artist-in-residence at Network Recycling

Half finished proposal:

Proposal: Artist-In-Residence with Network Recycling

Aim:

Create opportunities for public engagement with recycling issues using creative activities and artistic interventions rather than traditional didactic education methods. Letting the work speak for itself.

Objective:

Create and inhabit a public space using the sorting of the rubbish as a performative action. Create installation work around the subject of recycling, focusing on camping.

Create opportunities for the public to move beyond passive spectatorship.

Foster a re-valuing of the ‘found’ materials through creative interpretation

There is potential for a four phase project delivering different aspects over the duration of the festival. Below are outlines of the phases and suggestions for activities which could be completed or instigated during these phases.* 

Prologue: Beginning the process of documenting and contextualization with film.** 

Phase one: Creating a space - 

- Sculptural/textural installation e.g. quilts made of tobacco packets, hangings from fabric/plastic, screens made from woven ‘four pack’ plastics & objects/wrappings

• Making and projecting film into the space

Phase two: Inhabiting

- The sorting of rubbish in public (almost ritualistic/theatrical), visible as if staged. A constant backdrop to all other activity.

- sculpture e.g. tandemonium bike sculpture, tetra-pack stonehenge (or other relevant icon)

- workshops - tetrapack hat/corset/wallet, tent fabric skirts etc laminating objects

- instruments made from junk

• Use space for educational workshops e.g. the lifecycle of fabric, the situation in calais
• improvised performance opportunities working with themes of shelter/materials etc possibly create walkabout characters.

Phase three: Moving beyond the space

• taking these activities out to meet the public e.g. documenting, walkabout characters,
• fairground rubbish games: think olympics rubbish hurdling/fair ground stall hoopla / village fete coconut shy/playground jacks/giant domino rally, tent pole limbo dancing
• prize giving

Resources needed:

video Camera & tripod

laptop with final cut

projector 

stable power supply?

tools: cutting, piercing, flattening, sewing, sticking implements, iron?

sculptural e.g. chicken wire.

transport - esp if we decorate my bike...

safe storage & locking point for projector when sited.

*These ideas are NOT intended as a prescriptive list of what will be achieved, rather as an idea of what may be possible in the space. The plans will stay necessarily loose and flexible so as to better accommodate ideas presented at the time.

**Film - 

Use of film could be a great boon to this project however it is time consuming and, were equipment to be lost or damaged, potentially costly. 

The film could take some, all or none of the following as attitudes ‘screendance’, ‘comedy’, ‘vox pop’, ‘documentary’, ‘sound track’.

 A certain amount of pre-festival filmed research could give body to the projections and influence the artistic interventions made at the festival. Background to the film: History of rubbish - ask Rhiannon/Cae/Olly ceramics about rubbish through the past. Ask Ed (and CAT?) about recycling now. Ask campers about their attitudes/techniques for rubbish and their attitudes to shelter, if they’ve heard of no-boarders. what’s their worst camping/waste disaster?