Annual Review 2012/2013Developing visual arts and the arts community in Somerset

In my first year as Chair I’d like to start by saying how exciting it is for me to be so involved in the arts in Somerset. I have lived here, on and off, all my life, and have never tired of what the county has to offer. This is an exceptionally creative part of the world in all areas of art and craft and SAW has a vital role to play, especially now that funding is so limited. Our website offers good opportunities for our members; a great blog - Davina Jelley has taken over from Natalie Parsley (thanks Natalie!) - and plenty of news and projects. You will also see a resumé of Art Weeks 2012. It was a very successful year despite the tricky economic and climatic conditions, and the membership knuckled down to produce some excellent open studios - a good chance for the art tourist to find hidden talent and treasures within Somerset’s special landscape. At our lively launch party in At The Chapel, Bruton, Kevin McCloud gave a rousing speech, and the whole thing was wonderfully adorned by the Bruton School For Girls Fashion Show and band. As well as taking on new projects, the SAW team continued to support on-going initiatives in 2012, such as the Great Crane Art Project. We have been working with local schools to introduce an artistic element to the project, including exhibitions at Muchelney Abbey and the Othery Village Crane Trail. Eat Langport Pizza Oven was another highlight, a collaboration between artists Simon Lee Dicker and Sue Palmer, the local residents, Langport town council and SAW to engage with public spaces and to encourage more creative use and ‘ownership’ by the

community. The One to Twenty Glove project celebrated Yeovil’s glove-making history. Working with Guest Curator, Karen Gaskill, SAW made this selection based on the vision and originality of artist collaboration Barber Swindells. Anybody who has been lucky enough to visit the Ice Age art exhibition at the British Museum will understand that art has been at the very centre of human experience for at least 40,000 years. Even those ancient communities needed to sponsor art - decorative and iconic works adorning the dead in their graves took thousands of hours to make and the makers would have been exempt from other necessary tasks in the group. Such sponsorship is still vital within our society today and artists of all types need the utmost encouragement. I do hope that individuals, companies and councils can continue to provide vital support here in Somerset, where inspirational landscape and history have attracted artists for so long.

I’d like to thank all our supporters and funders who continued in this 40,000 year old tradition and supported SAW in 2012!

Richard PomeroySAW Chair(Photo by David Partner)

A Word from the Chair“

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It was a very successful year despite the tricky economic and climatic conditions

Cover: Short Breaks Workshops with artist Kitty Hillier (Photo by Nisha Haq)Left: One to Twenty Launch (Photo by Barber Swindells)

SAW’s commitment to placing Art at the Heart of Somerset

SAW works holistically to develop the quality, range and accessibility of visual arts in Somerset.

We want Somerset to be a place where people expect to engage with excellent visual art that is surprising and distinctive.

We want to create an atmosphere of adventure and experimentation that will inspire artists to produce and present new work, and encourage audiences both to engage with it and to embrace it.

We work almost exclusively in partnership with other arts and non-arts organisations initiating visual arts projects across a wide variety of settings, always looking to facilitate the artists’ professional development.

Commissions/bursaries to help Somerset •artists to develop their own specialised practice

Placements and bursary opportunities •for emerging artists

Educational workshops and participatory •events to involve new audiences with the visual arts in Somerset

Co-operation with voluntary sector partners •to enable artists to contribute to the quality of life and environment in Somerset

Above: Hazel Holman installation (Photo by artist)Below: Clockwise from top left Great Crane Exhibition at Slimbridge Wetland Centre (Photo by Nisha Haq)Eat Langport, June 2012 (Photo Simon Lee Dicker)One to Twenty in Yeovil (Photo by Barber Swindells)Thread Exhibition, Somerset College (Photo by Carol Carey)

Studio Works Commission (Photo by Sebastian King)

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The theme of Art Weeks 2012 was clear - to return the Open Studios event to its roots. Over 300 Somerset artists were encouraged to open up their own creative workspaces, whether these be kitchens, barns, halls, gardens or the street outside the front door, and offer the general public a fascinating insight into their unique creative processes. The inspirational and diverse works by these artists was exhibited across some 221 venues.

And Art Weeks visitors were not disappointed as they were offered myriad visual splendours - beautiful garden ceramics, wood sculptures, site-specific weaving and light installations, colourful limited edition etchings and dreamy watercolours inspired by the Somerset landscape… and much more.

Studio Works: Portraits of ExcellenceWe delivered a new commission specifically for the event. Studio Works was a collaboration between designer Chantelle Henocq, photographer Sebastian King and writer David Davies, and comprised a special exhibition staged at the Brewhouse Theatre and Art Centre, featuring portrait photography of Somerset artists in their studio/working spaces. During the event we also developed a national exchange project with SVA (Stroud Valley Arts Space) during which artist Bill Jones from Gloucestershire worked side by side with Somerset-based artist Hazel Holman within a temporary studio at The Brewhouse.

