lincoln Art Programme went to Bristol earlier in the month to visit some people in the city. We received a NAN bursary which was originally destined for another location, we never the less made it to Bristol and visited Search Party and Residence. The trip was invaluable, we wanted to meet with Search Party as we will be working with them this year (subject to funding). We plan to bring one of their touring works to the city so that Search Party can take on the city in a marathon game of ping pong!!! Everything is more or less in place we just need the green light. We received a letter from Lincoln County Council accepting our funding application, which is fantastic news. It is as usual conditional on the ACE funding we applied for, so lets hope that's a yes, we should hear in the next week or so. Its quite a tricky situation, we have cleared one mountain but if the ACE mountain is a 'no' then its back to the drawing board. Alan is working hard to secure an office for us in the city, its going well but there are many rues and regs before anything happens. We do need a base in the city though, this will enable us to be truly Lincoln based and can allow for us to expand in new directions. After all it is much better to have meetings in our office than in the various cafes around the city. Hopefully we can also get more people involved to help out, interns perhaps. (We also saw Nick Clegg in Bristol, he could be PM in 48 hours!) Amelia ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 In light of a project that will take place over the August bank holiday weekend I Spent the other day trying to convince members of the Lincoln authorities that playing table tennis poses no risk to the public, can you imagine the headlines? Death by ping pong ball’ seriously though, it’s difficult to try and explain and dispel safety fears when in the back of your mind, the risk seems non-existent. But I guess it highlights the bureaucratic and health and safety policy approach of doing about things these days.   We found out the other day that our Arts Council application has been successful, which accompanied with funding from Lincolnshire County Council, means we are now able to do the projects that we have spent the previous months planning and arranging. Having a positive funding letter arrive on your doorstep is both exhilarating, and relieving, the idea of contacting artists who you have developed a project with and telling them that we haven’t got the money would be hard, especially as many artists rely heavily on commission fees in which to make a living, so I’m glad I don’t have to write those emails (not in 2010 anyway!)   We are on the verge of being given an office space in Lincoln city centre, due to Lincoln University giving us a space that used to be student art shop before it closed a few years ago. The space should provide us with a space in which to work from, as well as being one of Lincolns first artist led spaces, which can only benefit the students who are studying their BA’s fine art courses next door.  A word should go out to an old Uni tutor John Plowman, who has guided us through various potential mine field meetings with ‘estates’ and health and safety officers. The lease is due to be signed within 10 days. Fingers crossed.   We are getting there…     Alan... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 On Friday we signed the licence agreement with the University of Lincoln for an office space within the fine art department building. This feels like somewhat of a milestone in the organisations development. A space in the city in which the Lincoln Art Programme can function, has been an objective since we started in early 2009, we now have a postal address, internet, and a phone line, all things that bigger organisations may take for granted, previously we have had to work from home, but now we have this space in which the organisation can live and breathe from. No more meeting artists in local cafes... Since acquiring this space, we have being discussing how best to utilise this new space, as well as an office, we want it to act as a hub for artist led activity in Lincoln, a space where people can visit, and meet, we want the space to help facilitate the growing artist led infrastructure in the city. We have it initially for 6 months, with a review for a further 6 months in December; it's up to us to show them that having the Lincoln Art Programme on their doorstep is a good thing... We have started advertising and promoting our latest event which is a new work by Norwegian artist Agnes Nedregard on July 3rd, she is going to undertake a two day pilgrimage to Lincoln Cathedral, in which people can join her either for the final section of the pilgrimage, or if they are feeling slightly more adventurous can join her for a longer walk. Were putting particular effort to utilise online marketing tools, and in effect trying to reduce the amount of 'marketing stuff' we produce. I've spoken to a few other organisations who are attempting to follow a similar approach. But then again you can't beat a nice flyer can you? People like that physical object in which to hold, look at and keep... Here's more info on Agnes project, on the Visit Lincolnshire website http://www.visitlincolnshire.com/site/events/agnes-nedregard-pilgrimage-of-the-fool-p253431 Alan... