Final thoughts - part one

As we wrap up the blog for the artist-in-residence project on the Hemmingwell, here are some final thoughts from our artist this year, Kay Aplin. 

“This piece will create an enduring difference to the area, raising the profile and contributing to a safer, more pleasant environment for all who use, live and work in the locality,” says Kay. 

“I have had many positive comments from every one passing by who has seen the work, including some who had previously been sceptical. This is a good sign that hopefully this addition will be respected and contribute positively to the area.” 

Kay continues her work as a public art professional and we wish her all the best.

Launch party!

With the art-work finally in place, it was time to celebrate all that the community had achieved with Kay Aplin, our artist-in-residence 2009. 

And so, on Tuesday afternoon, everyone who had been involved with the project in any way was invited to a launch party at the site on the Hemmingwell. 

Among those present was the Mayor of Wellingborough, Councillor Peter Morall, Councillor Graham Lawman , Councillor Bhupendra Patel and Councillor Martin Griffiths, who are all either represenatives on the Hemmingwell or have an interest in planning and regeneration. The Mayor attended in his official capacity, complete with chauffeured car! 

The mayor said: "This is a superb use of tiles and mosaic. It works for what it is. I am a great believer in street art. I have been very impressed by all the people who have worked with such time and energy on this project."

Council Lawman said: "This was a no-go area. It was depressing and dull. The art-work is fabulous. The bright colours are great."

We were delighted to see friends who have featured on the blog, including Kay Rogers from the Well cafe, Elaine and Gerry our tilers, Vanessa Forbes who is Extended School Manager at Sir Christopher Hatton School, plus police community support officers, including our helpful friend Chris Howard. Children from the local schools who had been involved in the designs were also invited. The Hope project laid on fantastic food in the Community Centre and the Mayor gave a short speech.

Paula Armstrong, arts officer for Wellingborough council and organiser of the event, said: "The project is an important part of the work being undertaken by a partnership of community organisations and public agencies with the aim of improving the area." 

In other words, there's more to come for the Hemmingwell!

Some coverage of the launch in the local press here. 

Thanks to everyone who came!

Here come the birds

Here's the final art-work, in place on the Hemmingwell estate, hopefully for years to come.

A great time was had by everyone attending the launch today, including the mayor of Wellingborough. More pictures and words to come, very soon!

Hard at work!

As promised, here are some more images of Kay and our tilers hard at work putting the mosaics in place on the Hemmingwell estate. The whole process took place over 3 days, with breaks for cement to dry and the weather.

As you can see, safety was important and the tilers used scaffolding to make their job easier. Not only did the mosaics have to be fixed in place and backing paper sponged off, but they also had to be grouted and then carefully painted around to look super-neat.

If you're free next Tuesday afternoon, why not come to the launch and see the birds for yourself? Check out the invite. All welcome and, of course, hemmingwellartist will be there.

You are invited!

And finally...

Mr Sandpiper having his beak cleaned by Kay, our artist!

More images next week... :-)

Meet the community: tilers

Elaine and Gerry Cameron are tilers. Together they form 'GH Maintenance and Repair', a local Wellingborough firm. They've been in business for 25 years and specialise in tiling kitchens and bathrooms, especially for the elderly. Four weeks ago, they received a phone call asking them if they'd like to install a piece of artwork...

Elaine: We got a phone call about four weeks ago asking about this project from a friend who works at wellingborough Homes. Our children go to the same school together. It was a complete surprise.

Gerry: Our friend asked, 'would I be able to do a mosaic?' I said, 'of course.' We had no idea of what shape or size it was going to be. We've done mosaics before, but only in people's homes. We were nervous before we started and before we'd seen the mosaics. This is my first artwork.

Elaine: We thought it was a great thing, though. It's about trying to lift the area and the children are involved in that. We thought that was such a good idea. They need good things here.

Gerry: I spoke to Kay Aplin, the artist, to find out more. She explained what it was and we weren't so apprehensive. We asked Kay to make some templates, which she did, so that we could position the birds exactly. We used rapid-drying cement-based adhesive to stick the bird mosaics to the wall. You can buy it from any hardware store. But you do have to be so careful with mosaics like this, as bits can start dropping off them. When we lifted up the mosaic pieces, we realised how weighty they are.

Elaine: Once we got going on the work, we were OK. The mosaics are really exciting and colourful. It is fun to work on this. The shapes are all different and the grouting is fine work. Kay is so clever and so patient. It takes a long time to cut out shapes that detailed. It's beautiful.

Gerry: Yes, we love the artwork. You have to sit down and cut out all the individual pieces by hand. We're really pleased with how it's going so far. It's visible to the whole neighbourhood, as they use the shop.

