I received the funding! This project is now more real to me than ever before. I have had the busiest week so far for this project. I have decided to breakdown my past week on a day to day basis to give an idea of the work over the course of the week:
Monday – I spend the day working on the budget for the No Strings Attached scheme and the presentation on Tues. I also go looking in vain for a book on playing the harmonica. I time myself on my phone to keep the presentation under 10 minutes. I plan on doing this before work in the evening but I find they are overstaffed so I offer not to work which gives me more time. I end up having to strip a lot of my information back after presenting the project to my mother.
Tuesday – I wake up at 7, scrape getting the right train and head to Farnham with my presentation on my laptop for 10:10. I arrive early and share a table with an equally nervous speaker for a talk held at the venue. We wish each other luck. I present to the panel and it goes pretty smoothly. I am pleased to see Fiona who I talked over the project with months ago. I am told I will find the result by the end of the day.
Farnham is beautiful on a sunny day. I smile as I head to Sainsbury’s to get a photograph for an interview on Thursday. Then I wait for a train up to London to meet about The Other Art Fair.
In London I have several hours to wait but do not spend money on travel and walk in a big loop. I visit Tate Modern first: zone out in the Tank containing Lis Rhodes’ Light Music, then watch some of Sung Hwan Kim‘s movie. There are 3 school groups in the Tanks and Turbine hall. As I leave I almost collide with several of Tino Sehgal‘s dancers.
I then walk into the Jerwood Space, stare in wonder at Kerstin Kartscher’s lamp. Leaving the show, I walk down The Cut, have tea at The Young Vic and decide to head down to the National Theatre. I arrive at the Hayward Cafe early and wait. The waitress there is overworked. Near 4 I see a curly haired girl at the till, I think this is Chantelle. She sits at a small table across from me and makes a phone call. Minutes later I get a missed call. I ring back and this girl picks up the phone. She is Chantelle.
We talk about Studio Chess last year and developing it for The Other Art Fair. I want to involve more people and the audience on the night. I show her cards I made for a workshop. She likes them and thinks that they will be good to sell at FAD‘s stall at TOAF too.
After the meeting I leave loiter in London till 7. After 5 I get a missed call from Farnham Maltings: the results of my application! I ring back and leave a voicemail. I then get the news while in the Poetry Library – Success! I make a hurried call to my mum, she doesn’t pick up the phone.
Wednesday – The first project talk with Sylvia Rimat in Bristol! I make the journey from 11am changing at Woking, then Salisbury and take a 1 carriage train to Bristol. I arrive near 3 in a city I have never been to and head straight for The Milk Bar. I meet Sylvia and we talk alone in a darkened room with an electric heater. Book of Essays is about a book of essays but the Self keeps coming up. Sylvia mentions Brecht‘s idea in German: verfremdungseffekt, estrangement roughly. After 3 hours heavy talking I leave to stay with my cousin. Getting there near 7 I meet her at a quiet house outside the city past and Aldi. She has 2 daughters. They get slightly excited by me arriving, especially Maddie, who is 8.
