Arts

By Lily boag

OUTPOST has been a vibrant hub for the arts community in Norwich since 2010. An artist-run charity committed to promoting contemporary art, the OUTPOST gallery facilitates a programme of five exhibitions a year, in addition to managing offsite projects and events and running two artistic programmes.

The OUTPOST Core Programme is designed to support emerging artists, students, and OUTPOST members. The OUTPOST Creative Programme, which is part funded by Arts Council England, supports individuals from working class and lower socio-economic backgrounds. Aiming to increase the diversity of representation of artists through providing creative promotion and beneficial developmental opportunities, The OUTPOST Creative Programme facilitates a series of exhibitions, events, residencies, and workshops.

Founded on providing equal opportunities in the artistic and creative community, OUTPOST has two charitable aims and objectives. Their first mission is to promote education in the arts to the public though maintaining an art gallery space that publicly exhibits contemporary art, specifically that of which has been created by students and emerging artists. Their second mission is to provide a studio space which offers the relief of poverty among emerging artists, offering a place in which they can partake in creative practices and are assisted by a support network. Providing training and experience in running a contemporary art space and studio through their volunteering group The Norwich OUTPOST Steering Committee, OUTPOST has supported the professional development of many individuals within the Norwich community.

Offering an affordable studio complex for over 80 artists and practitioners, OUTPOST Studios was founded in 2010 and remains to be one of the largest studio providers in the East of England. With open calls for artist residency, OUTPOST invites applications from self-taught artists and creatives across East Anglia, particularly welcoming Black, and minority ethnic candidates and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, so they can receive mentorship from OUTPOST Studios. However, being based at Gildengate House in Anglia Square which is known for being a neglected

site in Norwich, the upcoming redevelopment of the square means that OUTPOST Studios will soon be demolished.

This will most likely have a dire effect on the Norwich arts community, with less opportunity for artists and creative practitioners, especially those of whom come from disadvantaged or lower socioeconomic backgrounds, to gain access to affordable studio spaces to conduct their creative practices. Consequentially, reduced artistic production and activity means the local contemporary art scene that works to diversify, inform, and engage gallery audiences and the public community in Norwich will be hit hard by the absence of local artistic contribution that OUTPOST Studios supports and promotes.

What does this mean for artists and audiences in the Norwich arts community? Simply put, they must face the fated loss of a critical creative network in Norwich, one which provides a space for artists and creatives to establish their creative presence, and an asset which has helped shape the Norwich arts scene.

By Poppy MIller

Shrapnel (@shrapnel.norwich) is an art dispensing machine based in Norwich, made from a repurposed carnival sweet machine, allowing local artists to sell their art for just £1. With few limitations on the art in the machine, other than size, the machine allows a wide range of creatives to advertise their art to the public. The tub-dispensing machine will travel around Norwich in various local stores and events, allowing the discovery of local artists, musicians and creators at an accessible price. The machine consists of nine columns each, allowing nine artists to dispense their art at a time.

The idea for the project came from local artist Elena Miles, and the machine was brought together and organised alongside Dom Temple and me. The tub-dispensing machine made its debut in March at Elm on Lower Goat Lane, where it stayed for the first month, dispensing an assortment of stickers, badges and 3D printed models. The machine has since moved the record store to Lowell, launching on record store day, coinciding with the Bbytones launch event. The machine will remain here for around a month then travel to the Euphrasie (Norwich’s new art collective) showcase on the 30th of April. All artists are welcome to get involved with the project, and only need to get in touch with the Shrapnel team on Instagram.

Current artists:

Sam (@sagepixels) – Sam has 3D printed model armaments, each mini printed weapon comes with their own lore, from a printed ancient bow to a 3D tarnished skull. Elena (@e.lame.a) – Elena has handmade beaded necklaces and earrings, using semi-precious charms, with plastic and glass beads.

Morwenna (@morwennafarrel_ illustrations) – Morwenna has screen printed her “Cowgirl Babe” illustration named “Picky Nicky” onto a heart shaped guitar plectrum.