Elaine: All of them have been saying how much they love the artwork. Children and teenagers have been asking us, "where's the bird my street's named after?" Children in push-chairs can touch the artwork, 'cos the sandpiper is low down on the wall.

Gerry: Their only worry seems to be about other people vandalising it.

Elaine:The best thing has been the feed-back from the children. Seeing their faces and them saying, "I did that!" They feel people care and want good things for them. One Dad came down as we were working and said, "My son did that!"

Thanks to Elaine and Gerry, whom Hemmingwellartist met at the Well cafe on the estate this morning. Hope you enjoyed your breakfasts and thanks for the piece of toast, as I was rushing!

Making a public art-work

Ever wondered how to create a public mosaic? Kay explains what she did in the later stages of the creative process - from choosing mosaic tiles to fixing them to a wall.

"In my studio I tried to match the colours the Hemmingwell children had chosen for their designs with the kinds of mosaic tiles available," says Kay. "My supplies are Azzura tiles, which I get from Waxman. I go to the local tile shop with my sample chart and order them directly. They are the brightest tiles available - amazing, beautiful, bright colours - and for external use. The tiles are porcelain and fired to 1300 degrees, so they're completely frost-proof and durable."

"You buy the tiles by the sheet," she continues. "How many sheets you use depends on how big your project is. For this project, I probably bought about 40-50 sheets of tiles. I have an assistant who helps me cut out the tiles. The largest bird in the Hemmingwell mosaic is about two metres at its widest point."

"I took the children's designs to a print shop, where they were blown up to the appropriate size. I then transferred the designs to strong, brown paper - the kind you use for wrapping parcels," remembers Kay. "I stuck the mosaic pieces to the paper, but with the right side of the tiles facing down, using watered-down PVA-glue. It's important to remember you're working in reverse. The paper holds the tiles in place."

"Each bird took about three to four days to complete," she explains. "Once completed, I drew around each bird on stiff, white cardboard. These were the templates for use in positioning the final mosaics. That done, I cut the designs into sections to make them easier to handle and to transport. I loaded the mosaics onto hardboard and transported them in my van."

"On site, I drew out the precise shape of the mosaic on the wall using my templates," she says. "We filled up to the edges with tile adhesive/cement and stuck the mosaics in place. Depending on the weather, tilers often need to mix fresh batches of cement."

"The cement takes 24 hours to 'go off properly," continues Kay. "Once it was dry, we peeled off the brown backing paper, using just water and sponges. Then we needed to grout the birds. We used grey grout, and also went around the edges of birds to seal them and make them waterproof. The final job was to paint around the edges to neaten it all up. Now that they're in place, they look great!" concludes Kay.

Work in progress

Kay at work (c. H. Jaeger)

Great news! The mosaic artwork is now going up on the Hemmingwell estate.

Work started yesterday to fix *six* finished mosaic birds to the exterior walls near the subway and shops on the estate. Our artist, Kay, transported the artwork in her van from her studio in Brighton, ready to assemble on site. Local tilers put up scaffolding and helped to place the birds on the walls. Once in place, the birds were affixed using a cement solvent.

Children living on the estate had chosen and sketched out several bird designs. These have been used for the final mosaics. There are are a sandpiper, a falcon, two kestrels, a gannet and a sparrow-hawk. The birds reflect the street-names found on the Hemmingwell.

The work will take three days to complete. That includes grouting and a final clean. To check on progress, head down to the Hemmingwell to see for yourself!

A launch takes place in approximately ten days. Details to follow. Everyone welcome!

Cafe chat

Kay Rogers is the cafe manager at 'The Well', a former converted pub at the heart of the Hemmingwell estate. Hemmingwellartist caught up with Kay for her personal view on the cafe, her job and the estate.

Hemmingwellartist/HA: What do you most enjoy about your job?

Kay Rogers/KR: I really enjoy meeting people from the estate. It is a privilege that you can get to know them and their lives, the good times and the struggles. We have lots of laughs in the Well, and a few tears, too. If you were in a cafe in town, you'd probably only say 'hello'. There is a real family feeling here. If there are people on their own, they can come here and know they have someone to talk with.

HA: How is the cafe run?

KR: The cafe is owned by the Hope project, which runs a church on the estate. There are 35 adults who go to the church on a Sunday. The project is run on a shoe-string. I do things like goto the cash 'n' carry supermarket to buy food for the cafe on my own time. But I do this because I love my job. Being part of a Christian organisation feels like working in a family. We have very good volunteers and many come from the community.

HA: How many people do you serve on an average day?

