DYCP: Supporting Document
A Tale of Connections, Cooperation and Collaborative Networks
What follows is an online portfolio created specifically for this application to show selected highlights from across the years. It is not an exhaustive list but a full personal CV (up to 2020) of my achievements can be found at https://basementartsproject.com/bruce-davies-cv
The bottom part of this document is designed to be a diary account of my current projects and the progression of these towards the period of development for which I am applying for this DYCP funding. Dependant upon time I shall be attempting to updating on a weekly basis.
Absolutely all cool, It’s actually great to get an insight into the time scale and all that of these projects so one day I’ll have a better idea of it all
So am greatful for your leadership always Thankyou
Hope going fab for you and basements arts- your spreading the word in the coolest wayChloe
CHLOE HARRIS SWA (On working on South Leeds Mural project with me 2021-23)
Opening Statement: My work
”My work looks, primarily, at the relationship between artist, gallery and viewer; how environments can shape the perception and understanding of an artwork and how a space can alter the nature of the work itself. ‘In my practice I utilise whatever means necessary in order to achieve a particular end, this has included pencil, pen and ink drawings, photography, processed sound works, sculpture, films, CCTV loops and built environments.’
Bruce Davies: Recording The Environment pt II. Exhibition at Whitehall Waterfront 2007. (Invigilating my own work)
My work is often, but not always, site specific for matters of aesthetics and practicality. The mode of presentation is always relevant to both subject matter and space. ‘The nature of my practice as an artist has been the driving force behind my curatorial practice.”
An inhabitant of Jamestown, New York interacts with my audio installation book & postcard work ‘Unsentimental Journey’ (2014)
It is my belief that art should be at the heart of our society, a means of communication, entertainment, education, enjoyment and employment. It is this that drives my practice as an artist and as BasementArtsProject. At the centre of this belief is a quote by the author James Baldwin that I always return to . . .
““All cultures have, furthermore, an economic, social, and political base, and no culture can continue to live if its political destiny is not in its own hands. “Any political and social regime which destroys the self-determination of a people also destroys the creative power of that people.” When this has happened the culture of that people has been destroyed. And it is simply not true that the colonizers bring to the colonized a new culture to replace the old one, a culture not being something given to a people, but, on the contrary and by definition, something that they make themselves.”
And the following . . .
“The point of departure for a cultural policy in this sense is not a paternalistic welfare work, which attempts to bring culture to the man, which answers to the norm of the top, but a policy that is directed towards the activation of the culture at the grassroots of society: discovery of its own identity, participation therein, communication.”
Bruce Davies: 艾未未 (2011) Neon
The above work was created to accompany a series of performances that I commissioned for a group project at BasementArtsProject entitled: Speakeasy: art in an age of prohibition.
David Broad performing at Speakeasy. (2011) BasementArtsProject
Working Class Background
The reason why an art movement built within a working class community is so important to me is due to my own upbringing and my parents taking me around our local art gallery, the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, from a very early age. My upbringing was a very working class one and I have been in full-time employment all of my life since the age of 17 (1988), with brief periods of part-time whilst I studied (Wirral Metropolitan College 89-92 & Leeds Metropolitan University 2000-03). I feel that the time has come now that I am not tied to employment to develop both strands of my work: the personal as Bruce Davies in tandem with me as BasementArtsProject. The experience of bringing my own children up over the last 20 years, and my occasional projects within todays primary and secondary schools, indicates an importance in childrens ability to experience art through family or non-educational settings.
Victorian Polyphon at Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, the object that has inspired the direction of my life since first visiting the gallery as a child, aged 5 or thereabouts.
Of course it is important that as artists we move beyond our immediate environment, as that is how we develop, and BasementArtsProject has allowed me to take this idea, along with the work of others to other communities within the UK and elsewhere in the world. Through the use of two strategies centred on the local and the international I hope to be able to introduce the local community to other aspects of the wider art community that they have been hitherto unable to access.