This year’s event was attended by more than 50,000 visitors, from Somerset-dwellers and visitors from nearby counties to people who travelled from overseas specifically to visit the event. Average visits per venue amounted to 243.

Despite the current economic climate, we were proud to see a rise in recorded sales compared to 2011 - £276,075 from the 135 venues that returned their feedback form. Projected sales totalled £430,595. Nearly 40% of the venues took sales of over £3,000 during the two-week event.

In addition, more than 20% of those attending were first time visitors. Recorded non-arts spending amounted to £17,051 (from 584 visitors), with an average spend of £29 per person.

In 2013 Art Weeks will run September 21 to October 6. We are very confident that the event will again prove to be one of the core events within Somerset’s cultural calendar.

Art Weeks 2012 - Open Studios

“ “It was my best year ever (I started participating fourteen years ago). Art Weeks makes me feel like a proper artist and I love it! Thank you.

Art Weeks by Numbers

Art Weeks 2012Number of venues: 221Number of attendees: 53,703Average number of visits per venue: 243Recorded sales: £276,075 (from 135 venues)Projected sales: £430,595 Average sales per venue: £2,060Number of colour brochures: 50,000

Above: Art Weeks Launch (Photo by Liam Goodwin) Main image: Jenny MellingsInset clockwise from top left: Works by Angela Holland, George Foweraker, Nina Gronw-Lewis, Amanda Khan-Davis

Somerset Art Weeks is a much-loved and thriving annual event and I’m proud to support it.Kevin McCloud“

Stunning artworks and delightful artists

Inspiring... lovely to see where the artists work

SAW website traffic 2012

Total number of visits: 65,303

Investing in the arts community - enriching lives

‘Creative Pathways’ Professional Development for artists This is an approach to emerging and mid-career artist professional development that has been piloted with the Somerset ‘Reveal’ partnership. It offers artists the opportunity to apply for a bursary with which they can develop, using their own tailor-made development programme. This year awards were made to Simon Lee Dicker of OSR Projects and Chris Jelley for his Storywalks.

The latest crop of graduates‘Thread ‘ was an exhibition at Somerset College Arts Faculty for Art Weeks to celebrate the quality of work produced by the 2012 graduates. Last year SAW was also able to offer secondary schools and sixth form colleges a special ‘taster tour’ of the Hot House and White Cube galleries as well as the Fine Art Faculty.

Also working in partnership with the Somerset Guild, the friends of SAW co-sponsored a prize for Fine Furniture students studying at Bridgwater College. The finalists had the opportunity to meet and receive advice from Tony Portus, a nationally acclaimed furniture-maker based in the South West.

Arts education is vital for a healthy arts ecology in the future, and so we bring artists together with schools, colleges and the community to work together creatively. We also arrange key placements to provide work experience for graduates and emerging artists. This work bolsters our local economy and enriches the lives of individuals within our community, from young to old.

Reveal Somerset - Growing Great Art SAW continued to be a lead Reveal partner with Brewhouse Visual Arts and Somerset Film. Reveal is an evolving partnership focused on professional development and engagement with a specific aim of raising the profile of visual arts and media across the county of Somerset through active collaboration.

Reveal Award This year’s Reveal Award went to Taunton-based graduate Hazel Holman. Hazel first started experimenting with fleece in 2006 creating basic flat works, eventually progressing to needle felting which became her primary practice. For Hazel, creating pieces is a tactile experience and is therapeutic, often taking hours to see little visible progress. She often embellishes her work with embroidery silks and ribbon to create tones and textures. It is important to her that people interact with her work in as many ways as possible - and not just visually. The texture of the felt is designed to be touched and played with.

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For Hazel, it is important that people interact with her work

64.58% New Visitors 35.42% Returning Visitors

Main image: Hazel Holman(Photo by Sebastian King)

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Chilton Generations TogetherChilton Generations Together was a Somerset Art Works intergenerational project celebrating the history of Chilton Trinity School (Bridgwater) through an exploration of the images and stories of past pupils. Facilitated by lead artist Sophy Denny, a group of young and older people came together to plan and run an Open Day at the school, collecting memories and images of students and staff, both past and present, just as the building was about to be demolished and rebuilt.

Photographer - and former SAW intern - Laura Rouse was commissioned to produce large scale photographic portraits of these participants for permanent display in the new building, visually linking the school to its history. Laura’s beautiful photographic portraits now form the heart of the inspiring new school building.