KR: We probably have at least 75 people through our doors on an average day and we're open 9am-1.30pm every day. We have our regulars, who say 'my usual, please'. Some dinner-times can be full. It's quieter in the school holidays, as we have lots of single Mums who meet here, but they take their children out during the holidays. We have a play area for the kids, so the Mums can chat. We try to keep our prices at an affordable level for everyone and we encourage healthier eating.

HA: What's the most challenging situation you've faced at the cafe?

KR: We had a lady who cleaned here for us. Her baby died at eight months. People don't like talking about death. We held a gathering after the funeral at the cafe as our gift to her. We're thrilled now that she's pregnant again.

HA: What do you think about the artist-in-residence project?

KR: The cafe looks out over the area where the artwork will go. I think it's a good idea. It will brighten up the whole area and that's a good thing. Lots of people congregate in that area and want to feel safe.

HA: What does the future hold for you and the Well?

KR: I like working with the community. I don't live here, but I was part of a youth club on the estate for 11 years, before I got this job as cafe manager. I hope to do this job until I retire. It's not a stop-gap thing for me. People have the wrong view of this estate. We've had no trouble in the cafe. Everyone is treated equally. There are some wonderful families here.

Cafe Culture

At the centre of the Hemmingwell estate is a square where the new art-work, when it's finished, will go. The Oakway school-children said they wanted to improve this central area when they completed their original police questionnaires - which led, in part, to the creation of our artist-in-residence project.

Around the centre sit a general shop, fish and chip place, brand new community centre and a community cafe - the latter two are both run by the Hope Project. The Hope Project appears to be a real force for regeneration in the area.

The cafe is called 'The Well Cafe' and used to be a derlict old pub, 'The Swallow.' It's now a lovely airy space, which doubles as a one-stop shop for community info and help.

Wellingborough Council, describing the work on the cafe, say:

'The HOPE Project bought out the lease of a run down public house situated in the heart of the community. They have raised funds and converted it into a magnificent community facility. It employs 11 people with an additional pool of 12 volunteers drawn from the local community. Importantly the renovation project ensured that the majority (60%) of the work was contracted locally. All members of the local neighbourhood, but in particular young people, were encouraged to help with the renovation.'

Here's what I found when I peeked through the cafe doors recently...

In one corner of the cafe is a community noticeboard and leaflet space. In another is a play space for babies and toddlers (Mums find it a great place to gather and gossip). There are about 14 square tables and chairs. I visit on a day when the tv on the wall is playing a DVD of a recent community event. There's even an internet point.

It's clear this is more than just a cafe. The Credit Union (micro finance) visits on a Tuesday. There're job-advice workers and health-trainers who come to the cafe, too. Plus a cancer awareness lady has agreed to drop in regularly.

The cafe promotes local services, including the police, fire services, Surestart, nurseries and other specialist, community-focussed services, such as to women experiencing domestic abuse. Family Support workers are upstairs and anyone can make a free appointment to see them. There's also a fully trained counsellor, should anyone need one.

Of course, none of that takes away from the fact that this is a cafe. An affordable cafe, it might be added, where the friendly volunteer, who has learning difficulties, serves me a great, piping-hot cup of tea for just 50p.

Next time, I only half-joke, I'm coming for lunch, too - with toasted sandwiches at just £1 and a great atmosphere, it sure beats my local Costa.

Read my interview with cafe manager, Kay Rogers, in my next blog post!

Meet the community: Extended Schools Manager - part 2

Part 2 of our interview with Vanessa Forbes from Sir Christopher Hatton school, working with the artist-in-residence.

'The Hemmingwell estate has really improved over the last five or six years,' Vanessa, whose own children went to Hatton school, continues. 'Things are improving. The artist-in-residence is part of that ongoing improvement. We all feel it is necessary to have something of real quality at the centre of the estate. We hope this is it.'

As part of the work with Kay, our artist, Sir Christopher Hatton school organised an 'Art Morning' (see Creative Kids parts 1 & 2 blog posts). The children talked about designs, made drawings and played around with scale.

'The kids that were chosen to participate all came from the Hemmingwell,' remembers Vanessa. 'At first, they couldn't understand why they'd been chosen - they didn't see themselves as the 'best' artists, but they soon got into it. Many hadn't realised the streets were named after birds. It was fun for them to see pictures of the birds their streets are named after. The children had a great time.'

'We're all looking forward to the installation of the artwork,' continues Vanessa. 'I hope the artwork will be a centre-piece for the estate to be proud of. It will be good for the children to remember they were a part of making that and involved with the project, as they grow up.'

Extended Schools co-ordinators are part of a government initiative, linked to the Every Child Matters agenda. All schools are due to have one in place and to be part of a Community Cohesion Plan. Vanessa was part of a pilot scheme at Sir Christopher Hatton. She was so successful, Vanessa was invited to stay on and is now a permanent member of staff.

