busysteaming

During a STEAM event this week a very small child came up to me and explained that "you can put all the elements in a bag and mix them to make anything. Some are bad some not so. Some will kill you and make you go to hospital. Helium is one of the good ones you can lick". I thought - well that’s about right. Science is done.

Anyway - a full week started out in Norwich, then working with the Kingfisher School Trust people at SZC, finally hanging the children’s interpretation of Energy and then two days at a STEAM event brought some great conversations within the sci-art workshops in SZC’s new visitor centre. My Saturday started out early - leaving the house at 7:20, boarding a train to London, then New Designers, then home at 9:20, a ‘usual day’.  Onto screens – The Devil wears Prada 2………………..uummmh.

whatdoesenergylooklikefinally

It’s taken over a year since the idea was mooted by Sizewell to put children’s drawings on the fences around the Sizewell C development. A version of this request now hangs in the new visitor centre awaiting a STEAM event. In between those two points over 1500 children have engaged in the process of thinking about the role of a power station and been asked to draw energy. The images look impressive all together, it’s a cohesive body of work.

naturaldrawings

I have finally started using the ‘inks’ made from materials that were on the site of where Sizewell C Power Station is being constructed. Its day one and I am slowly working out what the materials do. A truly magical evening at Snape last night – 2 concerts – the first a selection of ‘protest’ pieces, mainly bonkers and a little dated, a kind of period piece, but still interesting. After that the second concert by the Britten Sinfonia had a sublime first half, a highlight was a piece by Brett Dean, Carlo. There was also a splendid recorder piece played by Genevieve Lacey. After the interval it was difficult to take your eyes off the dynamic cello playing of Laura van der Heijden, truly awe inspiringly magnificent. But I think the real star was the exquisite conducting by Gemma New. She elegantly held both the orchestra and the audience. It was a live event.  Meanwhile onto screens – In the grey – yes out there is a parallel universe of highly organised illegal enforcers. Madeline – whimsical and a little sad.

busybusyglasgow

Busy working on the Hospital project – 2 days in Aldeburgh Primary school were wonderful – the children were so small, but the work was excellent. The idea is to share the creative experience, but I think I might include some of the marks into the final piece. A long weekend in Glasgow for G.I. I love Glasgow and it didn’t fail to show its amazingness. Apart from the great food and drink I engaged with there were one or two stand out art moments – Tanoa Sasraku stunningly dark in the old fish market, James Gladwell’s eccentric stitch work, David Wojnarowicz mournful 70s work, Rae-Yen Song’s all consuming installation and performance, Michelle Williams Gamaker’s body horror inflected film, curated by Lydia Honeybone, Bettina’s gorgeous objects, and Sweatmother’s Dyke Just Do It upfront performance. Meanwhile onto screens – Office Romance – cheeky. Ladies First – feel like we’ve been here before.

IntegrationoftheArtsandBiomedicalEngineeringinInnovativeInterdisciplinaryAnatomyEducationTheSyntheticAnatomyModule

I’m co-authored in a published paper with the wonderful team at Kings. Titled Integration of the Arts and Biomedical Engineering in Innovative Interdisciplinary Anatomy Education: The Synthetic Anatomy Module it celebrates the great work undertaken on the module.  Shout out to Mandeep for driving this. Asked to contribute to the latest First light 24-hour free festival – moon to moon I went straight to the image of the Sizewell dome and its workers plus the idea of the man in the moon. Work on developing the childrens pieces for the STEAM Day has been challenging – mainly gaining permission to hang the work in SZC space. Arthur the opera continues with dye testing. Onto screens – The Lost Bus – another real life procedural/docu/drama hybrid thing from Paul Greengrass that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Rooster – a series that will have you cringing in maybe a good way. Selfie – a slightly unhinged comedy series. The Visitor – just oppressive and a little sad. The Age of Adaline – sweet and charming. Hijack – some interesting twists and it’s difficult to take your eyes off Idris. Just finished Your Friends and Neighbours – darkly entertaining. Sundays at Tiffany's - sweet, sweet sweet.

sayingyesalot

Having said yes, a lot a couple of weeks ago I now have a long list of stuff to do with several large scale, interrelated and complex projects. 1 The work with Aldeburgh Hospital and the school is moving on with organisational meetings and some positive conversations. 2 The final stage of Energy? Hanging the work at SZC visitor centre for a STEAM event is the last and seemingly most challenging stage after generating an instructional pack, sending it out to schools to create over 1000 images, creating films and 50 panels with 25 images! 3 The flag project for the opera is completed, and the next stage is dyeing 200 yards of material with natural dye for the backdrop. Assessment is about to start at Norwich; it will be great to see the students work on the project I set around textile narratives. The show at Unit 4 has some really interesting work that is hung well, the space is a great addition and now the nearest gallery to my house, it would be great if the SZC roadworks didn’t detour my route. The latest sharing at Snape as part of the open sessions was fascinating – the system of graphic scores and unusual instruments made for an eccentric evening. Rob Bentall on nyckelharpa and Zebedee Budworth on hammered dulcimer were fantastic together. Onto screens – Sirat – one thing leads to another, oh dear. How to Make a Killing – witty and procedural. Hail Mary – great fun, and if you take a 10-year-old along with your belief will be suspended.

neoclassancients

A weekend in the bubble that is Stroud. Attended NeoAncients – lots of music and motivating talks that connected politically and galvanised my soul. In terms of sound shout out to Haress, Smote, Dawn Terry, The Last Sacrifice. The great talks - Staying Analogue in the Age of Distraction - Andrew Smith. Megalithic Portal x Megalithic Imperative - Andy Burnham + Neil Mortimer + Patricia Brien, check out the website – megalithic.co.uk Visions of the Occult - Victoria Jenkins. Common People - Stephen Ellcock + Leah Gordon with Maxine Peake. Don’t forget The Museum of Roadside Magic and The People’s Pyramid Mummification Van. Generally a time of making connections between the ideas in the books Common People, England on Fire and Trespass, the over 5000 government acts that make up the Enclosures Act, its relationship to the slave trade, working people, the landed gentry and Sizewell operations. Fave notes – meme magic, merky territory, ghosts in the liminal spaces. Onto screens – Hypnotic – great idea shame about the music, script, acting, camera work and editing.