Swamp monsters and origami... launch night!

It was a bit worrying whether or not we'd be able to get everything put up safe and soundly because of the crazy weather - but team Frilly managed it nonetheless!  Despite a deluge of bad circumstances trying to knock us off course (bandstand at Bridgnorth being closed off because of someone stealing the lead from the roof, staff sickness, weatherproofing issues, etc!) we put up all your hard work from the past few weeks in Bridgnorth and Ercall and last night was the launch.

We'll say more about this all and scan in your comments - but in the meantime, here's a selection of images from last night.  It was fab to see all the young people again!  To see more on this project, have a look at the blog.

"Watch this Space" - a joint commissioning project

We have just been commissioned to work on a project called "Watch this Space" - an interesting jointly commissioned project between Telford & Wrekin Council and Shropshire Council, with additional partners from the relevant Youth Services.

It's quite a large steering group and an equally large geographical area we'll be working across.  Saturday is the first day we'll get to meet the young people who've signed up to take part - but equally it'll be the first time they get to meet each other, as half are from Telford and half from Shropshire (Bridgnorth, to be precise!). 

The project itself will see us working with the young people to devise, create and curate an exhibition of work.  The young people will have MANY choices to make - from the location of the exhibition, to what the end product is going to be.  We're throwing Arts Award in for good measure, and feel pretty excited about the project - particularly as there's a weekend residential to the Welsh coast in the middle!

For now - we just wanted to share what we've been preparing prior to meeting the group.  In order to meet a potential variety of needs and abilities, we've devised an "explorer's kit" which will encourage participants to view their outdoor spaces in new ways, and to help trigger creative thinking from the moment we meet them.  The kit will be used whilst scouting for potential exhibition location venues at the weekend.

The kit includes: envelopes, tracing paper, carbon paper, prompts, instructions, a photocopied mini-zine with space for responses, a pencil, a biro, a piece of chalk, a wax crayon and a pastel.  Surely everything a good explorer needs?!

in the thick of it!

Despite the understandable doom and gloom surrounding us on all sides (funding cuts, redundancies, uncertain future, closure of services, etc.) we're currently so engulfed in a whirlwind of work that we're managing to not let the gloom get to us TOO much!  Hurray!

What are Frilly working on at the moment?

1. CFWO carries on until the end of March.  As part of this, we're supporting the planning of a number of events and also developing some youth 'panels' (for want of a better description) to lead on the project management within those events
2. We're deep into two PiCL (Creative Partnerships) projects in Stoke.  As mentioned earlier, they revolve around the transformation of 'creative learning enironments' indoors and outdoors.  We've been photographing our progress throughout, so will inevitably do a gigantic photo-filled blog once they are ready to be unveiled!  (As a small hint - the work so far could not have happened if it weren't for the amazingness of SCARF in Wolverhampton - their recycled materials and amazingly knowledgeable and helpful staff are an asset to the REGION - particularly now that most other scrap stores have closed down!)
3. We're about to start our third PiCL project - this time focusing on using digital tools to enhance learning in an SEN school in Stoke.  This will be particularly challenging given the extraordinarily diverse needs and abilities of the young people in the school.  The staff have been overwhelmingly supportive and keen though, so we're very excited about the project!  It's likely to involve some stop frame animation as a tool to explore Macbeth - but we're still ironing out some of the finer details!
4. Last - but by no means least - we're soon to begin work on our first Telford & Shropshire project!  Yes, Frilly can roam the country for ANY project!  We're going to be working closely with two sets of young people - one from each area - on a visual arts project called "Watch this Space" which they will shape and lead, and will be linked to Arts Award at Bronze level.  I'm extremely excited to finally be running with an Arts Award project!  And am even more excited that as part of the project, we're going on a weekend retreat to Wales where we will devise a weekend's worth of creative instigations to get the young people busily making and doing.

In addition to these projects which are filling every moment of every day, we're also attempting to raise our heads up (with strategic hats on) to get better at forward planning and staying on top of the various political agendas which are impacting upon the arts and cultural climate of the region.  As part of this, we're really pleased to be involved in the beginnings of a possible West Midlands branch/development/coalition/collective/networking group/other misc descriptor of EMPAF (likely to be referred to as 'WMPAF', although I can't say I'm hugely keen on that name as it makes me think of wombs) (not that there's anything wrong with wombs, mind..!).  The first structured meeting has taken place, and was very well attended by passionate and informed people - so I feel positive about the direction this could take!

So that this post isn't just a fairly rambling to-do list, I'll finish now with a quick pic taken after the  "We ♥ Wolverhampton" workshop - it's my house according to Google Map's Streetview (although we haven't had a gravel drive for a longlong time..) traced using carbon paper, and painted with watercolours.  I love playing with line and colour.