Missing Statues: Govan Community Project (part 2)

We return to Govan Community Project this week to hear from Artist and Illustrator Alice Dansey Wright.  She fills us in on the progress the group have made in such a short space of time!  

Rosie and I have been working with two groups within Govan Community Project- the Homework Group for kids on a Monday night and the Men’s Group on a Friday night. Both groups meet in the community flat in Cardonald, which is a normal flat that has been converted in to a series of community rooms and a kitchen. The Men’s group meet to play football, make new friends and eat a meal together. The group has a facilitator who is helped by two local volunteers- a university student and an S5 pupil.

Over the course of two 2-hour workshops with the men’s group we met four men in addition to the facilitator and volunteers. The men keep in touch using a WhatsApp group and the atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly, centered around the preparing, cooking and sharing of a meal (which Rosie and I were lucky enough to get a plate of too). Due to the relaxed atmosphere, slower pace and language ability of the group we were able to introduce the project in a more developed way which started with us discussing images and information about a series of existing Glasgow statues.

The men shared their insights and knowledge about Glasgow and overall were in agreement that representation of different cultures in public sculpture is important, alongside information about Glasgow’s industrial past such as the ship building trade. We also discussed protest, rebellion and activism – looking at the rallies, talks and gatherings around George Square and La Pasionaria, the statue of communist politician Dolores Ibarruri which commemorates the 534 British volunteers who joined the fight against Franco’s regime in the Spanish Civil War. The slogan ‘People Make Glasgow’ was brought up as one of the men had seen it all over the city and didn’t understand what it was for/what it meant. After discussing this we felt that the slogan reflected our ideas for the As I See It project well.

The men were invited to develop a series of symbols that represented them as well as symbols that could represent Glasgow (which was a slight development on what we did with the Homework group). Despite some protestations about not being able to draw all of the group produced interesting drawings that were subsequently turned in to blocks and symbols for the statue making activity.

On the 2nd of June we held our big workshop/making day at Kinning Park Complex. Along with volunteers and staff from GCP both the men’s group and the kids from the Homework Group came together to collaboratively block print and paint a selection of t-shirts and a large piece of fabric which will be turned into our statue.

Alice

As I See It: Missing Statues culminates with a special event at South Block on Saturday 17^th June where the statues will be unveiled. They will then be exhibited at South Block from 19^th – 23^rd June. For more info visit the Facebook event page.

Missing Statues: As I See It Group

It’s time to hear from Charlotte Duffy Scott – a cardboard artist who has been working with a group of visually impaired adults who meet regularly as part of the wider As I See It project.  Lets see what they have been up to!

Working with the As I See It group challenged the way I thought about not just the act of making but the role and responsibility public art has to be truly accessible to everyone in the public. Sight still is the most depended upon sense when it comes to experiencing and consuming a lot of art; statues, paintings, sculptures, video installation – so much of it relies on a foundation of seeing what’s there in front of you but also the presumption that every one who looks at it will be able to see it in the same way as the artist did. We class so much as ‘visual art’ with little thought as to what means to those who are visually impaired.

The piece we have created is collaborative in a way that I didn’t know was possible, the entire process has been an act of sharing and borrowing skills, views, experiences and opinions from one another in order to create something that, hopefully, can be appreciated through sound, or through touch, or through far away sight or close up sight. In each different way that it can be experienced a different story is told but with a shared foundation in expressing a different point of view.

Emmanuel has made the most intricate model of a plane. It is small but incredibly detailed and the viewer can see through the windows to the rows of tiny chairs inside, the propellers even spin when you blow on them.  My hands made this piece however it is entirely Emmanuel’s – each week he has described to me every single element he envisions from how many wheels it should have to the specific wingspan it needed. He drew imaginary lines with his fingers for where every cut and every join had to be. He told me off when it felt as though I hadn’t done exactly hat he had asked. We’ve made something together but he is the artist and I was a tool to achieve the image he had in his head.

On first meeting this group all told me of how they’d never made anything out of cardboard before and I replied that we were in the same boat because I’d never made anything without relying on my sight so we could learn together and make our own ways of doing things and representing things. And we truly have.

Charlotte

As I See It: Missing Statues culminates with a special event at South Block on Saturday 17^th June where the statues will be unveiled. They will then be exhibited at South Block from 19^th – 23^rd June. For more info visit the Facebook event page.

Missing Statues – Young Carers

This week’s blog is from Artist & Illustrator Rosemary Cunningham.  Rosemary is working with our Artistic Director Victoria Beesley to create a statue with young carers from Glasgow South West Carers Centre. 