Bruce Davies: Echolocation. (2019)Audio Installation, Performance, Lecture. Williamson Art Gallery & Museum
In 2013 I returned to the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum and made a recording of the aforementioned Victorian Polyphon. The recording I then used as part of a soundscape that I presented at the Reg Lenna Centre for the Arts in Jamestown, New York in 2014. A couple of years later I discovered that the Polyphon was no longer working, so as part of a series of Thursday evening lectures held at the Williamson, I presented a sound installation and gave a performance / lecture as the opening of a fundraiser to get it repaired. The £600 needed was raised and the Polyphon is now restored to its working self, to be enjoyed by the future generations that will experience it.
My Relational / Collaborative Work as BasementArtsProject
Loane Bobillier: Squaring The Circle. Undergraduate Exhibition at BasementArtsProject March 2023.
BasementArtsProject has over the years worked with artists at very different stages of their careers. From the undergraduate, recent graduate and emergent to those with more established names/identities within the art world.
Alistair Woods: Subjected To Change. Recent graduate exhibition at BasementArtsProject May 2014.
After his first solo show, post-graduation at BasementArtsProject Alistair Woods moved to Manchester and set up Depot Art Studios where he works to this day. In 2017 we teamed up with Depot and did two shows: one of Manchester artists at Basement and the other of Leeds Artists at Depot. Woods also took part in the Sluice Biennial 2017 in Hackney, London with BasementArtsProject where he was able to sell work.
Alistair Woods installing his work at Sluice Biennial: Hackney, London 2017. (Work at front by Pippa Eason)
“I strongly believe that opportunities like the ones Bruce made available to students encourages them to stay in the city which helps to grow the local art community, Bruce understands this and not only creates opportunities but actually gives the artists proper support to develop their work. I’ve since gone on to open and run Depot Art Studios in Manchester, providing a space for artists to work in and at times exhibit. I’ve also exhibited many times in the UK as well as internationally and I would credit Bruce for being a part of helping me form a foundation to build on, and see how it’s possible to create opportunities for artists.”
The work of Leeds artists Adam Glatherine (geodesic sculpture) and Paul Digby (drawings) at Depot Art Studios 2017.
As an artist I have run projects with various community centres across Leeds. Over two years, 2017-19, I was resident artist working with the children, aged 3-11, of a South Leeds based Refugee ESOL group from Syria and Afghanistan. The following Look North report looks at the more recent project in which I handed The Basement keys over to 11year old James Tortice for a one-day charity takeover. We raised £550 for West Yorkshire ADHD Support Group and a sick baby named Oscar.
BBC Look North Report on our work with 11yr old James Tortice on a charity fundraiser project.
I have also set up community projects such as ’30: six short films about ritual’ (2015) in collaboration with Leeds Beckett University. Six students were sent out to make films with six family groups in the South Leeds area, then working together with the family members in the editing suites at LBU to produce the films. We also worked with LBU, East Street Arts and the South Leeds community on the #7SecondTour Newspaper in collaboration with British Art Show 7 which involved giving the members of the South Leeds Community guided tours of independent and established galleries around Leeds, followed up with workshops at East Street Arts and LBU to produce the newspaper.
I have been collaborating with many different organisations around the UK/World over the years and in doing so have taken artists work to Liverpool, Manchester, London, Stockholm, Dortmund and Jamestown, New York. I am currently working on a group exhibition that will be happening as part of Platform Projects at Technopolis City: Athens, Greece in October. I will also be curating a studio exhibition at Paradise Works in November as part of the Manchester Contemporary Art Fair.
“As an artist and curator, I have worked with Bruce Davies on various projects since 2014. Bruce has the ability to create a positive working atmosphere due to his approachable manner and accessible way of working, and this is evidenced by our continued professional relationship.
He also listens to the thoughts and ideas of others, making for a positive experience that greatly benefits any project we have worked on together.
In 2020 I opened an art gallery of my own, and my approach to curating and ability to engage with the artists involved in exhibitions has been greatly informed by my time working with Bruce.”
Since founding the Peripheral artist collective in 2006 I have also been behind Divided We Fall (DWF) with James Schofield of Wet Paint collective and the Peripherique lectures at the Henry Moore Institute. I was initially championed by Dr Terry Friedman 1940-2013 (former Principle Keeper at Leeds Art Gallery) who supported my work.
