kaleidoscopes and telescopes

Just a little interin update - most of the installation at one of our PiCL schools has happened - but we wanted to add some home made kaleidoscopes as the school we're at is SEN and we wanted to try to engage a range of senses.  Some of these have colours, some distort the view out the other end, some rattle and make sounds.  We're going to hang them using elastic so they can be pulled down to a range of heights and moved about within the outdoor space.  They're made entirely using recycled materials - old glasses lenses, ceramic offcuts, coloured plastic and more.  They make fun photos!

blogging and the art of time management

It may seem like team Frilly have become quiet and shy, but the truth of the matter is that all of our available blogging energy has been focused on a project we've been working on for a little while now.  Until March, we're working in three Birmingham constituencies - Ladywood, Perry Barr and Erdington - on a youth arts signposting project where we try to join up the creative dots in those areas between service providers and young people.  Every day the project seems to grow through new partners and networks and the young people themselves.  I'm just extremely glad that in the early days I put together a tumblr, facebook page and twitter stream (and got them all talking to one another - hurrah!) because it's made life a little easier now that we're coordinating days and times across those areas.

In other news - we're still busy planning (arts)world domination!  We've been working with two artist friends on a project for Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid which will soon be completed - as well as tieing up loose ends from our two Brightspace projects from the summer term.  Looking ahead to next year, we've now confirmed we'll be working on 3 projects for PiCL up in Stoke/Staffordshire - two of which are in SEN settings and one in a mainstream primary school.  Exciting!  Challenging!  But mostly exciting!  

Being part of Frilly has enabled me to stretch my own artistic practice and skills, as well as learn a LOT of things through doing - mostly around business development/management/financial planning - which I wouldn't have otherwise tackled.  It's been a busy year, and we're only really just in November!  (I'll save a retrospective post for December.) 

Whilst we don't have any new arty outputs to share on here just yet - instead I'll share the work of an artist friend of mine - Leontine Greenberg - who carefully turned me into a corpse bride for Halloween!  Her illustrations are beautiful and delicate, and she makes me want to play with watercolours and ink! (I promise that team Frilly are usually more vibrant and healthy looking than the image below suggests..!)