GROW OUR OWN ARTISTS PROJECT UPDATE Funded by Creative Scotland, Grow Our Own Artists is a Artist Residency
project
exploring
co-production,
community
empowerment and progression routes at WHALE Arts.
What follows is brief update on where we are right now, how we
have
adapted
to
the
challenges
of
working
within
COVID
restrictions; and what is still to come as we move into the final stages of the project.
PROJECT OVERVIEW AND COVID ALTERATIONS
Originally the project was
due
to run
for
9
months between February
and October 2020 with two months - (November/December) set aside to evaluate the project.
We began as planned in February 2020 but when lockdown came into force
at
the
end
of
March,
we
paused
the
project
until
June.
We
restarted as restrictions eased and plan to run until December this year - a total of 9 months. We have set aside February and March of 2021 to complete the evaluation and reporting.
While
WHALE
Arts
kept
going
throughout
lockdown
-
mainly
focusing on hot meals and tons and tons of art packs, we paused the Grow Our Own Artists residency due to the heavy emphasis on co-production.
With small
all
our
group
participant of
key
and
staff
volunteers
coming
into
stuck the
at
home
building,
and
only
a
co-producing
became seriously challenging. We thought it a much better use of resources
to
pause
and
engage with our people.
re-start
at
a
time
when
we
could
better
WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR
WHALE Arts TEAM SUPPORT In
June
Morvern
was
actively
involved
in
working
with
the
WHALE
Arts team which needed to respond quickly to meet the needs of the community in lockdown.
While continuing her research into how co-production could be an integral
part
instrumental in
of
WHALE’s
work
in
Wester
Hailes,
Morvern
was
co-ordinating the various projects which reached
the community via our community meal home delivery service.
POD PRESS Pod
Press
is
a
new
publishing
house
for
Wester
Hailes,
centred
around risograph printing and creative platforms for local voices.
The set up & development of this has so far included:
Risograph Printer & 6 colour drums acquired & set up Risograph Staff
printing
training
developed/
delivered
for
WHALE
POD PRESS... Pod Press space in WHALE - construction including shelving and cladding to make the balcony space useable & safe. Logo Voted for by community on social media
Externally printed publications Volunteer
Handbook
-
developed
with
Volunteers
&
volunteer
coordinator Freelance Handbook, Stitch N Time Tutorials & Lockdown Tutorials
Internally printed publications/Risograph publications Pamperphlet with Louize Gibson Clay Pinch Pot Instructions with Lillian Shipton The Happy Sentinel Newspaper, Explorers Guide to Westburn Woods WHALE’s lockdown cookbook, Risograh printing training manual An Open Source Manifesto for Co Production in Wester Hailes Open Source Designs for socially distant exhibition spaces Webpage with submission and publishing formats for the Press moving forward
SOCIALLY DISTANCED EXHIBITION STRUCTURES Before
the
second
lockdown
we
explored
the
possibilities
of
holding exhibitions and needing mobile and modular structures to create
safe
spaces
within
the
WHALE
building.
Different
boards
and frames were designed with ease of movement and distancing in mind.
The
builds
boards.
include
Though
we
8
stand
have
alone
not
yet
boards, used
4
them
A
frames,
due
to
3
the
Z
fold
second
lockdown restrictions they will be used in the future for both indoor and outdoor exhibitions and events.
VOLUNTEER DAY This
event
was
delivered
in
partnership
with
the
Volunteer
Co-
ordinator as a celebration event for the Volunteers in WHALE. The Volunteer Wall was co-designed and made with the volunteers on the day, and we shared lunch and thank you packs.
MUMS INTO BUSINESS STANDS Before groups.
lockdown During
Morvern
lockdown
met
she
with
worked
all
of
with
the
adult
Mums
into
programme Business
via
zoom and together they co-designed set of business stands which were
laser cut in plywood for their future markets and events.
WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON
TASTER SESSION MICRO GRANTS 5
micro
grants
Freelance
group
of
up
to
leaders
experimentation/trying
£250 as
new
a
will
way
ways
of
be to
made
provide
engaging,
available
to
opportunities a
year
into
the for the
Coronavirus pandemic.
Freelancers will be invited to apply for the grants and applications will open in December. They will close at the end of January, with activities being delivered in February and the first half of March.
OPEN SOURCE & CO-PRODUCTION MANIFESTO Morvern will draw on the projects from within the residency: Coproduction and engagement frameworks / How-To’s / Workshops / Discussions / Designs, to develop the Co-production manifesto.
This
will
community
include by
the
publishing
learning
from
examples
of
participants work
using
and
open
local source
methodologies. Open Source licences will be used and supported, and the possibility for WHALE Arts becoming a licence provider will be explored.