Upcoming events at Sir Christopher Hatton school include a free computer training course for parents and members of the community. Runs on various dates after school and on Saturday mornings throughout the school year 2009/10. School and home partnerships are particularly important and the school runs a Parents Forum.

For more info on any of these, contact Vanessa Forbes, Extended Schools Manager, Sir Christopher Hatton school - forbesv@hattonschool.org.uk or 01933 226077. More info on Sir Christopher Hatton can be found on their website.

For further information on Children's Services in Northamptonshire, go to Northamptonshire Children's and Young People's Partnership.

Meet the community: Extended Schools Manager - part 1

Today I interviewed Vanessa Forbes, the Extended Schools Manager for the secondary school that's been working with our artist-in-residence. Vanessa works at Sir Christopher Hatton school in Wellingborough. She's been Extended Schools Manager for three years.

Her job involves bringing the local community, school and families together to ensure access to activities for all. Vanessa is keen to help disadvantaged children, in particular, get access to what's going on.

'That may be through something simple like providing money for subs for Brownies or equipment to take part in cricket. We want to give every child the opportunity to be involved with community activities,' says Vanessa, who has a background in community development.

Vanessa works in partnership with other organisations and encourages new initiatives at her school, too.

As part of her job, Vanessa is involved with the Hemmingwell Action Group. With them, she discussed the artist-in-residence scheme on the Hemmingwell estate. 33% of Sir Chrisopher Hatton children come from the estate. (You can see the school itself from the Hemmingwell estate.)

'We're an extended school keen to work with the community. I'm part of the action group, because we all feel it's important we're 'singing from the same hymn sheet', as far as partnerships on the estate go,' explains Vanessa. 'We all want the Hemmingwell to knit together and become a strong community. The action group is great, because we want to take action, rather than just being a talking shop.'

More from Vanessa, Extended Schools Manager, in part 2 tomorrow!

Hope Week and the latest news

Hemmingwellartist is back! For the latest news, we caught up with Paula Armstrong, arts development officer at Wellingborough council. 

Paula says: 

'The designs are chosen and the mosaics are now being created! The designs were chosen from outlines created by schoolchildren at Oakway Infant and Junior schools. Some are one design and others combine two or more designs.'

'Each bird forms a large mosaic panel. Once completed, the six birds will be installed on the wall above the subway entrance for residents and visitors to admire.'

'Kay Aplin, our artist, was in residence at the Castle's studio for a few days from 17-19th August. She was there to welcome any visitors and explain the process she is using to make the mosaics.'

'On the afternoon of the 19th August, Kay visited Hope Week, a week of activities run by the Hope Project on the Hemmingwell Estate. Participants were able to make some of the mosaic birds. The attached pictures give you an idea of the scale of the birds!'

'The panels are now being finsihed. With luck, Kay will return at the end of September to install all six of the birds. However, this does depend on having good weather, so it may stretch into October.'

'Once the birds are settled into their new home, there will be a special launch event, to which everyone is invited, especially all those who have contributed to the design and development of the project.'

So, that's the latest. As promised, we'll keep you up-to-date with progress on the mosaics and introduce you to a few more key people on the Hemmingwell on this blog over the next few weeks.

**Watch this space for the date of the installation. An invitation for you will appear here!**

IMPORTANT: We are still looking for a tiler, who would be willing to install the mosaic on the subway wall. If you are a tiler or know of someone who can help, please contact Paula on parmstrong@wellingborough.gov.uk or leave a message on the blog. Thanks.

Were you at the workshop during Hope Week? What was it like? Feel free to leave your comments.

Summer holidays

And now the news....hemmingwellartist will be away for two weeks!

But fear not, happy blog readers. The artist in residency will still be continuing at a pace.

If you're around, you can catch Kay, our artist in residence, at The Castle in Wellingborough from the afternoon of Monday 17th August to lunch-time on Wednesday 19th August, where she'll be making the actual mosaics! She'll be in her studio space or just ask at the box office. Paula Armstrong, arts officer, says 'all are welcome to visit, so please drop by.'

Kay will also be returning the the Hope Centre on the Hemmingwell estate itself, to work with children from a Summer scheme. They will produce mosaics that will form part of the finished panels. Kay will be there on the afternoon of 19th August.

We'll give you a full update on those activities here on the blog when we return. Plus, other snippets to look forward to include:

• an interview with the arts co-ordinator at Sir Christopher Hatton secondary school
  
• more on the Hope project, who Kay has been working with
  
• an interview with long-term residents, the shop-keepers on the Hemmingwell estate
  
• more from the Hemmingwell Action Group and its activists
  
• the lo-down from estate hub, the Hemmingwell cafe
  
• a remark or two about funding

PLUS

• the latest news on the mosaics as they are being made
  
• and the installation itself, which is just weeks away
  

Can you wait?! We hope so! More soon...

