I am pleased to announce my
participation in the ground breaking ‘Art In Manufacturing’ project. As part of
the first ever National Festival of Making, supported by arts commissioners
Super Slow Way and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, exciting new art will
roll off the production lines of factories in Pennine Lancashire as nine,
specially commissioned artists negotiate heavy machinery, industrial production
techniques and up to 160 years of making heritage. I will be working with the fabulous Darwen Terracotta to create a piece of artwork in collaboration with their highly skilled workforce. More info to follow.
Exchanging
their studios for the hot houses of modern manufacturing, the artists will
enjoy an unprecedented level of access to staff, machinery, company archives
and materials at the nine partnering manufacturers, all located around Pennine
Lancashire in North West England. Art In Manufacturing not only seeks to
develop the ideas of artists in unfamiliar environments and create engaging and
accessible new work, but also encourage investigation into Britain’s manufacturing
heritage, specifically that of Lancashire, with direct engagement from staff
members in each participating company.
The
resulting artworks and performances will be revealed as part of the National Festival
of Making, appearing in the town centre of Blackburn, Lancashire.
Developed
by a new Festival of Making Community Interest Company - a collaborative
venture involving designer, Wayne Hemingway MBE, festival producers, Deco
Publique and creative place-making social enterprise, Placeshakers the festival
is a FREE family festival happening just an hour away from Manchester, Leeds
and Liverpool. The festival programme, encompassing cultural events, markets
and workshops, promises to be a vibrant celebration of British making, where
people of all ages will see, hear, taste and take part in things they’ll
encounter nowhere else.
Art In
Manufacturing at The National Festival of Making
Sat 6 – Sun
7 May 2017
FREE
Blackburn,
Lancashire (Various Town Centre Locations)
For updates
about the festival programme and information on how to get involved visit www.festivalofmaking.co.uk
and sign up to the mailing list. News and opportunities will also be posted on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/festofmaking
and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/festofmaking.
