A Small Library of Big Ideas - Transported - Open Book - The Eloquent Fold - Session Three

The Eloquent Fold were delighted to be back in Boston Library for the third of four sessions making books for Open Book project for transported - A Small Library of Big Ideas.

Phiona Richards had prepared a sheet to help participants structure their book pages and explain their Great Idea, whilst I did lots of enthusiastic talking, gesturing and encouraging. We shared out the pages made so far and looked at the prints made in the last session, to see how to trim them and include them in the books.

There was an air of quite concentration as people began to breathe life and energy into their ideas. Having time to learn how to make the book, prints and create pages and plan out an idea or series of ideas has been really good and we have loved seeing our regular participants each week. 

There were conversations, connections and friendships being formed as ideas were shared. Giving ideas a chance to brew up and percolate through has meant that people have time to think, dream, plan in the hopes of future making and doing in the area. 

Here is Phiona deep in conversation, exploring ideas for possible Graffiti project. If you have an idea that might fill a page or a whole book please come and join us in Boston Library on Tuesday 22nd September. Our next set of four workshops will be in Long Sutton Library commencing October 6th 10am - 1.00pm. They are free, friendly and fun so do please come along!

Amanda made an intriguing book which you can view here

and we can't wait to read the Steam Punk Festival 

book when it is finished next week!

Transported and the Eloquent Fold would also like to invite all artists from the Lincolnshire area to contribute business cards for our project, 'A Small Library of Big Ideas'. 

   

The project consists of twelve free workshops divided between the libraries of Boston, Long Sutton and Spalding, which are taking place from August to November 2015. The sessions allow participants to create two books: one to leave in the library, and one to take away. Participants use bookmaking and printing skills to explore and realise their big ideas, which could range from things that they might like to change in their area to projects that they would like to make happen.

The Eloquent Fold, would like the books left in the library to provide a networking resource for the local area, allowing users to learn from one another's ideas, be able to access 'how to instructions' for simple craft activities, and to learn where they can find out about local artists. For the latter books, Phiona and Carole thought it would be useful to promote local artists through their business cards, which could be left in pockets sewn onto the pages. 

   

If you would be interested in being included in the artist networking books, please send about twelve business cards (which would leave four for each library) to Grace Osbourne, Transported, Holbeach St Marks Community Association Building, Sluice Road, Holbeach St Marks, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE12 8HF before 31st October 2015. A Small Library of Big Ideas is part of  Transported - Open Book - Creative People and Places

Transported is a strategic, community-focused programme which aims to get more people in Boston Borough and South Holland enjoying and participating in arts activities.  It is overseen by a Management Group, a sub-committee of Leisure in the Community, with artsNK as its lead organisation.  It is funded by the Creative People and Places fund from Arts Council England.

The Eloquent Fold at Boston Library for the Small Library of Big Ideas - 2nd session

Read Phiona Richards lovely Blog Post about the day here and see the full photo set here. Don't forget to check out The Eloquent Fold's Facebook page too!

A Small Library of Big Ideas is part of  Transported - Open Book - Creative People and Places

Transported is a strategic, community-focused programme which aims to get more people in Boston Borough and South Holland enjoying and participating in arts activities.  It is overseen by a Management Group, a sub-committee of Leisure in the Community, with artsNK as its lead organisation.  It is funded by the Creative People and Places fund from Arts Council England.

Pop-up Shop, Transported Art, Holbeach

This was one of The Eloquent Fold's favourite venues

the space had been transformed by artist / co-ordinator Carol Parker

and a team of local artists and we were delighted to see more work by Angela Daymond who runs Fenland Textile Studio and had been introducing local people to the delights of dying with woad. We had had the pleasure of working with Angela during our day at Crowland Garden Centre.

During the course of the day we learnt just how 

much this venue and the summer of creative activities 

had meant to the local community.

When asked many of the adults said they would 

love to volunteer to help run the space in the future

saying that "this has been a life saver, we wouldn't have got through the summer with Carol, the other artists and the Pop-up Shop!". Children in the area are lively, creative, bustling but the town centre seems quiet, with many shops that have closed. Sadly both Pop-up Shops connected with the Transported Art Engagement Program were only ever envisaged as temporary. 

