My friend and studio mate Claire were due to open our studio for the first time on Sunday 24th March 2019. It was our studios’ very first open studios event. The building has been standing empty for some years before […]
It’s clear that enhanced DBS is very difficult to get as an individual, self-employed person. It’s been hindering for me, where I’ve required people to be present. I’ve previously had years’ of enhanced with an ’employer’ but now it’s a […]
27th&28th March
Sketches, ideas, work in progress.
What a fantastic launch week! We officially launched last week along the Penistone Line and the reception of the publication has been amazing. Comments included: “You can tell a lot of work has been put into this.” “This is lovely.” […]
Steve Dutton discusses the outcomes of a-n’s Artist-led Bursaries, awarded to six artist-led groups in 2017 to explore how artists and artists’ groups adapt to navigate turbulent cultural and political landscapes.
A selection of the week’s best shows, including: Akram Zaatari’s video work at Modern Art Oxford, collage at Project Ability in Glasgow, plus Barbara Hepworth at St Albans Museum and Gallery.
Founded in 2010 by a group of London-based artists, AltMFA is a free, nomadic, alternative art school whose fluid content and structure morphs around the needs of its members. Lydia Ashman speaks to co-founder Louise Ashcroft about the project and why radical inclusivity and a little bit of anarchism are essential to its existence.
Steve Dutton discusses the outcomes of a-n’s Artist-led Bursaries, awarded to six artist-led groups in 2017 to explore how artists and artists’ groups adapt to navigate turbulent cultural and political landscapes.
Hack & Host in Hull was established in 2015 by three local arts workers as a public forum for structured conversations about contemporary art. Lydia Ashman reflects on how the project has been impacted by Hull City of Culture 2017 and speaks to associated artist, Clare Holdstock, about Hack & Host’s ongoing appetite for debates about art and politics.
Formed in 2016 in the run up to the EU referendum, Keep It Complex: Make it Clear is a loose collective of London-based artists and cultural workers. Its members aim to challenge apathy and fear by providing people with ‘tools and ideas to get involved with everyday politics’. Lydia Ashman reflects on the ways in which the group use their skills and networks as artists to facilitate conversation in a divided world.
Market Gallery has been part of Glasgow’s artist-led ecology since 2000. The gallery is led by a volunteer committee and operates from a shop unit in the working-class neighbourhood of Dennistoun, where it presents a varied programme of exhibitions, events and residencies. Lydia Ashman talks to artist and committee member Catalina Barroso-Luque about how the gallery is responding to a reduction of resources through its programme and structure.
Rhubaba is a studio provider and a project space in Edinburgh. Led by a volunteer committee, it presents an interdisciplinary programme of exhibitions, workshops and events. Lydia Ashman speaks to committee member Ben Callaghan about Learnin’ Broke my ?, Rhubaba’s research project on radical pedagogy and self-organisation, and the challenges and rewards of operating in an artist-led context.
Treeline is a Birmingham-based artist-led investigation into how artists can influence our relationship with nature. In 2017, members of Vivid Projects’ Black Hole Club visited Norway and Spain to research and develop an international network of artists, sustainability practitioners and academics for Treeline. Lydia Ashman speaks to Jaime Jackson, one of Treeline’s founders, about why artists are best placed to facilitate positive change.
There’s a cycle. I do wonder if being a woman, I’m more tuned in to these things? If you are a man and you feel that you are tuned in, do tell. It is of interest… I decided to have […]
Assessing astronomy and our place within the cosmos from an unexpected viewpoint is a central theme in Perfume as Practice SS19; my upcoming solo show at Lumen Crypt Gallery, London. For the most part, this is achieved through perfumery and, […]
I am faced with a moral dilemma: glitter, my material of choice, is ethically (and environmentally) unsustainable. Immanent glitter ban I love glitter but have become increasingly aware that it is at odds with my commitment to recycling, […]
Really weird the way one thing leads to another. Frustrated and annoyed at how bad my paintings of daffodils had turned out, I used up the acrylic paint in my palette on this little canvas board. The resulting colour mixes […]
I’m proud to be presenting my PhD research at the GAS 2019 conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. This blog will share some of the related events and highlights of the conference. It will also take in galleries and museums in the area.
Apart from the fact that I choked on a glass of water and had a coughing fit, the training day at Dreamland in Margate was great. A really re-generating and moral boosting kind of day. The sort of day that Animate […]
The above image is a screenshot of the acceptance letter for my MYTHOMANIA project grant. It was an amazing moment to click on the button within the Arts Council’s Grantium system and see the word “Congratulations”. Once you see that […]
An upcoming solo show exploring humanity’s ongoing fascination with myths – from ancient Greek legends to modern superheroes and ‘fake news’. Opening July 6 at 20-21 Visual Arts Centre. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