Six weeks isn’t a long time to create a new statue for Glasgow, especially with young people who have so many ideas and energy! Every session begins with drama exercises which Vickie leads, it warms everyone up and breaks down some of the shyness we begin with each week.

The whole process of the statue grew from the idea of heroes. Who are they? What do they look like? What are the things that make them special? In week one we built our own heroes from paper. In week two we began to identify certain traits that we wanted our own statue to have:

Powerful

Love

Safe

Interactive

Fun

Inspirational

Unique

Using mind mapping to eke out initial thoughts and ideas, we used drawing as a way of communicating ideas and concepts and certain themes began to emerge; heart shapes, stars, pets, nature, hugging arms. A major turning point was the idea that everyone is a hero in their own way, so the statue has to be for everyone. We played with enjoyably messy materials like bouncy foam, using it to make large scale silly models that were fun to play with. Our job became trying to work out how to encourage people to empathise with us and interact with our heroic words – so it became an igloo (unique in Glasgow)! Outside, a hard shell for protection (powerful and safe) and inside, a soft, (fun) bouncy world with activities and diversions (interactive, inspirational). The idea is that anyone inside the cocoon is escaping the stressful world and getting a virtual hug from the interior (love).

By week 5 we were making our own igloo structures from card and decorating them to fit our needs. By amalgamating the ideas that emerged – which were already converging – our cocoon was beginning to take shape. It will be an eight-sided natural wood structure with a sunshine roof, with cushions, grass and a space to explore and feel rested inside. In this last week I have been trying to make the structure itself so that I can bring it to them for decorating and final ideas. I’m so excited that it’s taken shape so quickly and clearly for them and I’m keen that the final outcome is as much their work as possible. Using birch plywood – and getting in some extra design help from Hamish Bigg – we’re cutting the wood and hopefully it will slot together easily and it can stand up as a hero for anyone feeling stressed.

Rosemary

As I See It: Missing Statues culminates with a special event at South Block on Saturday 17^th June where the statues will be unveiled. They will then be exhibited at South Block from 19^th – 23^rd June. For more info visit the Facebook event page.

Missing Statues – Govan Community Project

This week’s blog is from Drama Artist Rosie Reid.  Roise is working with Artist and Illustrator Alice Dansey Wright to create a statue with refugees in Govan.  Over to Rosie….

Girls having fun at the Homework club with paint!

We have been invited into the Homework Club at the Govan Community Project as part of Terra Incognita’s project As I See It: Missing Statues. The Homework Club takes place from 4pm-6pmevery Monday and Wednesday at a ground floor flat, where most of the young residents of the block come down to help one another with their homework. There is lots of peer learning and activities going on and when we first arrived, Alice and I were swept away by the energy and community spirit within the club. 

The results of our experiments printing

We have been asking the young people a lot of questions, like what represents you? What are your ingredients? What makes you who you are? Through printmaking we have been creating our own symbols that represent who we are and what we care about. The group have been enjoying getting their hands dirty and pretending to be statues. The next time we meet we will be making our statue together. Creating an umbrella for which all of our symbols and all of our identities will be brought together.

Rosie

As I See It: Missing Statues culminates with a special event at South Block on Saturday 17^th June where the statues will be unveiled. They will then be exhibited at South Block from 19^th – 23^rd June. For more info visit the Facebook event page.

As I See It: Missing Statues

Artistic Director Victoria Beesley introduces us to Terra Incognita’s latest project.

You’ve probably seen an awful lot of them. The Duke of Wellington sitting on a horse with a traffic cone on his head. La Passionara on the banks of the Clyde with her arms in the air. A group of Gorbals boys wearing oversized stilettos. Glasgow has a lot of statues; a celebration of the city’s heritage, a collective remembering, a projection of hope for the future. But there are so many stories missing from the city’s landscape. People and events have been forgotten, erased, ignored.

A few members of Terra Incognita’s visually impaired arts group with La Passionara.

Our latest As I See It project is inspired by these missing stories. We’ve been working with our regular group of visually impaired adults, the Women’s Creative Company, young carers at Glasgow South West Carers Centre, and Govan Community Project to create four new statues for Glasgow. Working alongside four visual artists, each group is creating an artwork that reflects their passions, history and experiences.

Made from cardboard, textiles, papier mache (and even sponge!) these new artworks offer a fresh perspective on Glasgow and its people, celebrating lesser known stories from the city’s past and present.

It has been fascinating watching the concept for each statue emerge, and a total pleasure to see visual artists Rosemary Cunningham, Charlotte Duffy-Scott, Jen Smith, and Alice Dansey-Wright at work as they play with different ideas for making each group’s ideas a reality. The final statues promise to be unique and intriguing works of art.

