ARTISTS TALKING

# 2 [13 February 2010]

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There have been few very busy weeks.

I was shortlisted and attended an interview in Bristol for permanent commission at St Bede’s Catholic College. Last Tuesday I had my first meeting and a site visit with the arts consultant shown around by the main architect. We also attended the design meeting and met members of the team that I will be working with. I also met some of the teachers and employs from the college and we booked my next days of research visits.

On Thursday evening I attended the Spitalfields Sculpture Prize announcement. I was one of the eight shortlisted artists to be commission for the prize to create permanent piece for Bishops Square. It was an interesting process where the public was also allowed to vote and they vote would counted as one am not sure how much this made the difference in the decision making! I kind of hoped that commissioning ways could perhaps change and that slightly more challenging and exciting works could take place. But I was wrong the traditional way won again…..

The prize was given to Kenny Hunter, and the sculpture is a Goat on top of a stacking crates. Congratulations.

This turned into a long night and next morning I had to catch an early flight to Thessalonica, where I was met by my family and after spending nice day around this great city we drove back home to Macedonia.

On Friday the 19^th of February there will be a closing down party at the Swiss Embassy in Skopje and I have to de-install my exhibition.

# 1 [20 January 2010]

The aim of this funding is to facilitate a successful realisation of a research period, building partnerships, and the development of new productions. It will cover my time – one day per week for a year - to focus on my practice, it will enable the flourishing achievement of new potential projects and will give me the opportunity to network to further develop and make new contacts for future exhibitions and the development of my career as an artist in the UK and abroad. 

I received the grant before Christmas and the first few weeks of the start of this project have been very exciting. As part of this grant I have allocated mentoring funding and I have been researching into potential mentors. I organised meetings with the Director and the Curator at the Towner Gallery and had discussions with the Director at ArtSway, and with they help I have contacted and arranged meetings with potential mentors.

Last Monday I had my initial meeting with the mentor just to see if it would work and test the grounds. The meeting went brilliantly and now I am working on some thoughts and ideas to bring forward for the next meeting.