Now this blog is out for Summer :-) Enjoy yourselves, too. 

PS The tender is out for local tilers who could help install the mosaic on the subway wall at the Hemmingwell estate. Interested parties can email information, questions, contacts or recommendations to Paula Armstrong, Wellingborough Borough Council's arts officer on parmstrong@wellingborough.gov.uk Thank you.

Walk with me...phototour

Here it is! 

The photo tour of the Hemmingwell estate with the local police.

The photos will give you an idea of what the estate looks like and the captions tell the story of what Chris Howard (Police Community Support Officer) observed.

Safety in numbers

You may remember that Chris Howard, Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) with Northamptonshire police, agreed to take hemmingwellartist on a tour of the Hemmingwell estate. The police have their own dedicated space on the Hemmingwell estate. Safety is one of the key motivators for creating an artist-in-residence project here.

Well, we did it! This Monday just gone. I was a little nervous showing up for a meeting with 'the police', but Chris and his colleague, PC Vicky Farmer, instantly put me at ease. Contrary to what I was expecting, we took to the estate not by car, but on foot. Chris explained that the police team like to get out every week - meeting people, talking about their concerns and making themselves available. It felt like a return to the days of the old 'Bobby on the beat', except these police wear fluorescent yellow jackets!

Two things from our time together struck me:

1. How much Chris and his colleagues love being part of the community. Both Chris and Vicky have a clear affection for the residents of the Hemmingwell and want to listen and act on what the residents are concerned about. Chris was also just back from a trip with one of the local schools. Walking around the area helps the police, as Chris said, keep an up-to-date 'visual audit' of what's happening. Residents' concerns directly inform police activities week-by-week.

2. What a great idea it is to have a local police presence. The police use the Hemmingwell Community House as a base on the estate. It opened in 2002. The house is owned by Wellingborough Council and funded by the Wellingborough Community Safety Partnership. The police aren't located a distance away. This makes the estate feel safer in reality and, if you had a problem, you'd certainly know where to go to get help. By being at the heart of the community, officers get a genuine insight into what's happening on the estate, too.

I'll post the photographs of our tour just as soon as they've uploaded. The photos should give you a real feel of the estate and where the artist-in-residence work is happening.

Thanks PCSO Chris and PC Vicky for your help!

Pause for thought: Arts and Social Media

Arts and Social Media is an area we've been thinking about (behind-the-scenes) here at the hemmingwellartist blogspot.

Blogging (and vlogging and booing and tweeting and podcasting and google wave and everything else going on in the 'blogosphere'/social web) is a still a relatively new, developing and experimental way to share messages and build relationships. As such, there's not a lot of condensed information about arts and social media - or web 2.0, as it's called. (Web 3.0 is about to break out, according to geekexperts!).

Yet blogging lends itself to documenting an arts project really well. Why? Well, not least because it is fast, democratic and visual. We'll have more thoughts on this at the end of the project and will highlight a way for you to get hold of our *free* review on this blog.

For now, here's what we found elsewhere on arts and social media. If you know of any other great resources, feel free to flag them up in the combox. 

Trebor Scholz is a writer, social activist and educator, based in New York. In 2004 he founded the Institute for Distributed Creativity. He has a presentation on arts and social media (no sound) over at slideshare.

Vimeo (video sharing site) has this example of an Atlanta Celebrates Photography video/press release presentation about a new art installation project.

Mashable has a feature on 'How Community Arts Organisations Are Using Social Media'.

Twitter flagged up Rohn Jay Miller who writes a blog called take 5, comments on arts and social media (US), has art galleries as clients (including social media-friendly ones) and is putting together a longer resource of articles with arts and social media links.

Beth Kantor, digital consultant to non-profits, has a youtube presentation on 'Using Social Media for Good Causes.' (Interesting if you have a spare moment with a cup of tea!)

Enjoy! 

And don't forget to share any of your great links, too. Thanks.

Meet the community: arts officer

Paula Armstrong is the arts officer at Wellingborough Borough Council. Paula herself is a trained ceramicist, who has held her own exhibitions, including with other local artists. Part of Paula's job is to encourage artistic activity around Wellingborough. 

She does this in a number of ways, which include:

• attending important council meetings to represent the arts
  
• supporting and encouraging artists and creative businesses in the area
  
• offering funding advice to artists
  
• organising public arts activities, like the annual Smart festival and Lantern Parade
  
• producing a dedicated arts magazine, Art at the Heart, (you can download copies) with interviews, advice and listings for creative people
  
• contributing expertise to wider arts organisations, such as Open Studios and Creative Northants

Paula's job gives her some flexibility to decide the direction of arts in the area and she has been responsible for writing and consulting on an arts strategy plan, as well as bringing together an arts advisory board. 