Lockdown . . .
During Lockdown BasementArtsProject had to close its doors. Rather than stay quiet we threw open the pages of our online Studio Journal, usually reserved for documentation of work happening in ‘The Basement’, and instead invited any artists to submit things using it as a platform from which to exhibit. The Lockdown Journal featured in excess of 50 posts by 25 artists. These posts where then networked on social media sites, of which I am a prolific user as BasementArtsProject.
Alongside the individual Lockdown Journal posts we started experimenting with the idea of virtual galleries. Initially with Nick Vaughan whose exhibition was scheduled initially for November 2020 but was eventually realised in the real world post-lockdown at ‘Basement’ in November 2021.
The work ‘Tunnel of Tusks’, which features in our online exhibition, and eventually in the real-world ‘My Kingdom For A Croissant’ exhibition, was selected and exhibited as part of the John Moore’s Painting Prize Virtual Exhibition earlier on in the year.
Nicholas Vaughan: Tunnel. of Tusks (2020) Selected for the John Moores Painting Prize 2021
Similarly, BasementArtsProject had already decided pre-pandemic that for our 10th anniversary we would bring back the first artist to exhibit in the Basement - Kimbal Quist Bumstead. As we could not gather people together at BasementArtsProject due to lockdown we created a project that sent people out into the open air to sit and draw what they could hear with their eyes closed, whilst making an audio recording of it. These were then submitted online and Kim then created an online recreation of ‘The Basement’ using participants submissions. For this we went with a close approximation of ‘The Basement’ rather than creating a cavernous space with monumental scaled sculptures and drawings as we had done with Nick Vaughan’s exhibition.
As the Lockdown came to an end we acknowledged the reticence of the community to re-enter small indoor spaces and staged an exhibition in a garden in North Leeds. This featured a group of artists assembled from projects from across the years; Keith Ackerman, Pippa Eason, Adam Glatherine and Paul Miller plus one new artist in the form of John Barber.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with Bruce as an Artist on several exhibitions over the past 8 years as well as attending many other exhibitions and events at or run by BasementArtsProject. My impression of Bruce as a curator, producer and gallery owner is as follows
Bruce has great creative intuition and insight, grounded in a broad and deep knowledge of artists and artistic movements based on extensive and continuous reading, writing, gallery and studio visits, and personal interactions. Never have I met someone who more fully embodies the concept of life long learning.
Bruce wears this great knowledge and experience lightly, never dominating discussions, but listening warmly and attentively, intermittently offering interesting and appropriate insights and ideas. As a Curator Bruce tends to work with a light touch (yet always willing to have a deeper conversation if called upon) somehow managing to say just the right thing at the right time to pull a project together and give it a more coherent form and greater impact, amplifying the artists voice with his curatorial input without constraining or crushing the flow of ideas. I’ve seen Bruce pull off these light touch curatorial project transformations again and again over the years, both in my own work with him and in his work with others.”
Return to the real . . . .
Exhibition by Slit Collective
“Everyone was super pleased with how you handled everything and thought you were extraordinarily helpful throughout the whole process. We’re super thankful for the time you gave us. Jonny’s exact words to your message were that he wishes you were one of his lecturers at Uni.”
The pandemic was a situation in which those living in poverty lost contact with anything that was not related to survival. South Leeds is in the lowest 1% of the country in economic terms. Whilst we lost much of our local (South Leeds) audience during Lockdown, due to a lack of contact with the community face-to-face, and a lack of internet access within the poorer elements of our audience, we were able to regain them due to the realisation of a project begun in 2019 as part of the Yorkshire Sculpture International / Index Festival of Visual Art. Jacob’s Ladder is a 9ft / 7tonne Tadcaster Limestone public Sculpture by Keith Ackerman, commissioned by BasementArtsProject for a piece of nearby public land.
“A miracle south of the Aire.”
Launch day for Jacob’s Ladder (July 2022)
Jacob’s Ladder has transformed a patch of ground that was a hang-out for drug addicts, fly-tippers and al-fresco pooers into a public garden in which families play and have their lunch.
