Friday, 18 November 2016

Peace Painting - what next?

Thoughts from the research trip as I figure out what will happen next for the Peace Painting project.

I sent out a press release to some existing contacts, and was invited to speak on University radio about the project, however, they used a quote in which I said we need some space to exhibit.

This is true, however, I'm very wary of being asked to exhibit or work for free somewhere in Lincoln, and those that will try to circumvent #payingartists.

So the first thing is funding. The comics workshops last year were funded by Paradigm Arts, and I ran some peer to peer digital arts workshops funded by OnLincolnshire at The Collection. I'm meeting up with Paradigm Arts next week.

So I am seeking sponsors and other sources of funding.

I am reluctant to spend any time on an Arts Council Grant application, as I've had too many rejections, it's too time consuming, and if I were to risk assess it, the risk of financial destitution from a negative outcome is too great to risk it.

I'm fairly sure that this is what is expected of me, but I was expecting not to have to apply for funding myself.

My experience with the DWP from 2015 to 2016 has totally demolished my resolve to just keep applying for Arts Council funding whilst next May I may have even less money to live on due to proposed cuts to Working Tax credits, which I still unfortunately rely on. I'm still waiting for total reversal of welfare rights abuses and just want to be paid to do the project.

Catrine thinks I should be able to earn a living doing Peace Painting workshops - my idea for this is to be given opportunities to run them in schools, colleges and Universities in Lincoln, ideally at The Collection, and to exhibit the resulting work.
So far, The Collection have said no.

Catrine hopes this will be exhibited in hotels in London, or spaces such as Gatwick Airport.
However, I'm wary of not doing this for free, as I need to be paid.

Another plan is to invite artists from Norway to visit Lincoln / London for the Peace Painting workshops and exhibition.
For this, it was suggested to ask the British Embassy in Oslo, so I'm making initial enquiries.

Monday, 7 November 2016

Norway trip - Fredag

Friday was the journey back from Catrine's has to Trondheim Vaernes airport. As this had been mostly after dark, all I saw from the bus window were trees, as I travelled through Norwegian forests.


Leaving Terrak



Add caption


Skogen

Kirken i dag


Nei trolls!







skogen 









Folger bussen, tog til Trondheim Vaernes, i snøen.

UFO shaped cloud at Grong jernbanestasjon

Grong jernbanestajon


Norwegian knitting on the train


Jenta

Sykklen at Verdal stasjon

Jenta ser ut vinduet






Snø


Snø 




Arriving at Trondheim Vaernes lufthavn.

Waiting for the flight back to London Gatwick

Norway trip Peace Painting Workshops - Torsdag

Sunrise in Herøy

The Seven Sisters from Tone's hus
The Seven Sisters are a mountain range normally enjoyed from a fjord cruise.


This mountain looks like a man's face


With artist / kunstneren Tone Toft

Tone, Bjorn and myself

Hyggelig

In Tone's studio / atelier, in an old school

In Tone's studio / atelier

Peace Painting on the ferry.

I loved the cartoon style of this Peace Painting on the ferry.
I skolen Herøy, Peace Paintings are exhibited along the corridors at the Bibliotek.


Peace Painting at Herøy skole

Peace Painting at Herøy skole
At the school in Herøy Peace Painting workshops involved a group of fourteen year old refugee boys from Afghanistan. 

En norsk bok
They spoke very good Norwegian / De snakke veldig god norsk.


Peace Painting workshop





Peace Painting
This one on the left had the theme of a river with a bridge, going from nothing to a house, which worked well, and reminded me of the style of Philip Guston.


This boy painted a somewhat chaotic house that looks as though it's on fire.
He wasn't happy with it, so he then painted a second painting, in which the same colours were used for the curtains, for a cosier home.


The Northern Lights :-p

We finished Peace Painting to catch the ferry at 4.00p.m.
We learnt that the refugees will have to return to Afghanistan.
On the drive back to Catrine's, we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights.
Unfortunately, my camera isn't good enough to capture them!!