(In between all this, Paula is also studying for an MBA and has a dog the size of a small pony, who needs frequent walks!).

Art which engages the public is a particular passion of Paula's. She says,

"The artist-in-residence project is important, as part of the work being undertaken by a partnership of community organisations and public agencies who have the common aim of improving the Hemmingwell shops' area.  The residency aims to improve the ‘feel’ of the area by adding colour and texture, changing the perception of visitors to something more positive. The project will give the community the opportunity to consider the space, what it’s used for and what they would like to see there in terms of artwork, as well as the chance to contribute to the artwork, leaving their mark on the space long after the project is completed."

"This is a community art project and community engagement is vital. We want to encourage ownership of the artwork and the respect that gives. We are also looking for a spectacular piece of artwork. The challenge for the artist is in balancing these aims," concludes Paula.

For more info on the role of local government arts officers, you can check out the Improvement and Development Agency.

Meet the community: workshop participant

(image: Helen Jaeger)

Last week, our artist, Kay, offered a free mosaic workshop for adults at the Castle in Wellingborough. There, participants learned the techniques Kay herself will use, when she creates the public mosaic artwork, that'll go up on the Hemmingwell estate.

One of the participants was Kelly Whitworth. Kelly is an artist and Mum, with a degree in Fine Art/Illustration from Loughborough University. After graduating in 1997, Kelly worked in London as an artist and at the Victoria and Albert Museum (where, btw, she was told off for sketching, when she was meant to be working!). Tho' loving London, Kelly returned to her roots in Northamptonshire, where she now lives with her husband and their two young children.

Kelly decided to come to Kay’s workshop because she’d always wanted to learn about mosaicing. She heard about the workshop from Cultural Community Partnerships (a creative, arts, sports and heritage organization in Northamptonshire).

“Mosaicing is close to collaging, which I already do. I love chipping away at things,” explains Kelly. “I do collages with fizzy drink cans - they’re very decorative.

Art is an important part of Kelly’s work and life. Kelly says:

“I’m a member of the Fellowship of Professional and Amateur artists (FPAA) and of Crabb Street artists' group in Rushden (Northamptonshire, UK), where I go to do life drawing. It’s really important for young people to belong to art groups, to bring their perspective and push an organization forward. I’m the FPAA secretary. We’re having our first exhibition at Wellingborough Museum later this year.”

“Going to Crabb Street is like entering a different world," she continues. "There are heavy drapes and fairy lights and we're brought cups of tea in china tea-cups, cakes from cake-stands or even olives. It’s wonderful and fun and run by John Frederick Black. There are all sorts of life models and people who go. I think there is a thriving art scene in Northamptonshire.”

Kelly hopes to build up her art to full-time work once her children go to school full-time. For now, she reckons a community workshop is a pretty good idea.

“Coming to a workshop like this gives you confidence to have a go and try something new,” says Kelly with a smile.

Is it important for people to belong to arts groups? What's your experience? Or have you been to a workshop that helped your own art? If you're interested, Northamptonshire County Council has its new course listings out now!

Creative kids - part 1

As part of our artist-in-residence and her work with the community, Kay has worked with school-children from Oakway Junior School and Sir Christopher Hatton Secondary School.

"The children came from Oakway to Sir Christopher Hatton School and we had a very nice morning," says Kay.

All of the children have a connection with the Hemmingwell estate.

"First, I did a presentation about the project and then we walked about the theme, which is birds - to fit in with the street-names on the Hemmingwell," explains Kay. "I'd photocopied some pictures of birds and we used those to do some line drawings and colour sketches."

After the sketching and drawing, the children took their ideas further and had a creative discussion about making a game based on birds.

"We then went into the playground and drew out our ideas in chalk," continues Kay. "We had all sort of ideas, particularly based on hopscotch and snakes and ladders - or birds and worms!"

"Some of the teachers working with us are also Mums, so they were contributing ideas as well. We had a discussion about how art is funded and about deadlines for projects. Some of the children didn't really understand that you can get paid to be an artist and make a living, so it was educational in another way."

Creative kids - part 2

That same afternoon, Kay worked with children from Oakway Infants School, using giant birds and worms in paper which she had prepared earlier. The children concentrated hard and had fun, decorating the shapes with tissue paper. They then laid their finished artwork in the playground to admire!

Being creative is about having creative ideas, not just being able to draw or paint. If you're interested in a creative career or work with children or teenagers who are, check out yourcreativefuture.org.uk 

It's a UK-based website sponsored by the Department for Culture/Media/Sport, the Design Council and Arts Council England (ie lots of big wigs!).

