Update on Arts Council England priority possible Cultural
Olympiad projects, March 2009
Creative Programmer projects:
1) Quest (curated programme)
Richard is developing this project on a countywide basis, around the theme of
a series of actual, virtual and metaphysical journeys through the landscape,
connecting the coast into the landscape and urban with rural communities.
There will be eight sub-regional journeys plus one sea journey. The subregions are: Dorset/Bournemouth/Poole; Wiltshire and Swindon; North
Somerset and South Gloucestershire; Devon/Plymouth/ Torbay; West of
England; Cornwall; Somerset; Gloucestershire; and a journey by sea. Each
journey will be “sparked” and inspired by a troupe of world-class artists,
performers and storytellers. It will be multi-layered, including digital (ACE
RFO's Watershed and PVA are involved), training and skills, data collection,
and sustainability. The aim is that the Qwest will culminate in 2012 with a
progression of all the troupes along the Jurassic Coast via the Earth Festival
and onto Weymouth and Portland.
Cirque Bijou has received development funding to work with Mary Schwarz on
core aspects of this project. Projects are developing in some counties.
Funding is to be sought from HLF in 2010, and in 2009 from English Nature
Access to Nature Fund, Environment Agency, Devon CC, and South West
Screen. A new structure for the project is to be set up including ACE
representation.
It is expected that there will be progress on the Gloucestershire/ Wiltshire and
Dorset Quest journeys this year.
Digital Quest, will create games to get young people out into the countryside;
involving non-evasive interpretation methods.
For further information contact: Alice, Desperate Men. T: 0117 9393902.
2) Relays (South West Legacy Trust project)
Leanne Dingle is in post as Project Director. Three area project directors are
based in the Arts Institute Bournemouth, the ICAA, Bath, and FalmouthDartington. A total of 23 staff are in place. Each project director will be
required to set up two festivals per year, one HE campus based and the other
with wider reach. ACE SW will be working to develop join-up with our
priorities.
For further information contact: Leanne Dingle. Email:
leanne.dingle@herda-sw.ac.uk
3) 360 degree immersive digital arena
The concept is a 360 degree big screen erected at Nothe Fort, Weymouth
during the Olympics. Onto the screen will be beamed the sailing events which
will be happening in Weymouth and Portland. There will be a camera based
on one of the buoys out in the bay.
4) Book-End weekends
These will mark the beginning of the Games during the July weekend, with
activity building up to the sailing events in Weymouth. It will culminate in
September, in a curated programme, where all the Quest programmes come
together in Weymouth to launch the Games.
5) Weymouth & Portland and Jurassic Coast
As below.
6) Transnational programmes:
a) Celtic Fringe
Places the Gaelic language, with celebrations of literature, sport and their
circus tradition.
b) Island Nations
This is a journey by sea around the coast of the UK; using indigenous sea
transport.
7) Training camps
Provide an opportunity for cultural exchange.
For further information from the Creative Programmer about the above,,
contact Richard Crowe. Email: richard.crowe@artscouncil.org.uk Tel: 07956
050756.
8) Outdoor celebrations
Artists Taking the Lead
Artists taking the lead was launched on 19 March. This is one of ten major
projects forming the backbone of the Cultural Olympiad and has been
developed by Arts Council England in partnership with London 2012 and the
UK arts councils. Twelve artists’ commissions will be created in 12 contrasting
locations across the UK in the run up to 2012. The commissions will be led by
artists and developed closely with local communities.
For further information and to submit your idea, go to:
www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk
Inside Out
The Inside Out festival of outdoor performance and educational events was
held in September 2008 as a key part of the launch of the Cultural Olympiad.
The Spanish theatre company Xarxa will performed Wind and Sails at
Bowleaze cove on the Jurassic Coast near Weymouth. It was organized by
Activate on behalf of the local authorities (Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole)
with funding from the local authorities, ACE SW and TEAM SW.
ACE SW has received an initial draft vision document for Inside out in 2010
and 2012, which is now being reviewed with an increased emphasis on
education and community aspects and relationship to 2012 planning.
For further information contact: Kate Wood, Activate. Tel: 01202 884340.
Email: katewood@activateperformingarts.org.uk
Dorset 2012 Cultural Framework (Penny)
Dorset CC has agreed to take over chair of this meeting from ACE SW from
the 2009. At the last meeting some organizations were able to begin l feed
back on their priorities. ACE priorities are: Inside Out, Public art programme,
B Side, Carnival Development, Earth Festival plus possible a Quest project in
Dorset. It was noted that there are projects emerging, which may fit with the
Quest concept e.g. Connections (Sherborne House) and a Jurassic Coast
photography journey project.
The local authority representatives are emphasizing a pro0cess by which local
artists and arts organisations can put forward projects into the framework.