This shop in Holbeach was a rare gem of a space, a beating heart, a place that drew the community to it in a profound and meaningful way. You can get a flavour of this magical space and how the Eloquent Fold engaged with the community in this Flickr set 

However the redoubtable Carol Parker and fellow artist Amylee Handmade have transformed a new space, unconnected with Transported Art, in Spalding. If you are in the area check out for Art On the High Street, 24 The Crescent, Town Centre, Spalding PE11 1AF which will be open for three months from 14th October.

Transported Art Pop-up Shop, Boston

Market Day in Boston

The Eloquent Fold were back in Transported Art Pop-up Shop

It was a hub of fun and activity

as participants were invited to draw and paint

on unwanted book papers

Phiona and I were also delighted to have the 

opportunity to meet Dan Thompson

the founder of the Empty Shops Network

We shared stories, we investigated wishes and dreams for the arts in Boston and South Holland, we had fun and hopefully encouraged local people to make their mark!

You can see images from the day here

Sewing the Seeds

Phiona Richards and I took this activity to two venues Spalding Library and Crowland Garden Centre. We were originally due to work on a stall in Spalding Market but on the day of our visit the weather took a massive turn for the worse, wind, rain, leaden skies. 

Before we set out we made frantic calls to Nicola our Transported Art Coordinator to see what could be done. Thankfully Spalding Library were delighted to offer us a space in the entrance so there would be no escaping us!

Participants were invited create seed packets and flowers

 from maps / recycled papers, personal memorabilia, local ephemera,

found papers and were able to choose how much layering and complexity would be involved in their design.

The a seed packets were filled with bee friendly British wild flower seeds which they could take away and plant. The planting aspect is both a symbolic and practical transformative activity. Through this activity we hope to show people that they have the power to transform lives and neglected spaces. 

We were situated in the Restaurant at Crowland Garden Centre and were further challenged as the venue had been cut off from the main traffic by the relatively new by-pass. It's hard to bounce up to people and interupt their lunch and their social time but by taking a basket of seed packets to the tables we were able to overcome many barriers and met some wonderful people. 

You can set Flickr sets from this activity here and here

Pin A Petal

For this Transported Art engagement activity Phiona Richards and I found ourselves in Wyberon Parish Hall, once the sat-nav managed to make sense of the lay of the land! We were in a great community space which, in many ways, was tucked away from the community. There was a team of Social Workers having a training day in another room, so tantalising to have so many people in the building but unfortunately they didn't have a spare moment to join us. We did meet some wonderful local family members who spent a very happy and productive afternoon folding and shaping paper with us.

Participants created abstract flower corsages  

from maps / recycled or fabric papers, personal memorabilia,

 local ephemera, found papers, button and brads.

We have been living in a throwaway society, 

through this activity we hoped to show people 

that they have the power to transform unwanted papers

into something beautiful.

You can see the Flickr set from this activity here

Creating the Origami Fleet

For our second Transported Art public engagement day Phiona Richards and I were Eloquently Folding in a walkway in the Springfields Shopping Centre. This was a challenging venue as many people were from outside of Lincolnshire and were set on shopping and it took all our inventiveness to encourage the passing public to engage with us! 

Before arriving we decided we need eye-catching head gear so Phiona bedecked a straw hat with flowers and I made a very loud, very large floral band. To draw people in further we sat on the Transported deck chairs or stood folding origami boats, gradually building a small flotilla in front of out stand. As the day progressed people became intrigued rather than alarmed by our colourful presence.

Whilst folding our researchers were able to ask

"How would you like to be Transported?"

Participants with their hinking caps on!

This was a difficult pitch but as you can see, by the end of the day we were 

swapping hats and stories, creating boats, sharing laughter and ideas. 

Phiona demonstrated just how skilful her paper folding is 

with these delightful, tiny paper boats!

We wanted to create a fleet of origami boats, which would hark back to ships, sailing, export, import, exploration and adventure, all elements we associated with the history of the area. 

The boats were installed on a reflective surface the Transported Pop-up Shop in Boston. Participants had a range of delightful materials to work with, many of which had had another life or purpose. 

We included maps and stamps in order to draw out memories and reflections of travel, place of origin, destinations and dreams, all of which we saw as being at the heart of Transported.

There are times when we all feel stuck but access to the arts offers people the opportunity to take the imaginative journeys, which can transform lives, enriching our interaction with the world and each other. The boats are a symbol of the journeys Transported Art hope to create and that the community can join with.

You can see Flickr sets from this activity here and here