ARTISTS TALKING

# 16 [18 September 2012]

The torch light procession had to adapt pretty sharpish due to the fact that there was no way this was going to be a quiet meditation walk, as it turned out it really didnt matter....everyone had a huge black rose to hold (Sophies symbol) one or two had pink ones to liven the display up a bit.

The young chaps at the front were full of red bull and monster and as a result were singing and chanting holding the S.O.P.H.I.E with pride as they chanted 'S.O.P.H.I.E...peace and love and unity!More smiles and thumbs up from the thousands who turned up to watch...'I get it!' a woman shouted to me.....that was enough!

Sylvia and Adam (Sophies mum and brother) turned up, which gave the whole evening a warm family feel, i think all of us in the parade felt like we had known each other for years never mind a day or a week or two.

Next stop, the Black Parade goes back home to Bacup where it all began, this will be tough but essential!

# 15 [18 September 2012]

All finished! The day/s were a success after realising at the 11th hour that i didnt have a fire extinguisher on the truck. the 'inspector' was huffing and puffing as he walked around our very DIY truck criticising the makeshift handrails and the fact that we had flammables next to a diesel generator....blah b'blah, i thought i'd left my 'real' job to escape all this ..... obviously not!

Anyway, 5 mins before the parade was due to start we were given the green light which was actually a piece of green card and we were off.

After leaving the park where the various procession vehicles had collected we set off into Preston city centre for the Community procession, at the bottom of Moor lane i turned to my left to see an army of punks, goths and assorted metal types...It worked! I couldnt stop smiling and couldnt look at Donna for filling up with tears of joy.

The highlight was watching Neil from behind my drums singing 'its your right to riot!' with his 'pussy riot' balaclava on as we crawled slowly past the Harris museum...confetti falling down on us as the mayor and other VIP's clapped and cheered us...smiling faces....old people in beige punking out to the Sanity Clause! 

http://www.reverbnation.com/thesanityclause

# 14 [13 August 2012]

Both sets of workshops in Burnley and Preston seem to be engaging with the local populations of alrnative young people and adults. In the Burnley workshops groups of five or six will breeze in do a bit and away, however they are producing some great stuff and feeling confident to approach me with their ideas, There seems to be a lot of interest in the gig so hopefully we'll get a good turn out on the 1st.

# 13 [31 July 2012]

Went to take some furniture and materials into the st. georges centre in Preston today, left a huge poo in the window of the shop which id made on a previous project to illustrate the life cycle of a blue bottle, the man ken from the centre wasnt laughing.

When i say I made it....you know what i mean!

Already started workshops in Burnley which are going well, lots of goth/alternative types hanging about and showing interest.

Its rebellion festival (punk) at Blackpool this weekend. i always feel a bit guilty about this now, as Charles Quick my MA tutor once said to me that i should be going to galleries not punk rock gigs anyway as it happens the black parade project is growing tentacles in alsorts of directions and i am now doing an installation in the punk art bit of the festival. 

I am also doing a performance i think, or it could be just a bit of extended reality as i deliver some punk meditation, got a logo and everything!

# 12 [15 June 2012]

Good week this week! ......although goldblade still havent got back to confirm their performance on the float, i receved confirmation from Awards for All that we (that is the sophie lancaster foundation and i) will get the funds we need to continue the project till the end of the year!

Also!... i managed to secure a residency at Burnley library for the summer, this will also concentrate on stigma and alienation of young alternative people with an emphasis on subculture and heritage, from teds and mods through to emo's and moshers.

Currently trying to contact The Notsensibles to finish with a celebration event.....

'Im in love with Margaret Thatcher she's the girl for you and me, i go red when she's on telly 'cos i think she fancies me!'

# 11 [5 June 2012]

Went over to Chorlton for the Arts festival last week and delivered a couple of workshops/events...the second one was a bit experimental to say the least, people were invited to come and meditate on Chorlton green.

Initially i intended asking an ordained Buddhist monk to guide the meditations but as the date drew nearer I started to think more about my practice and the punk ethic thats runs through it, i know i had the ability to lead a session...but the confidence?

I put on my artist hat/punk wig and forgot about whether I had the right credentials, the right seating or the right presentation, and delivered sessions in a way that i'd always wanted them when i began meditation.

I called it 'Punk meditation' as the words are a great visual conflict which itself is an interesting starting point.

I wrote on the wall 'The harmony in the teeth gritting noise of society'... this was a reversal of Hebdiges original phrase from his 1982 book 'Subculture; the meaning of style' which stated that punk was the noise in the teeth gritting harmony of society.

Folowing this i contacted the Rebellion (punk) festival in Blackpool who were rather keen on having a SOPHIE punk meditation each morning of the festival...i love it when a plan comes together!

# 10 [25 May 2012]

The procession(s) are getting closer and im getting more than a little frustrated, i have a flatbed truck and pa, i really need John Robb to confirm whetrher goldblade or the membranes will be playing!

Still waiting to find out from awards for all about a second pot of funding.

However on a positive note i went to some of the workshops to look at design and creation of some of the props/objects to decorate the float and for the black parade army to wear or hold etc.

Skulls and monster things are usually the chosen images for punk/heavy metal, but it just doesnt seem fitting on this occasion, Sylvia (Sophies mum) talked about black roses whick i think would look really cool all around the float and being carried by the army, i think perhaps on the float for the community procession then taken off for the following days torchlight procession.

# 9 [27 April 2012]

interesting artivcle about goth culture etc.....

http://apps.facebook.com/theguardian/music/2012/apr/26/goth-life-fields-nephilim

# 8 [6 April 2012]

I spoke to Kyra Milnes at the Harris museum yesterday about involving young people with the Black parade project, she was very enthusiastic, and felt that we could work together in some way as she knows various groups that maybe interested.

Ialso spent some time looking at shops close to the peace garden, where the goths, punks, skaters, etc hang out, there are one or two empty shops which would be good the workshop definatley needs to be near those involved if theres one thing I learnt from Clarets Creative, www.claretscreative.com its that!

I contacted the band Beholder this morning, who low and behold(er) they didnt feel they could play on a flat bed truck....bugger, bugger, bugger.

Not to worry I will try to contact John Robb one way or another and either get goldblade or the membranes to play.

# 7 [7 March 2012]

Went to a training day with the Sophie Lancaster foundation yesterday, its strange how i knew all the details of sophies death yet hearing them again and seeing the support and love involved with the group was amazing...it feels like a family, all those involved really understand the importance of community both geographical and also ina spiritual/psychlogical sense, just adding last touches to an awards for all application which could help extend the project beyond the guild.