“We are very privileged to have Basement Arts in South Leeds. You cannot imagine that it exists in what looks like an ordinary house in a area such as this. Very ambitious plans for the Jacob Ladder sculpture seemed unbelievable when I first heard about them. A sculpture here , not in town ? Interesting reading in the article of all the different kinds of people who have watched this project progress. Many other people would love to have had an opportunity to see any sculpture progressing. The experience has touched people’s lives in a way that no-one can predict. Thank you to all involved , changing lives in a different way.”
Keith Ackerman: Jacob’s Ladder. 12 months after installation (July 2023)
“I love this local art, I lost my young husband to cancer a year ago and for me it brings comfort, I think of the stairway to heaven and walking him home. How lovely to have a beautiful visual that I see at least weekly when I’m doing my shopping.
Thanks for making the area better, this is just the same as why so many invest their spare time in our area, making it look better, the bloomers and the womblers. Visually all these things make a huge difference creating a ripple effect of positivity creating a more positive community little by little.
Thanks for everyone who gives their time to make Beeston a great place to live.”
This image relates to the letter of support supplied by Dominic Hopkinson. The work on the left was made for his exhibition at BasementArtsProject on Aperiodic Tiling in 3 dimensions. This is the work expanded to 3 pieces and exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
“Just to say, I love getting your email
I think what you’re doing is sensational. I’m sure it’s exhausting but knowing BasementArtsProject is alive and kicking makes my life better.”
We have four more public art projects that we are currently working on . . .
Paul Digby: Looking To The Future: Emily. We are currently co-producing this with Paul for an as yet undecided public location. The end location is being chosen in collaboration with the public through consultation and workshops.
A mural for this wall by Chloe Harris (30yards up the road on the right is where Jacob’s Ladder is located)
We are currently negotiating with the landowners of this site for the landscaping and siting of a sculpture on this piece of land next to Jacob’s Ladder. The sculpture has already been made by Dominic Hopkinson and is just awaiting permission and installation.
And, a sculpture for this site by artist Annabelle Richmond-Wright. We have permission for this piece and some of the money raised but are waiting to hear what structural changes are being made to the plinth before we finalise the design. The final design will incorporate cast pieces from public workshops being run by BasementArtsProject in conjunction with the artist. (This junction is about 10 yards further up the road from Jacob’s Ladder.)
Three of the four projects above will contribute to what I am referring to as a Cultural Gateway for Leeds, standing as this junction does, between Leeds & Wakefield/ The South -the M621 being about 200 yards down the road from the three works to be located on Tunstall Road. Regeneration of this kind through art would be a fortuitous thing in relation to the Yorkshire Sculpture International events which happen in Leeds and Wakefield.
People are already in the habit of stopping off at Jacob’s Ladder when returning to Leeds by car from Hepworth/YSP. I know this through conversations with people when I am on the land.
BasementArtsProject late 2023 and beyond . . .
Griet Bayeart (Leeds) & Silvia Liebig (Dortmund) September 2024
Clare Angel-Bonner (Australia): Home: Lost and Found (Concert) Sept 2023
October 2023
Summer’ End (9 nights / 9x 1hr long events to celebrate the end of summer) TBC 27th Oct - 4th Nov 2023
Funding dependent - applications submitted to organisations.
Slit Collective (Poetry/Music) Confirmed Sheffield
Paul Miller (Light & Sound installation on Jacob’s Ladder) TBC dependent upon funding South Leeds
BugTeeth (Gig) Confirmed Leeds
FROG & L.A.S.H (Performance art and Gig) Confirmed Manchester
PearlNatasha (Singer/songwriter) Confirmed dependent upon funding South Leeds
Adil (DJ) Confirmed South Leeds
Chris Sharkey (Gig) Confirmed dependent upon funding Leeds
Conor McLeland (Gig) Confirmed Leeds
9th night TBC
Annabelle Richmond-Wright (South Leeds) November 2023
Saturation Point (London) March 2024
Moeshe Robinson (Leeds) November 2024
ALSO. . .
