Notes, Links and Videos for Crit on 28/1/21
- Aldous George
- Jan 24, 2021
- 3 min read
Notes for Crit 28/1/2021
Please follow the links as much or as little as you want, although I would ask you have a peak at the Claybus website (link in text) and also have a read of my latest written assignment in My Own Practice section (link in text) and watch the videos at the bottom. There are a few questions in the last video.
Socially Engaged Practice:
Progress Claybus and offer more socially engaged workshops.
Obviously with Covid-19 raging through the world, workshops out the back of a van are somewhat limited if not placed on hold until lockdown restrictions are lifted (although I did manage one workshop as a xmas present to my son and his girlfriend). I have however pursued the following:
Engage in ceramic workshops (on-going) with Gabrielle Tymkow at Uni to increase my knowledge of ceramics and to advance my array of workshops to offer within Claybus. I am also working on my Punkpots range.
Begin conversations with other socially engaged artists such as Beth Richards with whom I had a tutorial and most of this section has materialised from these discussions. I have also had conversations with Dr Davina Kirkpatrick (Researcher and Socially Engaged Artist) who has helped point me in the right direction as far as artists, writers, and theorists to research. Books that I have purchased from these conversations include: “What is Art?” Joseph Beuys, “We are the Revolution” Joseph Beuys, “Participation” Claire Bishop, “Artificial Hells” Claire Bishop, “Craft” Tanya Harrod, “Education for Socially Engaged Art” Helguera, “What we made” Tom Finklpearl and “One Place After Another” Mwon Kwon, and papers of Sherry Arnstein , “ladder of Citizen Participation” https://www.citizenshandbook.org/arnsteinsladder.html. I have also entered into conversations with other Social Enterprise groups such as https://takeapart.org.uk/ and Social Art Network Southwest https://www.facebook.com/groups/179154000121047
Contact Trading Standards HSE with regards to a specific COVID-19 risk assessing course and found numerous sources for guidance at gov.uk: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/index.htm with a specific risk assessment form: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/assets/docs/risk-assessment.pdf
I am waiting to hear back from Trading Standards.
Start to put together a Manifesto/Statement for Claybus, snippets can be seen in earlier writing assignments: https://aldousgeorge1971.wixsite.com/aldousgeorge/post/money-writing-assignment, may I just say these are just ideas being considered at the moment.
Build a community for Claybus: I have recently begun to build a website for www.claybus.com and shall be adding to this on a regular basis. Also, in the past few months I have updated my claybus Instagram and facebook accounts: https://www.instagram.com/claybus_mobile_art_studio/
I am also considering a UK tour in Claybus, visiting the 48 ceremonial counties of England, one per day for 48 days. This will be dependent on lockdown and social distancing rules and will hopefully take place over the summer 2021. Alongside the tour I shall create a youtube channel with each county being part of a video blog. This should help promote and build a community for Claybus.
Consider which communities to concentrate on: Although eventually I would like to offer Claybus to ALL communities, I have initially approached forest schools, primary schools and creative initiatives within Camborne (near where I live) https://cambornetowndeal.com/.
Consider Claybus as a Community Interest Company and found a rather in-depth procedure to becoming one https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/605429/13-783-community-interest-companies-information-pack.pdf and have decided that now is not the right time to apply for this business status. I first want to gather more information and talk to financial advisors and existing CIC’s in order to make a more informed decision.
Consider Claybus as a Social Enterprise of which I have found many helpful links on the Government website https://www.gov.uk/set-up-a-social-enterprise and found out I can register Claybus as a sole trader business and still be considered a Social Enterprise. This is probably the route I shall take when workshops begin to take place again.
Look into funding for Claybus. I have begun initial conversations with Cultivator https://cultivatorcornwall.org.uk/about-us/ who offer a wide range of support for all creative businesses within Cornwall. I have also investigated possible Arts Council funding available: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/ACPG_supplementary_guidance_231020_0.pdf. I am also considering alternative methods of funding as suggested By Sinta in a tutorial with her, possibilities such as a patrion page, crowdfunding or sponsorship.
Enter the Dragons Den style competition being run by Plymouth Uni. I shall be entering Claybus under the Social Enterprise category.
As far as the socially engaged photography project goes, I have decided to put this on hold until year 2 of the MA.
My Own Practice:
Consider my current work with an in-depth investigation into rationale and material choice.
I would ask that you have a read of my latest written assignment which considers my latest work and how it all links together, follow the links and ART is the password: https://aldousgeorge1971.wixsite.com/aldousgeorge/post/artist-reveals-sketchbook-newartscientist
Here are a few videos showing recent clay, painting and metal works.
Molten Metal Paintings.....
Pixel Paintings....
Making Punkpots....
Claybus in Lockdown...
Questions....
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