Quest Exhibition

Quest - Out there & beyond!  project art exhibition, part of the Westbury Arts & Music Festival, Cornerstone, Market Place, Westbury, 17 Sept - 2 Oct. The pop up gallery will be open every afternoon 12 - 4 pm (except Thursdays).

Well done to Andrew, Ali, Charlie, Chris, Eden, George, Harry, Henry, Jacob, James, Kieran & Will! Leading the way in a trail blazing creative quest, discovering skills and meeting folk along the way - exploring the world of experiential participatory art and digital storytelling. 

"Inspiring & uplifting body of work"..."Fantastic & weird"..."Makes me see where I live in a different light"..."It's all about dreams & aspirations"...

Thanks to all who participated along the way & supported this project.

To find out more contact:
Heather Leach or Bev Jessop, Matravers School, Westbury, 01373 822666


Jill Carter, Artist/Photographer

www.jillcarterartworks.com

The art of change

In evaluating it was agreed with artist, staff and students that the last phase of the project was madness.  There was not enough time to spend on bringing the ideas of the lads together.  A dozen students all doing different work on digital/mixed media was enough to test a saint's resolve.  It was ambitious to try and achieve so much in such a short period of time, but it was simply that the project generated so much creative output.  At this point of the project more support could have been used to achieve the student's goals, or less time previously on the experiences they were enjoying.

The idea of an exhibition was voted by the lads of both groups and it was asked if the work could be shown in an art museum.  There was difficulties in uploading posts at school on the blog, because of firewalled systems, and ideally it would have created a more open free dialogue between staff, artist, students, parents and friends.  But, there was much excitement in the fact that the blog had gone global.  The blog became the pivotal documentation and evaluation device, and allowed all involved to see what was taking place at any time.  Both groups were competitive with each other and the aim was to harness that spirit through a collective installation which mapped the experience of going into urban environs and engaging people at work, and exploring rural ancient landscapes.

The school were visionary in taking a risk, allowing experimentation and play in order to explore the art of spontaneous experiential learning, stimulate individual and collective imagination and develop contemporary ways of storytelling.  The students were consulted in a review session and it was agreed that personal interests and skills were drawn upon and developed, resulting in visible confidence, clarity in sharing ideas, writing accounts, drawing etc, together with a stronger sense of working as a team.  A whole host of responses could be followed up, english, geographic, historic, art, languages, drama, mentoring, etc.

An exhibition space is being resourced in the town to link up with the Westbury Arts Festival Sept 2011, and it is hoped for the students to present their individual and shared input to the project with the participating and general public, other schools and parents and friends.  Work shown will include this blog, photobooks, two films, sound recordings, music, drawings, documentary film of the process of the project, a Facebook page, artists & students photographs.

Social engagement artist is not well recognised as an art form, but one of the clear outcomes of the scheme was for the students to understand that art can bring about change, can make a positive difference.  Some of the students demonstrated low self esteem and did not believe anyone would be interested in their work, so to see students excitement when over one thousand views were achieved in the space of three months was hugely worthwhile.

Who said never work with children and animals!!!?   As lead artist being led by a group of 13 year old lads, I enjoyed every single minute, even the eye bulging moments were an education.  It was made possible by working with a teacher who is visionary together and with Bev (teacher's assistant) who was hugely supportive, got involved and made things happen, together with other creative individuals and agencies.  We worked as a team, and a sense of humour is vital... as this is all definitely extra curricular. As I said to the lads, you realise my job was really stressful - why Jill, they asked, because I replied, it is very difficult to take photographs when one is laughing so much!

Meanwhile, what is going to happen to Rabbit, Clown and the Black Sheep in the future?

What will people think?

Do you think it is all a bit insane? asked the artist, when reflecting on how it all came about to a very nice national innovation award fund manager called Gerry.  Should the project have been more sensible was the question?  Oh, no, was the reply, that would ruin it!  Hmm, he said, it is very much about independent learning, but, lads... what exactly have you learnt? Quest 2, thinking of time out in the ancient landscape of Westbury said gaily... Well, we have learnt how to be really good sheep, as they scribbled out some sums in their journals of how to share between them the £1,000 awarded to tell the world about their tales.

Meanwhile, it was discussed how Quest 1 really did well at engaging folk from the community of Westbury, getting people involved in everyday routines to play.

In the fast and furious process of engaging in art, life and possibilities, we used all sorts of art making stuff, performance, community involvement, participative video (p.v. - very cool) etc, there was some element of worry about REAL education, (you know, the National Curriculum sort of stuff) but it has all come together in the space between these pages through the art of blogging.  So, this participative blog (p.b) offers a place for us Questarians to explore experimental stuff, real and imagined, the actual and dreams of what is posssible.  A vast amount of creative material has been produced, we needed more time to work on the ideas.  For instance, Quest 1 team make two types of music tracks which explored pathos, sadness, and - this would be great worked up into an animation - for instance 'Not a Happy Bunny'.  Meanwhile, the idea is to share the process, but how - perhaps find a place in Westbury town centre to make into an exhibition and share the story with everybody?