Lou Hazelwood (Hull): Blank_ Gallery, Leeds City College 2024
Kristina Nenova (Leeds) 2024
Keith Ackerman (Leeds) 2024
3D visualisation by Bruce Davies: preparation of Torridan Limestone for a new work by Keith Ackerman for his Basement exhibition in 2024
“I am working towards an exhibition at BasementArtsProject in July 2024. Ideas for one series of sculptures is fairly well developed with 2 pieces ready, and another possible series is beginning to evolve.
In order to make further sculptures for the exhibition I had selected some pieces of Torridon sandstone from a quarry in the Western Highlands of Scotland.
Bruce and I looked at these pieces of rock and discussed how they would compliment and build on the two completed sculptures.
Having started carving the stone on Monday 7th August 2024 we had a further discussion, artist to artist. I was still not really sure where the piece was going and if/how it linked with the other series of work intended for the exhibition.
The conversation was very helpful. It was an example of a process I find useful when developing an idea for a carving: a conversation with a person whose opinion I value and Bruce’s opinions are always insightful. We throw ideas, about the sculpture, backwards and forwards, trying to fine tune the final concept.
I really value being able to evolve my artistic ideas in this way with Bruce and hope to have many more opportunities to do so in the near future.
”
Dr Simon Woolham (Manchester) 2024
The Frog (Simon Woolham) at Warrington Art Gallery
Helen M Wood (Leeds) TBC 2025
Dortmund Group 2025
Lunchtime Conversation Events
The importance of art in informal, social settings. The Lunchtime Conversations are frequent events in which I cook a meal for the community and invite them to visit exhibitions an meet / chat with the artist about their exhibition.
“The lunchtime conversation was great,really friendly and welcoming. I really learnt a lot from the artist Dominic,his passion really shone through. Such a gem of a place in Beeston,with such a fantastic concept, we are so lucky!”
Some Testimonials
“Great space to present and see art; this long running project showcases local, national and international artists. Part of Leeds’ long artist history, this interesting venue is curated by someone who actually cares about creative expression, as a host who supports the artist vision”
“I love your set up and the way you open up your house to people. Many people say it but you actually do it...making a huge difference to your community and the art scene. Strictly DIY and with no comprise - you sir are punk as ****!”
“Thank you very much for the tour round and explanation of the Paul Walsh exhibition which I found both moving and thought provoking.
I think it is an excellent exhibition which works very well in the special atmosphere of BasementArtsProject”
“Graeme and I also thought Basement Arts Project is a really exciting idea and look forward to seeing more of the exhibitions on show. If one of the aims is to build local engagement with art then its working well”
Directions for my own work . . .
Jeffrey Knopf: Tears (2023) The Metaphorical Museum and a return to The Underworld. 3D visualisation created by Bruce Davies.
The recent exhibition at BasementArtsProject by Jeffrey Knopf (Manchester) and subsequent conversations have inspired me to look at the idea of 3D representation, virtual galleries and the possibilities of sonic worlds within that. I would see this as a step towards creating work that can stand on it’s own, and be brought into the real world only when needed, therefore looking at exhibition possibilities, scale and sustainability issues, something that I as an individual and as BasementArtsProject is keen on. Even Jacob’s Ladder was done in an environmentally sustainable manner: sourcing materials locally, doing as much by hand as possible and using material that had already been quarried.
Keith Ackerman: Jacob’s Ladder (2019-22). 3D visualisation by Jeffrey Knopf
As indicated in my application about the relational nature of my work as both an artist and as Basement this aspect runs through not just my work and that of Jeffrey Knopf but relates also to other artists. A recent exhibition by Edward Mortimer looked at the digital aspect of production, 3D printing and the possibilities for exhibiting further afield through this technology.
This alongside virtual galleries has implications for ideas around corporate sponsorship, other types of funding and more effective representation of artists through BasementArtsProject on a larger scale. We will be exploring this further in our November exhibition at Paradise Works as part of this years Manchester Contemporary Art Fair.
Clay original and 3D Print version. Edward Mortimer: Crazy Eddie’s Bargain Basement. (Jan 2023)
BasementArtsProject publication enters the library of the Henry Moore Institute (2014)
BasementArtsProject’s second publication is also in the HMI library and due to its ISBN is also on record at The British Library.