The website has loads of ideas about creative careers, whether you fancy having a go at being a photographer, journalist, designer, textile artist, fashionista, film director, painter, illustrator, sculptor, ceramicist, game creator, computer programmer ... or whatever you like!

Free workshop to put your art here!

This is a one-off invitation! Book early to avoid disappointment!

Join artist Kay Aplin to design and create your very own mosaic art to be included in the final artwork on the square.

Mosaic Workshop for adults

at The Castle, Wellingborough

3 - 4:30pm on Thursday 16th July

Anyone welcome.

No previous experience is needed and materials will be provided.

Map to find The Castle here.

To book your free place, please call Paula Armstrong, arts officer at Wellingborough Borough Council, on 01933 231824 or email parmstrong@wellingborough.gov.uk

You can also forward this to anyone you think might be interested in going.

Look forward to seeing you there!!

The artist on her art

(images Kay Aplin / collage Helen Jaeger)

Kay has been a public artist for 15 years. Above are more examples of Kay’s work to date.

About her own work, she says,

“My work responds to the environment for which it is intended. I take into account the site, its uses, its history and those who use it and their considerations. The size, materials and aesthetics are designed for the site and the concept or narrative is evolved from place.”

Kay continues,

“I work in a variety of media, including stoneware (relief) ceramic, mosaic, cast concrete, metal, tarmac, brick and stone. Glazed ceramic and mosaic is self-cleaning, and no maintenance issues should ever be necessary. Similarly concrete and stone do not need upkeep.”

(Did you know that mosaics are self-cleaning?)

For debate and examples of more public art, why not check out Public Art Online? It's got case studies from around the world, plus editor's top picks, as well as information and guidance on creating public art.

And what about those art works that don't make it to the public arena? The Guardian newspaper UK carried this interesting story about the Henry Moore Foundation back in April. Henry Moore was a UK-born and internationally-recognised sculptor and public artist.

At work

Since making contacts with the community and listening to their ideas, Kay has been hard at work sketching out some ideas (based around the theme of birds).

Above, Kay is at work in a special space loaned out by the Castle in Wellingborough for artists-in-residence. Kay's main studio is in Brighton, but it's useful to have a satellite studio for the project, where members of the public can visit and view the work to date.

Being a public artist means having a mix of different skills.

As a public artist, Kay needs to be able to work with a community and also be able to work independently, to listen and also to be able to bring her own creative vision to any art-work, to have artistic talents like drawing and painting, as well as to be able to have practical discussions at meetings, like how much concrete a project needs or where to buy quality mosaic tiles.

There are plenty of courses for wannabe public artists. Here's just one taster currently on offer from Creative Communities at Staffordshire University, UK.

Kay will be holding more workshops at the Castle, as part of the project and its community engagement.

We'll publicise the workshops here on the bog, so do check back regularly!

Stop press! Your views invited.

Kay has produced her first, draft art-work, featuring birds

(see our blog collage above).

Paula Armstrong, arts officer at Wellingborough Council, is seeking your views on the artwork.

You can email Paula at parmstrong@welllingborough.gov.uk or leave a comment in the comments box below

(particularly if you'd like to remain anonymous!)

Paula will gather together any comments by this Friday (1oth).

Thanks!

Artist lays out her table

Having appointed our artist-in-residence, the next stage was to facilitate a meeting between Kay and people involved with the Hemmingwell estate. Fortunately, at about the same time, the local Hope Project were holding a celebratory event: opening the brand new Hemmingwell Skills and Community Centre.

This fab new building is right where the shops are and where the new art-work will be once it's finished. The celebration was held one sunny day and attended by all sorts of people active in the area.

That included:

Surestart - a national UK initiative to support families with children under five in areas of deprivation through local projects all over the country

Homestart - another UK initiative to support families, particularly those going through a hard time, through the tireless work of volunteer supporters

Oakway Infant and Junior Schools - whose children had identified the area as unsafe in an original police survey

Hemmingwell Action Group - committed and passionate residents working with others to make a difference

The Hope Project

Hemmingwell Police Team

Northamptonshire County Council

Wellingborough Borough Council,

(including the instrumental arts officer, Paula Armstrong)

And, of course, the new artist-in-residence, Kay Aplin

There were loads of people there, and a real sense of excitement and community. The local papers even covered the event! Kay laid out a stall with creative activities, helped by Wellingborough Council's arts intern from the University of Northampton, Lisa Berry, and also mingled with the crowd to introduce herself. So, it was a great start to the arts project.

Meet the community: policeman

One of the reasons there's a Hemmingwell artist-in-residence is to make the place safer and more pleasant for residents and visitors. Safety is a top priority here. It's a part of Chris Howard's job.

