Tuesday 30 October 2012

Gallery Oldham's Big Draw!

I was employed to facilitate a Big Draw activity at Gallery Oldham this year and decided to go down the route of iPads.....but accomodating for young people instead of older people. This way i could develop my understanding of what was do-able and accessible in galleries too.

Using an app called 'Sounthingie' and inspired by the Kathleen Major exhibition, 10 iPads were used to create not only drawings but music compositions too. It was a big hit with 70 visitors taking part for various amounts of time!

As a way of sharing and viewing other visitors drawings and music compositions i was also commissioned to set up a blog that can be viewed on the internet by everyone who participated, you can view this at:
www.linetolife.blogspot.com

We hope to sustain this way of working at Gallery Oldham and over the next few months will look at the best ways of doing so. Keep Posted to see what happens...

Storybox Conference, Manchester

I was invited to speak at the Storybox Conference which took place in Manchester on the 23rd of October..which brought together all types of Art and Health workers in a type of symposium.

I felt very honoured to share my thoughts and ideas around the Storybox project, especially as it has been a huge changing point in my practice. It was also great to see so many familiar faces of staff and participants who engaged in the project with us.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next few settings - Storybox never fails to suprise me!

iPad engAGE Blog UPDATED!!

Stage Two of the iPad engAGE project is well underway, with it concluding in the recap / exhibition at the end of this week.

Working with members at Kirkley Lodge Day Centre has been very interesting and i have learnt alot around approach and apps dependent on stages of Dementia.
All of this information will be accessible in the Newsletter Two - which will be available to view by the 16th of November. If you would like a copy, feel free to get in touch at:
claireford88@hotmail.com

Why not take a peak at the iPad engAGE specific blog and see what has been going on in Kirkley Lodge Day Centre?!

Follow the link: www.ipad-engage.blogspot.com

Ageing Creatively Research Project - Well underway!!

The Ageing Creatively Research Project run by Newcastle University at the Hatton Gallery in now well underway...

The focus is on 'Older People', classed as 55 and above...in which i facilitate 'Art Appreciation' workshops based around the Hattons Exhibitions and Collections.

It is really interesting to design sessions that really push individual boundaries of the possibilities of exploration and i feel that over time they have become more open to activity and what 'Art Appreciation' is.

Newcastle University are researching through multiple art forms including Art Making, Music, Creative Writing and Theatre to see which is the most beneficial to Older People - thinking about overall Health and Well-being.

KEEP POSTED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE PROJECT AND THE RESEARCH RESULTS!

Parachute Jump and Great North Run COMPLETED!



 
With huge amounts of adrenaline i completed both a Parachute Jump from 13,000 feet and the Great North Run at 13 miles for the Alzheimer's Society - raising a total of = £842!

A BIG THANKS to everyone who sponsored and supported me!
Bring on next year when i hope to tackle the Three Peaks Challenge for the Alzheimer's Society...

TWAM Project...

The Equal Arts sponsered Tyne and Wear Art Galleries project has now finished!

We have worked in four different locations including:
Stephenson Railway Museum
The South Sheilds Museum
The Shipley Art Gallery
The Laing Art Gallery

It has been very successful - with the last session concluding in the museum staff running the session! We now hope that these workshops will be sustained over time, enabling access for older people and people living with dementia! I feel very priviliged to have been part of this project...

Consett Open Studio









We have been VERY busy at the Consett Open Studio every Wednesday....as you can see we have been delving into printmaking and exploration, clock making, negative and positive printing and much much more...(more photographs to follow)..

It has been great fun so far...with another term to go upto Christmas! Looking forward to facilitating both drawing workshops and Christmas inspired making and crafts!