For further information contact: Mike Hoskin. Tel: 01305 224937 Email:
m.hoskin@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Weymouth and Portland Arts Planning for 2012
It has been agreed that Alan Rogers will work with Joanna Morland to
produce a draft 5 year Arts plan for Weymouth and Portland during March
2009. Three themes are being discussed – public art/ outdoor celebrations/
and a strand around young people and digital opportunities linked to B Side.
For further information contact: Alan Rogers. Tel: 01305 208708 Email:
alan_rogers@weymouth.ac.uk
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast forms the backdrop to the sailing events at Weymouth
and Portland and part of the role will be to bring forward 2012 related projects.
Plans for a Jurassic Coast Earth Festival linking to world heritage sites around
the world, are now included in RELAYS and a part time appointment is
expected to be made in March 09. In our discussions on how we will monitor
the GfA we are suggesting criteria to consider include whether everything is
on track for a successful Earth Festival in 2012 and whether it would be good
for some of the aspirations for the Earth Fest to happen before the post 3
years completes; and whether the project has contributed to the SW Cultural
Olympiad programme in particular working closely with Alan Rogers at
Weymouth & Portland.
Coastal Voices is a Jurassic Coast project currently led by Alan Rogers with
musicians in Weymouth and Portland and the wider Jurassic Coast.
For further information contact: Daisy Sutcliffe. Tel: 01305 221325. Email:
d.sutcliffe@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Anti-bodies
Anti-Bodies is an Inspire branded event and takes the form of a series of
contemporary arts projects curated by a network of organisations and an
Interaction programme. It explores different attitudes to the body, contrasting
the particularity of the artist’s body-concept against the ideal of the bodymachine of an Olympic athlete.
The projects are developed for different cultural contexts and are
curated/produced by organisations based in the south west, in collaboration
with national and international partners.
The launch event was held at the Arnolfini on 19th Feb. Visit the Anti-Bodies
website for more information about the organisations involved, the online
open submissions process, the presentation platform and the youth initiative
at: www.anti-bodies.net
For further information contact: Zoe Shearman. Email:
zoe.shearman@relational.org.uk
B-side
Following a successful first event, Alan Rogers ADO Weymouth and Portland
BC, B Side lead has been in discussion with Penny Bayer and Tessa Fitzjohn
to consider the future legacy of B Side with reference to the 2008 evaluation.
Agreed changes to be instigated by June 2009 will include a new steering
group consisting of stakeholders and key strategic personnel, and regional
RFO’s/agencies, who will bring considerable experience, funding
opportunities, new networks and advocate for the project regionally and
nationally.(subject to successful recruitment).
Given the time constraints and recession, ACE SW advised B side to become
Biannual, as there are considerable financial benefits for this, however the
challenge will be to maintain a presence from now until the 2010 event.
Smaller commissions to take place this September has been discussed as
well as the main artists commissions for 2010 to start in January 2010 and run
over six months.
Both these options will be reviewed in the coming months.
For further information contact: Alan Rogers. Tel: 01305 208708 Email:
alan_rogers@weymouth.ac.uk
Weymouth & Portland Commissioning Plan 2012
ACE national office has now released the first tranche of funding for the
programme (a total of £720,000 has been committed over three years) and
£229,000 has been offered to and accepted by Weymouth and Portland
Borough Council. The planned programme is progressing as planned:
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Richard Harris and Claire Barber have been appointed to work on the
Relief Road
Paul de Monchaux has been appointed to work on the refurbishment
of the public realm around George III Square
Architects have been short listed for the new Beach Rescue and
Tourist Information Centre buildings, which will then be an
artist/architect collaboration
The brief has been issued for the artist- led lighting scheme.
W&P’s Sea Change Bid was unsuccessful and discussions are currently
underway as to the content of the re-submission which will be in June under
the open submission phase.
Discussions are taking place as to how for further the temporary programme
and the public realm animation ideas and proposals that were listed in the
original strategy. ACE national office has expressed an interest in visiting
during late spring.
For further information contact: Alan Rogers. Tel: 01305 208708 Email:
alan_rogers@weymouth.ac.uk
Carnival
Lots of work is being done in Bridgwater, Somerset and Weymouth. She is
also looking at working with Jurassic Coast and Weymouth College on
carnival and outdoor arts development in the Weymouth, Poole and Dorset
area. Skilling up artists, creating carnival clubs working with other agencies
such as schools, youth clubs, etc.
Maria is organised a Carnival Learning Day in Taunton 28 March 2009 for
anyone connected with Carnival. This brought people together to learn more
about Arts Council and opportunities for artistic development. The day didn’t
concentrate on Cultural Olympiad as such but it is part of the process of
working with carnival in the next few years.
For further information contact: Maria Tilbury. Tel: 01392 229258. Email:
maria.tilbury@artscouncil.org.uk