Chris Howard is a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) based on the Hemmingwell. There's a dedicated police team and  house on the estate. Chris has been working in the area for over two years. So what does he think about the artist-in-residence project?

"I think it's a good idea," he says. "The shops are a central hub for the community, so it's nice and central."

Chris patrols the area on foot. He talks to residents, the police and the council, so he's got a good idea of what's going on. According to Chris, the main issue on the estate isn't drugs, as is popularly believed, but anti-social behaviour.

"The residents are really accepting and receptive towards the police and have welcomed us. I was pleasantly surprised when I started here. People stand and have a chat with me when they see me. We talk about all sorts of things, like football - not just crime! The majority of people want to get rid of any problems that are here."

Chris likes working in the Hemmingwell so much that, when he was offered a transfer to another area, he turned it down.

"I like the fact that I know all the school-teachers and kids and residents and they know my name. I hope I'll be here for the forseeable future," he says.

What do you think? Do you live and work on the Hemmingwell? Every area has its own problems. What do you think the problems are here or in your area - and how would you solve them?

Chris has agreed to take hemmingwellartist blog on a photo-tour of the community! Watch this space!

We got one!

After a thorough interview and selection process, one person was chosen as our artist-in-residence this year. She is: Kay Aplin!

Kay comes with loads of experience in public art (about 15 years). Kay has a degree from the prestigious Chelsea Art School. She's done international residencies as far away from the UK as Guatemala. Kay's worked with all sorts of people, including those who are visually impaired and deaf. Her work is in various locations around the UK. Her last residence before this one was in Bolton in the North of England.

We're really happy to have Kay working with us and are looking forward to seeing what she comes up with for the Hemmingwell. First of all, she'll meet the diverse people who live and work in the community, as well as talk to the council and other arts people in the area. Through all these conversations, the art will take shape.

It's a bit of a juggling act being a public artist, but it's what Kay is trained to do. Maybe you fancy art as a career for yourself? Here are some first steps to consider.

Finding an artist

When a plan had been agreed, Paula Armstrong, the council's arts officer, set about writing an artist's plan and brief. This included background to the project, the aims, how the artist would be expected to work with the community, a time-scale, fees and how to apply.

The creative brief was pretty wide, but it did have two important elements:

1. The artist would be expected to provide workshops for the community.
2. Work would be based loosely around the theme of birds - that's how streets are named on the Hemmingwell.

Paula then advertised in the usual places for artists, like the bench-mark a-n 'jobs and opps'. Any artist who wanted to apply would have to send in an 'idea sheet' (outlining their ideas), a CV, 6-12 images of work they'd done successfully already and whatever else they wanted that could support their application.

Here's the original advert.

When the deadline came, there were several applications. Who would be successful?

More on the importance of listening...

Listening to other people in a community is really important if you're hoping to make effective changes. That's all that consultation really is. It's a kind of conversation, where people come together to help each other out.

Earlier this year the Hemmingwell Action Group and the official Neighbourhood Renewal Officer at the local council decided an artist-in-residence could help the area. At the same time, children in local schools were working with police in the 'Young Detectives Scheme' (part of a county-wide initiative in schools). The children told the police they felt unsafe in the shopping area of the Hemmingwell.

About this time, the council's arts officer was also thinking about recruiting for an artist, under her bienniale artist-in-resident scheme.

All these groups of people came together and decided:

• an artist-in-residence
• in the Hemmingwell
• working to improve the area
• around the shops
• with the particular help of children

would be a good idea. (I love it when a plan comes together!)

So, that's how consultation works in practice and why we have an artist-in-residence this year.

Why art here?

You may be wondering why we're having an artist-in-residence scheme here in the Hemmingwell. The answer is simple: because the community wants it.

For a while, work has been going on to make the Hemmingwell a safer, more pleasant place to live and work. The very active Hemmingwell Action Group has already helped with:

• a new play area


• a skate ramp


• new road signs


• cash for making the roads safer


• a sports area


• the brand new (and very fab) community centre


• a new cafe where an old pub used to be

It's really important that the area, which is on a national UK Index of Deprivation, reflects the needs and wants of people who live there. That's why there is a continual process of consultation going on, to listen and act on people's views.

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog for the Hemmingwell artist-in-residence 2009!

This blog follows the adventures of an artistic project live as it unfolds from June to August 2009.

We take a look at what an artist-in-residence is, why a community might want to work with an artist and what they can achieve together. Along the way we'll meet new and key people from the community.

We'll also ask some big questions, like 'what is public art' and 'how can art really help an area?'

Blog posts will turn up regularly and you're free to comment, ask questions and chat about art. You are welcome here. It's good to have you along!