WHY AN ARTS AND ALLOTMENTS PROJECT?
An event to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Uplands Allotments Association.
WHAT HAPPENED?
A dedicated web site was developed for the Project: click here and look for the "arts section" to take a look. Meanwhile, here are some of the things that entertained visitors to Uplands Allotments on August 1:
Simon Webb created eight 8mm film loops which were projected on to surfaces found at the allotment site. His specific area of subject matter included time and climatic studies of the Uplands Allotment sites.
Pamela Wells collaborated with allotment owners to create a seed packet celebrating organic and culturally diverse gardening practices. Pamela also marked allotment areas (on route) that she had investigated. Pamela is the author of Snail Bait: An Interactive Bookworm.
Jo Roberts investigatied the private/intimate nature of allotment spaces and the individuals who work and create such environments. A collection of photography and sound was placed as installations on route.
Bliss body had engaged with an allotment site on the Uplands for two months establishing a living installation in that work literally grew and established a live installation - audio, visual and performance work for the event.
Performance work by Nina Edge based on her informed knowledge of her historical and current relationships to growing plants. The 'Multiplication Table' was primarily a seed collection dispersal mechanism: a mobile table from which seeds were give.
David Prior presented an interactive computerised audio work responding to the positioning of spectators inside and outside the shed. Radio frequencies were sent to mobile walkmans which spectators wore to pick up macro sounds, music, and discussion via researched site visits to the Uplands Allotments.
Pa Boom - pyrotechnics work based on the arrangements of flora and fauna. Multi cultural music to complement the work.
Martin Burton created a 'flock' of
umbrellas which were individually lit with small
light bulbs (80-100 umbrellas). Each had an
individual speaker that included the sound of rain.
Greg Miller's Universe in a Shed was built up to
include two sections of a shed acting as independent screens
in which viewers stood on a plinth to 'view' film images
about the allotment site and the universe!
Work by Rehana Mughal incorporated the local womens centre and the result was a large scale erected sculpture next to the pyrotechnics.
John Lupton from Creative Noise worked with playgroups and youngsters in Handsworth.
David Crouch gave a rambling performance!
... And there was poetry (what else?) at Poets Corner, including work by Samantha Neale, John Neale, Louise Francis, Anon and Dartford's own Mick Suter.