DIARY
Progress since submitting application
Video test piece from 3D scan
Creating environments using found objects that I can then use in film formats (as in this test) and as 3D obj files.
Next step to start working on audio files and virtual gallery environment in which to present them in a way that the scale can be played with between the films and the original 3D object.
14.08.23 Development meeting with Keith Ackerman regarding work for his 2024 exhibition
18.08.23 I have decided that our first. foray into the realm of classical music should be dedicated to Basement supporter and Leeds Art scene stalwart who died last December. I have designed the Programme for the evening event. I will be organising an ArtWalk around Leeds venues on 10th December -one year on since her death.
21.08.23 Takedown BasementArtsProject / Blank_ Gallery project ‘Route Motif’ by Chloe Harris
21.08.23 After de-install we return Chloe’s work to Manchester and combine this with a Studio Visit to ParadiseWorks Manchester, with several of this years Basement exhibitors (Chloe Harris, Keith Ackerman, John Barber and writer Amy Kitchingman) that I am considering for a collaborative project with studio holder Jeffrey Knopf as part of Manchester Contemporary Art Fair. (Spot the 3D print of Gilbert & George)
24.08.23 Started to take delivery of works going to Athens in October for SCIBase collaboration
23.08.23 Spent day developing ideas for online 3D Virtual Gallery for Personal Practice work.
Also a Zoom meeting with Jeffrey knopf to discuss further ideas for Manchester Contemporary Art Fair (Nov) based on the idea of The Metaphorical Basement - based on his Metaphorical Museum (June at Basement) and a potted history of Basement in real-world space (Jeff’s white wall studio) and online
Also good news from Leeds City Council Housing Department regarding Chloe Harris mural (Route Motif). We are a step closer to getting £3.5k for that project. Likely that we will complete this during summer 2024 in good weather and longer days.
24.08.23 Mentoring day with Edward Mortimer regarding developments around his plans based on 3D scanning and printing
Visually, a dull week this week so far . . . .
Henry Moore Foundation application completed and submitted towards Annabelle Richmond-Wright public sculpture project to start January 2024
Webpages created for Annabelle Richmond-Wright exhibition at Basement in November 23 and Fray exhibition by Ruby Waterhouse in October 23
After two years of negotiating the £3.5K funding pot with LCC Housing the street art commission has finally been put out to tender. Hopefully we will hear back soon if our project with Chloe Harris will receive the commission
Paul Hamlyn Foundation application started
More eventbrite sales for Clare Angel Bonner concert
Letter to Directors of CarterTowler to negotiate the use of land for Dominic Hopkinson sculpture (ongoing)
Meeting Paul Digby regarding a 2024 project in collaboration with Leeds Adult Education Centres as well as updates on where. we are at with Emily (nurse sculpture) - Awards For All decision due 17th September (or 17th October if they are still working on a 16 week turnaround for decisions)
Awaiting decision on funding application from LCC International Relations regarding travel and per diem funding for our Dortmund related project Sept 2023
01.09.23 Another Mentoring Day with Ed Mortimer assisting with his website designs and documentation
Started work on ‘The Metaphorical Basement’ collaboration with Jeffrey knopf - this will be an online site and an exhibition entitled ‘Six Degrees of Separation"‘ in the studio of Knopf at Paradise Works in Manchester as part of the Manchester Contemporary in November this year. This idea will then feed into an idea for a resource for workshops with schools that I am making contact with in South Leeds. This could extend to being an online resource for schools, colleges, universities and adult education centres. I am looking to get Edward Mortimer involved in this aspect too.
I am a governor at Cockburn John Charles Academy in South Leeds, and Deborah Davies (my wife and a member of the Board of Directors) is a teacher at Beeston Hill St Luke’s also in South Leeds. We already have made inroads in terms of dialogue with these schools. I am also working on Hunslet Moore Primary and New Bewerley Community School, all within 15mins walk of BasementArtsProject to try and formalise a structure for regular input with extra curricular art projects.