A workshop with the Women’s Creative Company

Over the next few weeks we’ll have blogs from each of the artists working on the project. They’ll provide an insight into the workshops, the journey they have been on with their group – and you might even get a sneaky peek of the statue as a work in progress!

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As I See It: Missing Statues culminates with a special event at South Block on Saturday 17^th June where the statues will be unveiled. They will then be exhibited at South Block from 19^th – 23^rd June. For more info visit the Facebook event page.

As I See It Workshop Leader, Amy Conway, gives us an update on what’s been happening with the project.

 

As I See It is back with a brand new project! Last year was a busy one for Kathy, Emmanuel, Joe and Frank, our visually impaired tour guides, with two successful projects under their belt. Back in early April, our guides delivered a fascinating, personalised insight into the Gorbals area of Glasgow, and then in June they hosted a community event in Maryhill celebrating Glasgow dancehalls and the city’s enthusiasm for dance, both past and present.

As I See It: Dancehall Experience (Photo by Jassy Earl)

 

And as if that wasn’t enough, our intrepid participants finished the year with the research phase of their next project which is all about the public statues, monuments and sculptures of Glasgow.

This is obviously quite a broad topic and not specific to any particular area of Glasgow, unlike our past projects, and we have had a brilliant time so far, thinking about the many existing statues in our fair city, learning a bit about how these statues are created, and starting to think about what statues might be missing from the city landscape.

Out and about researching

A few fun facts we have gathered from our research for you:

• If you’re a fan of cartoons, you might already know that there have been two statues commissioned to celebrate the life of Scottish (Partick-born) newspaper cartoonist, Bud Neill. You may know that sheriff “Lobey Dosser” used to sit astride his two legged horse, El Fideldo, on Woodlands Road until it was vandalised and removed by the council. But did you know that there is a second Bud Neill character, “G.I. Bride”, in Partick Station still going strong?
• Speaking of other statues that have been removed, Robert Burns used to occupy a prime spot in George Square but has been absent recently to undergo restoration and cleaning.
• Unfortunately we found almost zero statues commemorating the achievements of women(!), but we were interested to learn that the person most depicted in statue form (other than religious icons) in the world was Queen Victoria! Mind you, she did get about a bit.

We’ve also been lucky enough to receive a guided tour of Glasgow Museums Resource Centre by    3-D Art (Sculpture and Installation) Conservator, Stephanie de Roemer. She gave us an exclusive look at some of the pieces she was restoring at the moment and a glimpse into the challenges that an international conservator faces. She’s also employed by UNESCO so gets to help protect sculpture from all over the world, including in places of ongoing conflict! It was particularly interesting to discover that Stephanie disapproves of the infamous traffic cone on top of the Duke of Wellington’s head in Royal Exchange Square. Whilst some feel that this semi-permanent addition to the statue is just part of the cheeky “Glesca” patter, she feels it is disrespectful to the historical significance of the piece, as well as to the publicly-funding authority that maintains it.

Something that irked all of us more generally about the sculptural landscape, is the lack of accessible statues. Older statues tended to be mounted on a high plinth and were generally out of reach with the result that those with visual impairments were not able to fully appreciate or enjoy them. We acknowledged that some of the more modern statues were specifically designed to be interacted with and touching was by no means prohibited, yet there had been instances where this accessibility had led to vandalism or even theft (most recently a statue in the Gorbals got its foot sawn off)!

Having cast a critical eye over Glasgow’s existing statues, observing the recurring features and different types, our guides are now starting to think about what they feel is conspicuously absent. Who or what are not represented in these public artworks? Glasgow institution and champion boxer, Benny Lynch, has already had a statue commissioned which will be erected in the Gorbals area sometime in the near future, but if you could commission one statue for 2017, what would you choose? This is the question our guides will be looking to answer in the coming months and will work with a local artist to realise their ideas.

 

As I See It: Statues is created with support from the Big Lottery Fund. Terra Incognita is working with groups across Glasgow to create new statues of people and events that are currently missing from Glasgow’s landscape. These statues will be unveiled at a special event in June 2017. Watch this space for more information.

 

My Real Life Friend Selma

Terra Incognita is about to embark on its second tour of Scottish theatres with its show My Friend Selma. Artistic Director Victoria Beesley tells us more about the real-life friendship that inspired the production.

When I was eight years old the thing I wanted most was a best friend. I imagined we’d spend a lot of time on our own having serious conversations, that we’d make each other laugh, that we’d invent some of the greatest games ever played, and that we’d tell each other secrets.

Selma and me in the paper

When I was eight years old, I got that best friend.

