Creative Reactions // Pint of Science 2023

Creative Reactions 2023 - Art Exhibition

May 16 to June 1, 2023 - Lincoln Cathedral, Minster Yard, Lincoln, LN2 1PX

After the success of Creative Reactions last year, I was thrilled to be able to put time aside to participate in this year’s iteration. For those of you who have not heard of Pint of Science, it is a non-profit organisation ‘to provide a space for researchers and members of the public alike to come together, be curious, and chat about research in a relaxed environment outside of mysterious laboratories or daunting dark lecture theatres.’ The sister event, Creative Reactions, provides an alternative interpretation of these research topics in a creative way that broadens its’ accessibility.

For Creative Reactions, I was paired with PhD student, Lauren Bourn and supervisor, Niko Kargas, who are researching the positive impact of Forest School on young people with autism. After our initial discussion, it sparked my interest on the impact and use of trees and woodland for all, whether this was used as a resource, or for our mental, physical and social wellbeing. My original intention was to place a real tree in the exhibition to bring the woodland to the viewer, but the realities of keeping the tree alive for a 2-3 week period meant that this was not a realistic option. I began researching alternative methodologies to fabricate a tree using materials such as paper and cardboard, both derivatives of trees with a metal structure underneath. This was something that I had not done before, but by extension, was not too dissimilar from my paper sculptures in 2019.

During the labour intensive making, I began questioning the why? Why present a recreated tree to the viewer and for what purpose? What experience was I trying to present? I could not present an entire forest to the viewer, so how else might a tree best serve them and were there any historic traditions I could draw from? From this thread, I realised that I, myself, had stumbled across several wishing trees that were hammered with copper coins in the Lake District in 2012. With this in mind, I decided to pursue a participatory artwork, where instead of coins, the viewer could leave anonymous paper wishes on the tree. No longer a static sculpture, the tree could continue to grow and change over time. Essentially, becoming a monument for a communities hopes and dreams.

Over the exhibition period, I was unprepared for the range of responses from the public. Some fun and light hearted, whilst others were deep and philosophical. I will need time to process these and consider the work moving forward. For me, the work remains unfinished so it is my intention to push this further, with time permitting, of course. Watch this space!

For further information: https://pintofscience.co.uk/events/lincoln

Frequency Festival of Digital Culture

In August, I received an email saying that my proposal had been accepted for the Frequency Festival of Digital Culture 2017, which was a surprise seeing as the project in question didn't exist yet. My initial proposal intended to create an interactive, site-specific response to a place utilising projected visuals from the archives but in reality, the end result was very different... By early September, I had chosen the Lincoln Guildhall as my venue and point of focus. It was an intuitive decision more than anything as I was struck by the fact that as a local to the area, I had never been in the building but had often walked underneath it. After speaking to the Mayors Officer, I found myself drawn to the local guilds and how they had been dissolved despite their power and influence between the 14th and 16th Century. These were essentially early trade unions which were designed to protect members, maintain standards and regulate businesses in the local area.

As I studied the archives, I began to formulate a list of local historic guilds which could be reintroduced into the space. I decided to focus on craft-based rather than religious guilds as I thought it important to celebrate the craftsmanship which helped build the city, both literally and metaphorically. These ranged from specialisms such as: butchers, shoemakers (cobblers), stone masons, bakers, plasterers, bricklayers, pavers, pointers, blacksmiths, textile workers (weavers, dyers and fullers) etc etc.

As a heritage site it contained fixed furniture and narrow walk ways which placed some limitations on what could be achieved in the space and in the time allocated. Ultimately, I wanted to produce work that sensitively responded to the place and create a dialogue. This led me to consider sound rather than visual material because for me, the visual was already there; I was simply introducing a subtle element into the space which drew the viewers attention to an element of time and history. The description for the site-specific response was as follows:

In Sian Wright's site-specific installation, 'disPLACEment' is introduced in sounds recorded from local trades that are displaced into the historic Guildhall. The Esoteric explores perception and spatial experience in response to the Guildhall, which is designed to reflect the local area and its history.

Interested in perception and interaction with space, The Esoteric creates an immersive experience that presents a dialogue between memory and place. Archived material has been used to inform the selection of sounds introduced into the very essence and action of the space highlighting notions of 'the present and the absent, the near and the distant, the sensed and the imagined.'

Sian Wright explores how buildings and places structure our understanding of reality and the fluidity of time. With an interest in aesthetics and immersive experience, she embraces a multi-disciplinary approach which typically encompasses print, photography and installation.

To conclude, it's been an eye opening experience to develop a site-specific installation for Frequency Festival, especially working in an unfamiliar medium! I feel as though my work with sound is just the beginning and that this project has kick started my practice into the exploration of place which had otherwise become stagnant this past year. Whilst it has been a tad stressful, it has been a worthwhile journey and I look forward to continuing my research utilising conceptually appropriate mediums rather than just falling back on the familiar.