Alice (@alicewisbeystudio) – Alice is an NUA graduate, specialising in punch needle rugs and accessories, and has filled the tubs with a desk buddy made from recycled paper, as well as a discount code for her Etsy shop.

Alice (@al1cewest) – Alice is a Norwich and Bristol based illustrator who has filled her tub with handmade abstract earrings and a small flower illustration.

By Elizabeth Woor

You may have heard a buzz surrounding a new arts collective here in Norwich. Comprised of seven core members, Euphrasie popped up on the local scene just a few months ago. I sat down with four members of the group (Elly, Dom, Miles and Callum) to talk about what the collective is all about, their plans for the future, and how they feel about the Norwich art scene.

I gather you’re all friends, can you tell me about how the idea of an art collective first came into being? M: It initially came from within the band I set up, Red Mar. It was an idea that Dylan put towards the group about having a collective name to branch all of our individual projects, but since that idea we looked at other ideas that made it less insular and branched out to more multimedia things, not just music. How will the physical art side come into this and join up with the music? E: Within Euphrasie it’s been all about stuff that will be playing alongside the music. With this in mind we’ve gone more towards video work and installation work. Me and Ruby just went to Meddlers scrap yard to film some video footage of us messing around basically, but we got all these ideas of ritualistic performance work, things like that - using the body. The main idea is stuff to project with music playing so it’s collaborating across media.

C: It’s important to note as well that the gig elements are one arm of three different types of events: gigs, showcases and workshops. The workshops will be the collaborative, play focused thing that Elly and Ruby are working on. Gigs, as we have lots of musicians involved, they’re naturally something we want to be doing and then in terms of showcases, those will be on a more intimate level. Can we expect big performance pieces then? E: Sort of, but also installation. We want some physical objects too! The whole idea is for it to be an artistic community, whether that’s music, art, anything. We’re involving lots of different people we know from uni as well to collaborate with, so hopefully

we’ll get some steam going to attract other artists and then just get bigger and better. I was going to ask, is this project something you want to keep within your group for now or to expand widely into the Norwich community? M: I think, as with anything that you’re starting, it’s good to start with a select few people so you can really think about what you want to be doing. But, as much as I think we’re interested in presenting events, especially Ruby and Elly, we’re also interested in doing some workshops to invite people to experiment and have fun – to enjoy the playful side of making things. So that will definitely open up to a community thing. C: I think it’s important to create a space where people can come together to collaborate but also where people can visit. I suppose the best way to articulate it is that we’re the ones creating that space.

How do you feel that this fits into the wider Norwich arts community and the universities here? E: There was a project called site collective that me and ruby weren’t involved with but we went to the events and were friends with some of those people. They’re currently less active but we really saw how creating a collective allows you to build a community and accessibility for getting involved. On my side of things that’s really where a lot of inspiration came from. M: It wasn’t a frustration of not seeing something a bit more different going on in Norwich but with the music that we make in Red Mar, we naturally are on the edges of what’s going on in the mainstream. So, not only did I personally want more of a platform for the experimental music going on but I also wanted greater collaboration between all forms of art. I’ve been looking for something a bit more out there and I think that can be achieved by working with the visual arts. C: The key question was - Is there anything else going on like this for young people? There are a few people who put together experimental events but not necessarily with younger people doing it. Norwich’s art scene is huge and there’s lots going on but it’s not always joined up. It’s very fragmented due to the nature of Norwich and Norfolk, so it’s a chance to start connecting more people.

Speaking into the future – What are your plans? D: We haven’t got anything fully confirmed but we have spoken about putting on three big showcases a year.

M: The showcases are still in the works but we’re hoping to make them full day events, so we can dedicate time to actual exhibitions going into music in the evening. But for now, we’re starting with something a little more digestible. E: It would be brilliant to collaborate with nearby places such as Yarmouth, where although the scene is small, there are lots of new events and art spaces popping up. We all know how young and full of artists Norwich is but it would be interesting to go somewhere where that might not be the case. D: Norwich almost feels like an untapped gold mine. C: They have been saying that for about 20 years though. D: Well… We’re digging! If you’re interested in Euphrasie and want to keep up to date with what they’re doing, you can follow them @euphrasie.co