Selma was amazing. She was braver, cheekier, and naughtier than me, she made me laugh, and her two front teeth were missing. At first we couldn’t actually speak the same language but we were instantly friends. I loved her. I still do.

We met in a disused boarding school in Leeds. Selma and her family had fled war in Bosnia, and had been brought to the UK by a charity my dad set up. The charity took aid to refugee camps and towns isolated by the conflict, it sent volunteers to work in refugee camps, and it brought more than 500 refugees to the UK. These refugees were housed as far north as Crieff and as far south as Kent.

The people we lived with in the disused boarding school were the first two groups my dad’s charity, aLERT, brought to the UK. Leeds City Council had given aLERT permission to use the ramshackle old building and the response from local residents was amazing. People of all ages worked hard to decorate and repair Springfield School so it was fit for living in; they donated furniture, clothes, toys, toiletries and food so that the refugees would have everything they needed; they gave their time and energy to make these people feel welcome in Britain and to ensure they had all the support they needed.

This period of my childhood made a big impression on me. I’m amazed at the resilience of Selma, whose life had been turned upside down weeks before I met her. I feel incredibly lucky to have spent that time living at Springfield School.  The people we lived with had lost everything, they had left loved ones behind in a country at war, and found themselves having to start their lives again in an unfamiliar country and culture. But despite the worry, anxiety and pressure they must have been feeling they always had time for me; to teach me, share their culture with me, entertain me, or just to show me a bit of love. They are some of the most remarkable people I have met, and I have benefited massively from having them in my life.

Rehearsing My Friend Selma

Over the years I learnt more about the war, about why people had to flee, and about the journey that Selma and her family had to go on in order to get to safety. Selma was eight when I met her and she’d already seen and experienced things that, thankfully, most of us won’t see or experience in our whole lifetimes. My Friend Selma tells this story from her perspective as an eight year old as they embark on their journey and begin a new life in a strange country. The show is a document of her family’s experience and a tribute to their courage. In the light of the current events, it has also turned out to be a timely piece of theatre that will give audiences young and old a bit more insight into why people flee.

It’s an incredible story. I hope you can join us.

My Friend Selma is touring in March 2018. Visit our website for full details.

 

 

Stories from Castlemilk Seniors Centre

As part of our As I See It project, we’ve been collecting stories from across Glasgow inspired by the Botanic Gardens. This is our final blog sharing these stories with you. This time the stories are from a lovely bunch of folk at Castlemilk Seniors Centre. Thank you once again to everyone who contributed. 

 

Jeanie

We used to go on the steam train a lot when I was younger. Once, I think we were on our way to Saltcoats because we used to go there a lot, I stuck my head out the window. I was just a girl and I was wearing this bright yellow dress. As I looked out, I was covered in all this black soot. I pulled my head back into the carriage and the soot was all over the yellow dress. I was covered. My mum shouted, “Hands up! Don’t touch it!” And she was right. It fell off the dress on its own and didn’t leave a mark. If I’d have rubbed it off it would have left black marks all over it.

Hughie

Glasgow Green is the park I’ve spent most time in in Glasgow. I remember fair fortnight when I was younger. They used to have the shows. There was the big wheel, flying chairs, dodgems. You were fleeced with your money but it was good fun!

Malcolm

When I was younger I spent a lot of time in Elder Park. It had a pond there and once a year a boat club would come out and race their yachts on the pond. But my favourite green space is Culzean Castle. We used to spend almost every weekend there between May and September. We’d leave the tent there. The only thing we brought home was our dirty washing. Then we’d go back there the following weekend. The only thing we had to do was move the tent once a month so they could cut the grass. One of us would hold the tent pole on one side and the other would hold it on the other side and we’d pick the tent up and move it a few metres along so they could cut the grass where the tent had been.

Jessie

We’ve spent the most time in Linn Park and King’s Park. We used to take our kids to Linn Park a lot, and in King’s Park they had the bikes there during the Commonwealth Games. They did it all up and it’s lovely. The parks are in much better condition than they used to be. When we lived in Govan we used to take the Govan ferry to go to Kelvingrove Park. There were these big steps that led down to the ferry. One ferry would be at one side of the Clyde, and one ferry would be at the other side and they’d cross each other as you travelled. It only took ten minutes and it was free.

Samuel

My favourite thing about Glasgow Green is the mosaic tiling on Templeton Carpet Factory. It’s beautiful. They were the best carpet makers in Victorian times. They were even popular with the Americans – who had the factory make a carpet for the Oval Office.