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Interns and Artists Last week saw Alan and I interviewing for interns to assist the Lincoln Art Programme. The process was hard as we felt responsible to each person, realising that everyone needs an opportunity, and all the candidates were really good, but we haven't the space for everyone. In the end we chose Bethan Johnson a recent Loughborough Fine Art graduate (her degree show piece was great!) and Nick Simpson who also runs the DR collective in Lincoln, we have also asked current student Georgina Gregory to assist us on a casual basis. Its all very exciting and we are looking forward to welcoming them into the team tommorow. Tomorrow Agnes Negregard also arrives, its the day before her pilgrimage starts, so there is a lot to talk through. So Thursday will be a mix of intern inductions, final planning and press for the pilgrimage and office organisation. We have decided for the pilgrimage that one member of the Lincoln Art Programme team should go with Agnes. So on Friday morning my self, Agnes and a photographer are heading to Woodhall Spa to begin the journey. We have until 7.00pm to reach our destination at Washinborough with various points on the way to stop at. People can keep contact with where the pilgrimage is up to by texting 07871335193 for updates. Then Saturday it is only a short walk from Washingborough to Lincoln where an audince will gather at the Stonebow Archway on Lincoln High Street at 1.00pm to take part in the final stage of the pilgrimage. The weather will be wonderful so it should be a great couple of days! www.lincolnartprogramme.co.uk/agnesnedregard.html Amelia ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Taking place over two days (Fri 2nd - Sat 3rd) this Saturday saw Agnes Nedregard undertake her new commissioned work 'Pilgrimage of the Fool' The project's pilgrimage format was kind of split into two sections that spread over the two days, firstly on the Friday and Saturday morning the majority of the pilgrimage was undertaken and people were invited to join from the various villages and landmarks that the pilgrim passed, and secondly upon arriving in Lincoln audiences were invited to welcome Agnes into the city and join her for the final section through Lincoln High St, and towards Lincoln Cathedral. After a 20 mile walk on the Friday from the small Lincolnshire village of Woodhall Spa to Washinborough the short distance to Lincoln on the Saturday was welcomed. In all the pilgrimage was just short of 25 miles. On the Friday Agnes began walking along the Viking Way which took her through various terrain, including tall grass, forests, and even a field with a bull in it, all before arriving in Bardney for lunch. Along the way she met farmers, people in the pub and was even joined at points by other people to share the pilgrimage. After lunch on Friday and a short de-tour to Bardney Abbey, Agnes made the final journey of the day from Barney to Washinborough by the canal following a nine mile route of endless cycle track, before arriving in the end destination for the night. The 3 mile route to Lincoln on Saturday morning was taken at a leisurely pace. For 13.00 Agnes arrived at the Stonebow archway in Lincoln center to complete the final part of her pilgrimage to the Cathedral. Once at the Cathedral Agnes gave audience members marbles to plant around the grounds, reflecting those she had planted on route, she unraveled her bundle which she had carried over her shoulder for the journey. The bundle revealed a glass ball with a matchstick model of the Cathedral inside. On route the ball had broken, so Agnes took the model out and placed the miniature version on the steps to its parent.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 The Search Party event is just around the corner. Next weekend they will take on Lincoln in an epic table tennis tournament. Our intern Bethan has manged to get the Mayor to play the opening game, which promises to be a great start to the three days! (28-30) Its been a busy week, we are planning for the other two commissions of the year, S Mark Gubb and Townley and Bradby. S Mark Gubb is making a set of flags to fly on top of the Usher Gallery to mark it's re-opening after refurbishment. The flags will look at the history of the UK nations and how they have been represented in the Union Jack over the years. This stems from Marks interest in national identities as a half Welsh half English artist living in Cardiff. We are planning the flag launch for September 25th, and I am currently researching traditional nation cakes to serve as people watch the flags rise. There are some obvious cakes, Welsh Cakes for Wales, Victoria Sponge for England, Scotland has a good selection including Caramel Shortbread, Dundee Cake and Marmalade Cake, however Ireland seems to have less of a sweet tooth and less tradition cakes. So far I have found a Gur Cake, which I have eaten and is actually quite nice. This week Anna Townley also came to Lincoln for a site visit. This October Townley and Bradby will be having a residency on a barge in the Brayford Wharf (an expanse of water in central Lincoln). The artists have two children aged 2 and 5 who they will be bringing with them on the residency. One of the largest worries we had was looking after children on a boat, however for some people this is every day life so I am sure its manageable. Anna has never been on a narrow boat, so we are looking forward to see how the experience will shape their work and what the experience will be like for them. Amelia... