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!