Jeanie

I remember my dad took us to the old transport museum when I was a child and you were allowed to climb into the old train cars. When I was older I took my kids to the museum but you weren’t allowed on anything, you could only look at it. My son set the alarms off twice trying to get on things. He used to run everywhere. As soon as I heard the alarm go off I thought, ‘Oh no, I bet that’s Kevin.’ The security guard came over to talk to me and I told him I thought it might be best if I took them to Kelvingrove Park instead!

Storytelling: Places

Three more stories, inspired by our As I See It Walking Tours. Thanks to the members and staff of Shanti Bhavan and Fred Paton Day Centres.

Bridgeton – Andrew

I’m a Bridgetonian. Born ten minutes from Bridgeton cross. I supported the Clyde football team which was twenty minutes’ walk over the river. I used to go play football in Glasgow Green. One part of it was an open gymnasium. I grew up near one of Glasgow’s gangs, the Glasgow Billy Boys. There were gangs all over Glasgow at the time. It was just a crowd of young guys, late 1930s through the Second World War right up into the 1960s. My uncle was one of the lead guys. King Billy they called him. I remember seeing them when I was young. You’ve heard of the collections – every pub and shop in the area of Bridgeton had to pay them money. I don’t know much about them… I don’t get out to parks much anymore but I am out all day. I go on a pub crawl! I don’t drink a lot, it’s just for company. It’s either that or sit in the house.

A farm in the Highlands – Margaret

I was born in Govan and lived in Glasgow for a bit but then we moved to the Highlands and I was brought up on a farm. I used to feed the wee lambs with a bottle of milk. We had sheep, we had cows, we had pigs, we had hens, we had everything on the farm. I used to go up and down in a horse and cart as a wee girl. I wanted to move back to Glasgow when I was an adult because I came from Glasgow. That was a long time ago now.  It felt like coming home.

On Glasgow – Ashghar Ali

When you look around Glasgow we have some amazing parks, so many parks. There’s so much to see in Glasgow, a lot of greenery. Some people complain about the weather, but I don’t think we should. I think it’s how you feel inside. If you feel good inside it doesn’t matter what the weather is like. The people of Glasgow are very friendly. If you’re looking for directions, if they don’t know they’ll stop somebody else on your behalf and they’ll try and help you. They’ll go out of their way to help you. It’s definitely a place to visit. If someone’s looking to go places, to see places, Glasgow is definitely the place to be.

The Stories Continue…

Inspired by our As I See It walking tours of the Botanic Gardens, here are a collection of stories from the Creative Writing group at Visibility.

Thank you to all those who contributed.

A park in Dubai. by Jen Worrall

It was quite warm.  Unlike other parks, it was very clean.  In Dubai, they have a high standard of cleanliness, everything is spotless, and, for example, the toilets are sparkling clean.  It was a children’s   park that we were going through; it was a bit of a short cut.  It was just nice to walk around.

This was about three years ago.  There was also a wee mini train that took you around part of the park.  The train was very small – it was mainly for kids, so we were squashed into our seats.  It’s too hot for flowers, but I could smell the smell of sunshine and food and chips.

 

Untitled by Amy Henighen

The Sunday before Gary and his family left for Australia, I remember Ava going on the swings and the flying fox, which is like a big roundabout.  It was a happy day but tinged with sadness because they were leaving the next week.

–

Forres Morayshire  by Jane Chisholm

As I sit here at the top of a green hill.  I look around me and see the turbine wind mills.

I watch them dance round and round, as they supply the power to the folks all around.

–

Untitled by Isobel Haddow

Glasgow is full of lovely parks.  They were made during the time of the ‘Industrial Revolution’ – so that the workers who worked under hard, terrible conditions after the hard work, they could relax in these lovely green places.

I don’t work know but still I love these parks.  My friend and I often go to the Botanic Gardens after tea and believe me, going there is a joy.  The things you see aren’t just the lovely trees and flowers, it’s the folk who go there – all shapes and sizes, kids, scooting around on their scooters and of course, being Glasgow, everyone speaks to each other.  The chat is something you don’t want to miss!

–

The Music by Isobel Haddow

The first wee part I heard sounded like big waves crashing on to the shore or buildings.  It sounded exciting.  It reminded me of all the lovely holidays I’ve had.

Now it’s louder, it sounds very dramatic.

It makes me want to get down to the beach and sea.  Wonderful feelings.

It reminds me of when I learned to swim – down at Rothesay and the pier there.

My Aunt Peggy taught me to swim there – right next to the pier but importantly, there’s  something I’ll never forget – my Mother couldn’t afford to buy me a bathing suit so my Aunty Peggy knitted me a costume.

You can imagine, I’m sure, what happened when I tried to get out of the water – yes the swim suit nearly fell off me in the water – and the beach .