UKYA National Festival: Derby 2016

It has been liberating to meet so many artists, performers, poets and curators this past weekend. I am genuinely excited about what the future might bring and for me, this weekend feels like a turning point professionally. Since my creativity has slowed recently after completing a fellowship and residency back to back, I think this is just what I needed to jump start my practice. It has been fantastic to meet like-minded and supportive individuals, some of which I would love to collaborate with in the future. Whilst it hasn't been long since I graduated, talking to other creatives has also highlighted a level of isolation many feel after leaving university. This is an issue that I would like to tackle in my local area by starting a collective, so hopefully I can begin talks with the university and other organisations.

In a time of austerity where the arts sector continue to suffer financial cuts and arts-based subjects are omitted from state education, it is vital that organisations like UK Young Artists continue their efforts and share the importance of the creative sector with the public. This weekend has been fantastic, I am so glad that I was selected to be a part of it! If you wish to read more about the festival, please see below for my experience:

Day 1: Launch

When I arrived at the hotel, I had to quickly check the installation of my work at the university and Derby Museum. It wasn't long until I had to head to Riverlights for Julian Hanby (project manager) to kick off the evening with a fantastic talk. There was a great range of work at the Riverlights from The Boost Project that blew up depending on how many social media interactions it received created by Ant Hamlyn (link) to collage paintings exploring medium boundaries by Anna Garrett (link). 

Afterwards, we moved onto the official launch held at the Silk Mill in Derby which stands on the site of the oldest factory in the world. The festival was officially launched by Derby's mayor, Linda Winter where free drinks and canapés were provided (great!). The launch finished off with a performance by Keto - What We Do in Derby Cathedral (link), which after a long day, it was nice to relax to some great music.

Day 2:

The Jury's Inn was spot on and with breakfast provided, it really started the day well. We had to sign up for workshops/talks/events with Laura Evans (marketing) in the morning. I signed up for Rosalind Davis' (link) talk on 'The A-Z of Surviving as an Artist' at Markeaton Street and was glad I did. She spoke about the importance of building relationships, networking, professional practice, maximising audiences and funding which is very useful. 

I also attended an artist talk by Liz West (link), another UKYA ambassador. As a UKYA alumni, she has  gained commissions with the Natural History Museum and the National Trust. Whilst it's great to hear about her successes, it was interesting to hear about her initial struggles as well. She spoke about everything from creative block and isolation to financial problems, particularly regarding her addiction in buying Spice Girls memorabilia (link) which she turned into an advantage by loaning to museums. I am sure I wasn't the only one, but it gave me a sense of hope that it is possible to survive as a practicing artist. 

Unfortunately, I missed the beginning of Jamal Sterrett's (link) performance as it began in the centre of Derby and finished at Deda. Luckily, we had a sneak preview at the launch and I wasn't disappointed when I managed to see the last leg of his flex dance. The following performance was from ZukDance - A Live Concert Choreographed (link), a mixture of acrobatics, dance and music. Finally, I headed to the Derby Theatre Studio where I saw both spoken word and music artists in the evening.

Day 3: Stand by your work

All of the visual artists stood by their work so that they could speak to members of the public. As I had work spread across two venues it meant a fair bit of talking, particularly with my hanging installation at the Derby Museum. Having only exhibited in white cube spaces in the past, I found that my installation displayed in a Victorian stairwell really took on a new dimension. With the stained glass window back lighting the silk panels, they became iridescent at certain times of day and I was captivated by the contrasting qualities between the industrial and decorative. It's pretty amazing how spaces can really transform work. 

That day, I also managed to pop into Derby Cathedral to see some stunning ceramic pieces by Sophie Southgate (link) with her vibrant colours and contrasting textures, as well as Pickford House to see Colette Griffin's video work (link) and Joss Williams object collection (link). 

Day 4:

Last day. I headed to Deda to attend the talk Articulating Your Practice: The Art of Writing and Talking About Your Work by Rosalind Davis (link). Unfortunately, by this point I found out that I had laryngitis so speaking to one another when whittling down our practice to three key words proved difficult. Whilst I found this process simultaneously easy and difficult, I think my key words are purpose, longevity and materiality though this keeps changing even now! From a curators perspective, Rosalind discussed a range of topics from good practices when writing statements to common sense but often overlooked issues such as website structures, archiving portfolios and use of social media.

It wasn't long afterwards that we all gathered for a farewell talk in the Deda theatre. It was pretty sad and a bit surreal when we all parted ways. Eighty plus strangers brought together because of their passion for creativity is an odd thing but I will always be grateful for it. The only regrets from the festival I have is that I wish I had a decent camera with me and enough time to see everything!

COUNTDOWN - UK Young Artists National Festival: Derby 2016

UK Young Artists National Festival: Derby 2016 Friday 4 - Sunday 6 November

All events are FREE.

I am delighted to announce that my installation Shell (2015), as well as Obsolete (2016) and Monumental Ruin (2016) has been selected for UK Young Artists National Festival in Derby this November. The festival showcases the work of the UK’s best artists aged between 18-30 working across visual art, applied art, performance, moving image, music, digital art, sculpture and spoken word, and takes place in all of Derby’s brilliant arts spaces and various pop-up and outdoor locations. All events are free, so do come along to the festival to see my work, alongside the work of 80 incredibly talented artists. There’s also a programme of free workshops and professional development talks that you can attend.

Hope to see you there!

Full programme information available at www.ukyoungartists.co.uk