View the project blog at:chiltongenerations.blogspot.com

Making MattersBoth The Great Crane Art Project and Chilton Generations Together were initially made possible by the Making Matters programme, itself part of the Somerset-wide Company of Voices intergenerational project. The aim of the project is to bring together older (50+) and younger people (under 25) to work together on positive activities that are of benefit to the local community. SAW has engaged a number of artists to work with communities and develop projects that use making as a catalyst, to bring the generations together and ultimately to benefit community cohesion.

Working with Children and Young People

Crafts Centre, Shapwick. Additionally SAW worked with the Somerset Crafts group to display artists’ work inspired by the crane, using silk painting, jewellery, sculpture, painting and other media.

SAW worked with Othery Village to develop a series of workshops led by artist Kitty Hillier. A trail of cranes sprung up around the village to coincide with the annual May Fair, and could be followed using an accompanying map. We also delivered a Short Breaks workshop on behalf of Somerset County Council - a crane-inspired creative day for young people with disabilities, led by artists Hilda Vaughan and Kitty Hillier.

After a successful Arts Council application, SAW’s creative partnership with The Great Crane Project soars towards another ambitious commission for 2013 with local, national and European project partners. Shadowing the reintroduction of the Common Crane to the Somerset Levels, from egg collection in Germany, hatching at Slimbridge and release on the Levels, we appointed artist Melanie Tomlinson to create new art works that will connect disparate Somerset and European communities with this unique bird and its place in the Somerset Wetlands.

The Great Crane Art ProjectSince 2010 Somerset Art Works has been working in partnership with The Great Crane Project, creatively celebrating the re-introduction of the common crane to the Somerest Levels after an absence of 400 years. Over the past two years SAW has been engaging a number of professional artists to develop a programme of community projects, inspired by the cranes, to offer creative opportunities to local schools, groups and individuals and to help raise awareness of this fascinating conservation project.

The Great Crane Project’s central aim is to re-establish cranes as a sustainable breeding species in the UK so they can be enjoyed by future generations. By working in partnership with Somerset Art Works, the story of the crane - and its return - is creatively brought to life in the community.

The project took flight in 2012 when hundreds of origami cranes were created by participants of all ages - from school children to pensioners - from the local Somerset and Slimbridge communities. A large scale installation was devised by artist Lucy Lean for the Slimbridge Wetlands Centre and subsequently displayed at The Somerset

SAW is committed to supporting projects that develop young people’s artistic talent, as well as building relationships between schools and the community. With this in mind SAW and SPAEDA jointly put together an Art Weeks Education Pack to encourage schools to view Somerset Art Weeks as a valuable resource, to encourage engagement through visits, tours, workshops and to develop ongoing projects with artists.

For more info, see the project blog: greatcraneart.blogspot.co.uk

Main image: Lucy Lean’s Paper Crane Installation at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre (Photo by Nisha Haq)

Right: Chilton Generations Together (Photograph by Laura Rouse, documented by Sebastian King)

Hip Hawker - KonvertibleSAW continues to work with international artist group Konvertible. The artist-designer team Lisa Cheung and Sammy Delgado Escobar were back in Somerset to share their skills and ideas with artists in Somerset, working with Fiona Campbell, Sarah Conway-Dyer, Gary Dickins, Liz Green, Fiona Hingston, Leah Hislop, Lucy Lean and Tracy Nesbit to construct an imaginative, unique pop-up kiosk called ‘Hip Hawker’ which displayed at Taunton Library from 11-29 December 2012.

SAW’s work with the Community

One to TwentyInternational artists Claire Barber and Steve Swindells created a 13-metre inflatable sculpture, inspired by Yeovil’s glove-making history. The sculpture traced the fire fighter’s favourite ‘Firemaster’ glove pattern at a precise ratio of 1:20 and invited audiences to tread and even bounce in the glove pattern that has been used in Yeovil’s glove-making industry for over 160 years. The sculpture was shown at the newly renovated Glove Factory in Yeovil from 8-10 June 2012, and also in the town centre during September 2012.

Maximum ExposureMaximum Exposure is a SAW project supported by Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts funding programme. The programme has supported SAW in developing curatorial skills within the organisation and the county’s wider artist community as a whole. The funding allowed us to develop new commissions and to work with a thought-provoking guest curator, Karen Gaskill. With Karen, SAW selected a number of unique and innovative projects chosen both for their vision and originality, each taking on a challenging aspect of Somerset culture.

To complete the project we published Creative Endeavours, a Curatorial Guide for Artists in Somerset, designed to support SAW member artists to raise the bar in the presentation of their work and development of their ideas.