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Search Party took Lincoln on in a marathon game of ping pong. The Bristol duo, a performance company, specialise in participatory work that looks to actively engage the audience in actions that often involve sport, and competition. Over the course of three days the artists staged an event where the artists played challengers who were aiming to win points for the city of Lincoln. Despite the rain and occasional gust play went on for the majority of the three days. After the first day of play Lincoln were trailing on Search Party's lead significantly winning 4 games to 21. The score didn’t improve as the third day finished; Search Party 61, Lincoln 14. During the course of play we had the mayor, various members of the Lincoln Crusaders Table Tennis Club, and the number one player in the county challenging the artists. Despite the Crusaders scoring points for the city it wasn’t enough to rescue Lincoln. Lincoln became the lowest scoring city Search Party have played to date. It was also the first time rain had stopped play, which was an interesting experience, some challengers played through it, others had Wimbledon moments being rained off. The Search Party event attracted thousands of people, crowds came and went, supporters returned, and reporters watched from a distance. The event felt that it had built a connection with the people of Lincoln, and the citizens came together to play for pride. In a couple of weeks time we have S Mark Gubb's flags being launched from the top of the Usher Gallery. This is to tie in with the re-opening of the gallery after it's refurbishment. Gubb has looked at the representation of the four nations in the Union Jack for the commission. Being a Welsh / English descendant Gubb is particularly interested in Wales representation on the flag. The flags will be historical versions of the current Union Jack flag. For the launch event on 25th September, we will have ceremony in the Usher grounds to watch the flags being launched. See our website for more information:http://www.lincolnartprogramme.co.uk/  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 The work load has increased some what in the last few weeks. We recently found out that we had received funding fro the Cultural Olympiad for our 2011 programme, which is fantastic news! However we need to confirm other funding for the programme in early December, meaning its funding application time. One of our aims is to get more funding to pay for the time we put into the organisation on a more representative scale. A couple of weeks ago we had the launch of the S Mark Gubb, Union, project. The event had a wonderful atmosphere and the gusty wind certainly helped the flags he produced fly. A bugle player played 'The Colour’s' as we raised the flags atop the Usher Gallery. The flags will remain on top of the building until November. For more information see: http://www.lincolnartprogramme.co.uk/smarkgubb.html At the end of the month we have a family in residence as Townley and Bradby come to stay in a windmill with their children. They will have three types of events for people to attend, an artists talk, child led tour of the city, and open house sessions. They intend to explore the use of the family in producing art work, and will open up their residency to show people their lifestyle and working methods. Amelia  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 Hello!  New Years resolution - endeavour to make more frequent blog posts. Possible a rocky beginning since we are almost a month into 2011 already...but from this point on I will keep you up to date with all the travels, trials and tribulations of Lincoln Art Programme.  Firstly, very exciting news. We have published are very own newspaper! It records all of the events and activities held throughout 2010. We shall be distrabuting them across Lincoln, so keep your eyes pealed. Alternatively if you send me an email,including your address to bethan@lincolnartprogramme.co.uk I'll pop a copy in the post. Plans for the forthcoming programme 'Trivia of Eccentric England' are steaming ahead.... watch this space! Tomorrow Im heading of to a day of Strategic Marketing Planning training. Quite the mouthful and sounds rather intense but thankfully there is the promise of tea. Fingers crossed I come back with a wealth of knowledge!   Bethan ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954 No post since January is frankly shameful, a consequence I blame on been too busy. I’m therefore declaring that we will blog weekly (at a minimum)… although I’m sure we say this every time we blog.     Our new programme Eccentric England starts on the 4th May, a mere 3 weeks away! The flyer, press release, press and online marketing merry-go-round is in full swing…   Anthony Schrag’s project ‘The Normal Parade’ is chugging along nicely. The search for the most normal person via the Normal Person competition appears to have caught the attention of the locals. BBC Look North ran a story on the project, which meant we got onto TV! Whilst the local paper ‘The Echo’ are running a series of articles calling out for applications, and Anthony will be out and about in Lincoln high street in mid may with applications and a big sign, doing a bit of canvassing to the locals. A small package was delivered to the office the other day, in a small brown box that initially appeared to be a bomb, but in fact turned out to be a trophy to be awarded to the most normal person. Excellent!   Whilst the Eccentric England programme is nearly upon us, we are working on the development of the Charter of the Forest project taking place in Chambers Wood in August. Artists Richard Dedomenici & Tereza visited the woodland last week, led around the site by Liz Fluety from the Forestry Commission. Richard managed to find out what was and wasn’t allowed in relation to his contribution to the project, no dogging, fires, chopping down trees and paintballing. Glad that’s sorted.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/556954