Not a Happy Bunny...Soundtrack 2

Take time out and tune in to an amazingly new punk moshing track - the original version of music created by Ali, Andrew and Charlie.  Click on link below and have a listen.  It's a bit on the dark side!

http://soundcloud.com/jill_carter/not-a-happy-bunny-uncut-mix

48 minutes of just talking

Quest 1 and Quest 2 came out of REAL LESSONS for the project, together we would work out a plan of when to meet and how frequently.  It was decided to take alternate turns of 3 hour morning sessions, with 2 hour afternoons with the two groups, 7 & 5 students, x 5 days of artist's time for the first stage, 5 days second stage.  This second stage involved a lot of organisation and maybe not enough making art time.  The boys would take out their planners and book me in, weeks apart, to let change happen, ideas to cook.  I would ask the students what they were missing, Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing, P.E., Maths, Science and Dance were mentioned. I fretted a bit, was keen that their teachers wouldn't feel they were missing out on their education.  The whole process became a journey of discovery.  I had done lots of social engagement projects, but never done anything like this before, nor had the school and nor had the students.  It was all about having faith!


After being out and about, in different environs, doing completely different journeys, meeting folk, working on separate story lines, it became time for the two groups come together in the art room since first meeting, to share their separate responses to the Quest.  This was risky, we all try not to look at each other, twelve 13 year old lads, one big table and a very small artist.  After working in separate 'teams' will they trust sharing information and ideas. I explain that I only intended to work with 8/10 students, and that with 16 of them, I had to divide them into two groups. (Note to self: take time out to ponder on this decision).... But now we need to come together.  I wait. I gulp. Suddenly, there is loads of talking and we enter the second stages with a mad whirl, organising thoughts, ideas, creative responses and ownership of the outcomes of the journey - the key point is about how we will share the story.  Who would be interested I ask, they reply confidently, parents, our teachers, other teachers, young children, people who like photography and film. 

Ali remarks, "Jill, we have one boring podcast
called 48 Minutes of Just Talking".

I place an audio recording device to record the think tank process, the tiny machine sits gleaming on the table which focuses their attention.  I hope I have remembered to press the right red button to record.  Quest 2 says to Quest 1, your photographic images need a commentary.  Quest 1 to Quest 2, your film needs a storyline.  Crikes, I think, why didn't I have a teacher's lesson plan?  Why didn't we carefully project, plan and document along the way and leave things tidy?  Instead, the lads have generated masses of creative ideas & documented with dig cameras & flip video, captured sound and made amazing comic drawings, written children's story and stuff galore in fab fast and furious journal entries? But how to edit!!!

Alternatively, will the lads become a LEGEND...be like a local attraction..their names printed high on one of those visitor roadsign boards.  Hmm.  Food for thought.  Meanwhile, life in the media suite with every single questarian doing a different individual student led task - eeeeeeeeeek - my brain goes into wobble.  Then I notice the boys are cracking on by themselves.  Andrew starts to make a iPhoto album with Charlie, Henry is showing the others how to find digital files to sort our image directories, George and Harry are working on a performance, James is pulling together their film clips, Chris researching NSPCC, Eden & Jacob are drawing, Will writing up a reflective diary.  In the midst of all this sorting out, Ali has recorded his solo piano playing in the music room and is now sorting out audio files.  

The search

Can you spot the odd one out?

quest |kwest|

nouna long or arduous search for something:
Five sheepish looking characters are interviewed intensely about their experience.  
What was the quest all about...was anything discovered?  
Talk turns to feeling included/excluded or being part of a team.
What was learnt/experienced? How could things be different?Subjects experienced along the way are confirmed as including:  Geography, English, Art, Drama, RE and PE.  Thank goodness noone mentioned first aid.  A 60 mile bike ride is recalled.Meanwhile, where is Rabbit & Clown?

Eyeball down the wall

How best to share the story.  We were offered an amazing opportunity to exhibit the project at at NT space, is this appropriate, feasible, workable.  Will this happen who knows?  Mrs L, has been a star. Keeping everything going, at end of the term, madness time.  All this stuff can never happen unless someone has vision.  Bev has made it all possible, and without that special sort of person, crazy creative stuff can never happen to the max.  Finally, found how to load audio files & make a book out of the blog. Phew. There needed to be more time at the end of the project to make work. Double madness.  Keeping an eye on everything is an art in itself.  Talking of which...

FOUND ONE EYEBALL SCENE, at last, discovered one of the missing pictures - who took this eyeball sliding down the wall pic?  Very Damien Hirst stuff, talking of which went to the Saatchi Gallery at the weekend, they have an educational project space, which offers an annual competition of ten grand, the students are already dividing the spoil, whilst some of us are planning long get away from it all experiences.  Thoughts, possible ways forward, the end of just the beginning, simples.