Taunton Stop LineBrothers Matt and Rob Vale (together known as Illuminos) are a lighting designer and film/installation artistic team. Using website, archive, projection and sheer endurance, Illuminos created a unique video projection event for Maximum Exposure along the Taunton Stop Line. Built during World War II, the Taunton Stop Line consists of hundreds of ‘pill boxes’ - military bunkers designed to stop a potential German advance from the west. Between 24 February and 4 March 2012, the pillboxes were illuminated and projected on in turn, using imagery and iconography from the structures’ original usage.

“The work revolved around drawing audience and participants together along a shared structure.”

“When the audience negotiates the different boundaries of the work by moving around or over it, they tread within the template of the Southcombe glove that has been used for over 160 years.”

Above: One to Twenty (Photo by Barber Swindells) Right: Hip Hawker artist workshop (Photos by Liz Green)

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A collaborative project with local artists and makers...

Sponsorship opportunitiesWe work with our sponsors to create a customised package of benefits and we would be delighted to discuss these, and any other options, with you.

A variety of sponsorship packages are available - large or small - for our Art Weeks schools programme, as well as for specific projects such as our Creative Pathways bursary programme which provides invaluable opportunities for emerging and mid-career artists working in Somerset (see page 8).

Individuals with a passion for the arts who are interested in becoming Patrons of the Arts in Somerset are warmly invited to become a Friend, or support a specific activity either individually or as part of a group.

FriendsFriends of SAW help underpin our whole organisation and are invaluable not just for their financial contributions but also for their continuing commitment and support. Thanks to our Friends, SAW is able to fund training for emerging artists, as well as sponsor projects which encourage creativity.

Corporate Friends SchemeFriends also assist in the development of our Corporate Friends Scheme which is specifically designed for organisations that wish to support and work with Somerset artists. SAW offers three levels of benefit, Gold, Silver and Bronze, that help us develop highly valued partnerships with businesses to help put art at the heart of Somerset’s cultural landscape.

If you would like to get involved, we would love to hear from you. For sponsorship opportunities, whether as an individual or a community, or if you are an artist or maker living and working in Somerset, contact us at the SAW Office (see details overleaf).

“ “Main image:Flax Row flags and signage (Photos by Sophy Denny)Right: Storywalks (Photo by Christopher Jelley)

Eat Langport - pizzas, cranes and 21st century artefacts A central feature of the June 2012 Langport Festival was the Eat Langport project that involved the construction of a clay oven and the slow-cooking (over 4 hours) of 80 delicious pizzas. The Festival also included the Paper Cranes (part of The Great Crane Art Project) and FutureMuseum, a ‘museum-on-wheels that showcases archaeological artefacts salvaged from the ancient ruins of 21st-century civilisation’. The Langport Festival thanked SAW for helping them ‘provide a platform to bring together all the groups and individuals that have an interest in making Langport Town Garden a better, more beautiful, social and creative place through creating an informal network of friends”.

SAW has been working on a project in Crewkerne in partnership with Knightstone Housing. Lead artist Sophy Denny worked with local families to develop creative ways of raising the profile of Street Play - with the aim of encouraging drivers to show consideration and awareness of children playing outside. A collection of signs and flags were designed by the residents. These will become both permanent and temporary features to improve safety and the experience of play on the estate.

Go Slow at Flax Row

Wellies On… Start Storywalking Another highlight of Somerset Art Weeks was Christopher Jelley’s Storywalks - walks with an interactive twist. Christopher offers journeys that will engage the whole family (especially those of an artistic nature) and best of all they are free. Before heading off, you will need to spend a little time preparing your mobile phone. Simply visit the Storywalks website which will provide you with step-by-step instructions for both Android and iPhones. Then choose the location you intend to visit, get your mobile phone at the ready, and put those welly boots on... As each Storywalk progresses walkers are encouraged to interact, respond or create ‘wishes’ from sticks, leaves, feathers or stones; whichever is close to hand or inspires you.

See www.storywalks.info for further details.

My daughter was half believing it, and thought the gate opened magically when I whispered into it. After dropping our charm into the stream, we had to literally run...

Contact usSAW LtdThe Town HallBow StreetLangportSomerset TA10 9PR

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the organisation - every contribution helps to enable our activities with artists and the communities of Somerset:

Arts Council EnglandArtlifeBruton School for Girls Friends of SAWErnest Cook TrustGreen Insurance Company

Tel: 01458 253800Email: info@somersetartworks.co.ukwww.somersetartworks.co.uk

The Great Crane ProjectTaunton Deane Borough CouncilRural Development Programme for EnglandSomerset CollegeSomerset County Council creative industries development fundSouth Somerset District Council