05.09.23 Some more practice and experimentation with 3D scanning process in relation to my own work. This time objects under low lighting conditions
Bust of Wyndham Lewis
06.09.23/07.09.23 Installation and Opening of Junction exhibition by Griet Beyaert and Silvia Liebig
Advert for Junction project
12.09.23 Studio visit to Paradise Works to introduce two of the artists (Jeff Knoff and Sharon McDonagh who will be collaborating as part of our Manchester Contemporary show in November.
13.09.23 Again, not a particularly visual day, but one spent gathering sounds from my archive of field recordings to start assembling some of my own collage pieces.
14.09.23 Another planning day. Visited Lou Hazelwood in Sheffield to catch-up with her on plans for Basement’s collaborative project with Blank_ Gallery at Leeds City College in 2024
15.09.23. Spent the day preparing some prints for a raffle celebrating the 100th edition of South Leeds Life (a local newspaper of which I am a director). Prints depicting the local community and some of its members hot of the press courtesy of our current Dortmund based artist Silvia Liebig
16.09.23. Day spent on funding applications and preparing for a Community Coffee Morning at BasementArtsProject tomorrow
19.09.23 A productive meeting today with one of our 3 councillors regarding progress and directions for next years 2 sculpture (Dominic Hopkinson and Annabelle Richmond-Wright) and mural (Chloe Harris). We now seem to have formal agreements for 2 out of 3
Arranged meeting with an organisation regarding core funding for BasementArtsProject for 10am tomorrow morning
Submitted application to ArtFund to be listed as a Professional account through them
Spent a couple of hours with Keith and John working on the polishing of the last of the two benches in our sculpture park ahead of next weeks concert.
20.09.23 Kept Basement open. Thinking about virtual environments and spent some time creating some more practice 3D scan films. Looking now at how sound fits into this format
3D scan film Test
21.09.23 Kept Basement open, chatted to numerous visitors. A very busy day.
After closing at 2pm went over for a project development meeting with Keith Ackerman about his as yet untitled exhibition/project for Basement in 2024
22.09.23 Kept Basement open. Sorted out the printing for the Programme for next Thursday’s concerts on ‘The Corner’ and at Basement. Also sent out the personal invitations.
Spoke to local councillors about the art provision through Dewsbury Road Town Team. I will be meeting with them in early October
More Progress updates next Friday . . .
It has been a couple of weeks since I managed to update the diary as it has been. a period of installation / marketing / gigs and openings for Basement
FREE COMMUNITY GIG IN SOUTH LEEDS AT JACOB’S LADDER BY CLAIRE ANGEL BONNER
With another paying gig across the road at BasementArtsProject that evening to raise money in support of her tour of UK, Australia, France, Switzerland and Italy.
Several comments from people who stopped when passing by along the lines of - “you don’t often see this kind of thing in South Leeds”
Installation of Fray exhibition with Curator/Artist Ruby Waterhouse
Some advertising and an opening night with DJ’s
10.11.23 Had my first meeting with the Dewsbury Road Town Team and discussed my vision for a strategic art plan for this particular part of South Leeds and how it could relate to the businesses on Dewsbury Road. I have been invited to attend the December meeting. A vote will be taken at some point as to whether I can be accepted as a full member of the board
11.10.23 Managed to hit three funding deadlines for applications
12.10.23 Shipped work to Greece to be installed by a colleague for Athens project at Technopolis City which opens next weekend
13.10.23 Started work on planning and making work for The Metaphorical Basement: Degrees of Separation exhibition at Paradise Works as part of Manchester Contemporary. I will be acting as technician on several collaborative works being made for the show by past exhibitors at Basement as well as including work of my own in it, for the first time in a number of years.
14.10.23 Started work on editing together a video of Claire Angel Bonner’s two performances
16.10.23 Also, started work as a technician for a collaborative piece between two of the artists involved in the Metaphorical Basement - Jeffrey Knopf & John Barber
Carrera Marble cores from the. making of John Barber’s Holy Polygons piece. To be 3D printed by JK
Admin stuff over last few days and meetings with various artists whilst keeping Basement open to the public and talking with visitors
18.10.23 Today started work on creating images for the Metaphorical Basement
Also, booked another exhibition for the Basement in 2024 today