Jo L recovery

  "I had major surgery on Wed 18th November. A week later, whilst horizontal in my hospital bed, having had a gruelling time, I noticed it was just gone 5pm. An idea popped into my somewhat hazy brain... I have my mobile, I have headphones, I have my face and hands... And so I suddenly decided to join our regular Shallal2 session! What joy! It felt funny and cheeky to take part in a public, yet very private setting. We all know how Zoom has limitations and we miss being able to interact in a large space. But how perfect Zoom was for me in that moment! In usual circumstances I simply wouldn't have been in the room. I was able to connect with my gang, be playful with my restricted movement. And it gave me the beauty of connectivity at a time of isolation, especially as no hospital visitors allowed. 

I was very touched by the video the group had made for me, with them moving to the 'Plymouth Lights' track which I love.

I found myself remembering the phrase I came up with several years ago: 'Shallal makes life better'. At times of stress and trauma it is especially true."

Considering those alone, especially in hospital, and in times of stress or trauma, we have made the private video we made for Jo public, you can watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfT_olfvORI

Remote Residency - so much going on

 

Remote Residency

Back Lane West 2020

We kicked off with our Shallal Visioning, so good to be all together, and to have Manda with us.

We hope to create some small groups to take forward and explore ideas.

Thank you to Charlotte Bond who came along and has been reflecting back to us with her experience recently.

 "fantastically useful… So lovely how much goodwill Shallal generates" feedback from our chairperson

Wednesday 18 November we sat on Zoom with 25 - 31 people for Regenerative Visions for the Arts in Cornwall Part 2

Thank you again to Manda for all her free time, expertise, enthusiasm and generous spirit and to everyone involved, including local artists and artists from https://www.bristolartistledforum.com/  Bristol Artist-Led Forum, Peter Lefort from Cornwall Council, Redwing Gallery, 

some extracts from the chat...

 "....have very much enjoyed listening to this. The sport and physical activity sector has been hit equally hard by Covid. There is a natural overlap around between the 2 sectors through mediums such as Dance - but I think so many more opportunities to work together to support communities and people in places. Both Sport England and The Arts Council support similar projects in places."

"Creatives could be at the heart of this process, artists are good networkers and often see the connections and relationships between things and visualise lots of things at the same time. Good to hear about how to communicate with the council." 

"A useful meeting. It was especially good to have Peter Lefort here. We have been trying to make contact with Cornwall Council re our arts hub/ housing co-op" - Redwing Gallery

"Totally agree that these types of conversations are not happening at the strategic systems level...... Happy to keep that conversation going if useful."

(I was invited to talk briefly at Cornwall Doughnut Collective on Dec 1and there were 67 people present - on zoom of course-, here's hoping for rolling forward positive change and responses, it's encouraging so many were there, and already small important conversations happening, again thank you to Manda, Peter Lefort, Cornwall Council and Rachel Turner, Exeter uni, Penryn campus) 

Dance & Draw

Using the title of an old pre Shallal, Art Share project where Lisa Mortensen met us, for our new exploration in Back Lane West and beyond time.

Sent out large tubes containing strong tracing paper and acrylic markers and some suggestions to 11 dancers/artists in Shallal.

I was quite nervous about this as is a 'big' ask - literally .

However i was reassured when George phoned and he and Sam sent in some photos - thank you both.

'Opening the mystery tube, 

is Sam as tall as his arms are wide? 

Experimenting with the paint pens on a bit of the tracing paper, '

we tried to send human size paper

email instructions...

Inspired by You (and Anna and an artist she follows....)

I would like us to explore  

Dance & Draw 

We will be sending you:

 1.A sheet of strong tracing paper - you can add tape to the sides, to try to prevent it ripping  if needed - i was going to do this but have left it for you to decide.

2. nontoxic black and white acrylic pens

The suggestions is to: mark make, draw, on this paper 

to create a large image of your choice

that  you can: move with, around, respond to, photograph, hang on a wall, in a doorway, in nature, from a tree?

...it's your choice

Please send us a photo and or film of you with it.

Please keep us in the loop as much as you would like as you develop your work, responses and ideas.

[Once we have completed this

we may develop a 

2nd stage and get some canvas and paints

share shapes/strips and work at a distance collaboratively with other artists]

Ideas could include responses to::

Pathways

Exploration

Travelling

Dance shapes and lines

Flowers, fields 

Landscape

Journeys

Doodles

"....lovely to be on Anna's presentation it was really professional, relaxed and inspiring...she's a credit to.... Shallal way of creating."

 an artist said ".. she'll be sprawling herself around a big piece of paper soon."

20 in zoom audience 

We hope to have a limited access film available soon.

Cuthbert Willis' talk on 27 November had an audience of 19.

It was fascinating and I was impressed to see Miles' 6 or 7 drawings from it when we chatted later on in Art Zoom. They clearly documented the journey through the talk and he and Zoe really responded to the blue light...

"All Brilliant

FUN WITH FRIENDS! YEAH!
Thank You All".  audience feedback

Sapphire Sumpter's 3 zoom sessions of 'Sharing Amici' were a wonderful treat,

and attracted an average of 20-25 each session,                                                                            with Wolfgang, Colm and some of Amici attending and even a Japanese family.

Wolfgang explained the 'Tower of Mothers' history and choreography which Sapphire introduced to us. 

The overall feedback from Shallal dancers included: 

"Very Good" 

"Loved it" 

Fantastic 

"Really good, really nice"

"Loved stories, context, depth, choreography."

Both talks and the sessions attracted people from outside Shallal. We are getting used to publicising on Eventbrite, and it enables a far greater audience reach, recently a student in Italy in lockdown in her flat for the past 2 weeks joined a Wonderful Words session.

Sapphire has been awarded a Time to Shine leadership placement for a year! starting in January, we are so thrilled to have her working with us and developing new ideas and possibilities. (Thank you to Barbara for support in application)

We hope to continue offering a Space for artists sharing and talks over Zoom, so we can learn from each other and delve deeper into practice, conversations and cross overs. So far Phoebe,  Zoe, Tina, Glen, Joseph and Colin, Eddie - music, are considering it.

A really pleasing outcome for throughout Shallal from Sapphires initial wish to share practice. 

Confirming that our Annual Back Lane West Residency never ceases to enable us to go deeper and stretch further, and enjoy the shared creative visions and enthusiasm.

Initiatives from past residencies include:  

a 3 month summer residency at Porthmeor Studios, St Ives, including a Shallal 2 performance, 

Pop Up Performances, 

Poem, R&D ladder balancing with film, for Ladders and Footprints Show, 

Embodied Space at Newlyn Art Gallery with Peter Freeman, 

Toby's illustrations for Shallal's new Poetry book.

The Poetry book is coming soon after some publishing delays. 

Many thanks to Phlly Blundel our book designer, and more, for bringing it all together, and being so nice to work with.

Eddie has successfully drawn portraits over Zoom in a positive initiative for lockdown as Open Studios was cancelled

Best wishes and speedy recovery to Jerry Drew and Jo Lumber. 

Jo has been dropping into sessions on Zoom and entertaining us all from her various recovery places! Showing that truly we can outreach on zoom to hospital beds, waiting rooms, and convalescence.

Today we decorate then photograph our Shallal 2 outdoor Christmas Trees for the online celebration and for Jo as they will be outside her front steps...more next time...

so much going on in Shallal these days..thank you to one and all!

A time for clearing up and in my drafts found this:

so worth watching...

Pina Bausch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSvqC3oKiq8