On Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December we spent a weekend work-shopping ideas, trying things out, collaborating, using each other as guinea pigs and generally re-acquainting ourselves with our work and ways of working.
Our weekend spent in the delightful Pull’s Ferry (Norwich Girl Guides Headquarters) was really productive. Without wanting to set an agenda or expect anything in particular, artists were asked to bring along some rules or a guide book from which we might get inspiration, these included a book of chess rules, some children’s piano books, a guide to public speaking and ‘Rule Book’ by artist Angela Bulloch (includes rules for women’s wrestling and rules against smuggling).
Activities included the following:
Holly Rumble’s “bird watching” where we called out the names of the birds we could see from the Pull’s Ferry windows, creating a gaggle of noise not dissimilar to birdsong.
Sorrel Muggridge directed an intervention whereby we stood in a group in public with our eyes closed pointing at sounds.
John Boursnell inspired a simple collaborative performance piece by getting the group speaking a staggered version of The Guide Law.
Holly Bodmer initiated some poetry and performance by encouraging us to engage with the things around us.
Dot Howard instigated a “watercolour challenge” (from which were made some pretty “challenging” watercolour pictures).
Michael Ridge sent covertly recorded evidence of our presence and activities floating down the river Wensum.
Mandy Roberts had us weave brightly coloured wool around the room and introduced us to her “hybrid hangers”
Kate Hodges made us do surprising things with hand cream.
Sam Epps ran away from the building and back again.
There was time on the second day to hear from each artist what they’re involved in at the moment in a kind of ’show and tell’.
Overall, a really worthwhile couple of days.
