Crumbs From The Word Table - Books and Papers

Phiona Richards and I first discovered Crowland Abbey on our travels in Lincolnshire last year and during our Transported Phase 1 Engagement Activites in the local garden centre. To whet your appetite for this very special place you can see photos of the Eleoquent Fold exploring the Abbey with Back To Books in this Flickr set

We also had the opportunity to explore the town itself during our research for this project. We have now realised a cherished ambition and gained access to The Mainspring where we Transported the shop owner with tales of our Transported adventures. We also learnt much about both keeping and repairing time.

Inspired by this box I imagined us Time Travelling

Phiona taking time to talk to a local library user about our collaborative pieces.

While they talked I took notes as many interesting stories flew in around us.

Phiona put together another unusual book

to be held in the hand and installed in a Word table

Phiona piercing one of our bird prints.

I was also busy, clicking, talking and sticking

You can see the progress of our work Crumbs From The Word Table at Crowland Library on Thursday 19th during the afternoon or in this Flickr set  come and share your stories with us whilst we work there again on June 25th. In the afternoons during our Residency you will find us in the foyer where we will be delighted to talk to you about what we are making and about your hopes for the arts in Boston and South Holland.

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, funded by Creative People and Places from Arts Council England.  For more information visit www.transportedart.com.

Flock of Words - Transported - Crowland Library - Session 1

The Eloquent Fold had a wonderful morning in Crowland Library working with the public, creating the second Flock of Words for Transported Open Book project. 

It is a very welcoming library, buzzing with community activity and we had a lovely time sharing stories, some inspired by old maps. It has been fascinating to discover more about how people have come to live in the area and the journeys and places that connect us. 

We have plenty more book board birds to embellish and are looking for more stories, particularly from the Crowland Jackdaws.

Carolina stencilling designs on fabric 

for Crowland Book Snuggles

The Spalding Yellow Belly Book Snuggles

now have buttons on their vests and labels

The Eloquent Fold - Phiona Richards and I will be back at Crowland Library on the 25th June between 10.00 am and 12.30 pm for more comuunity creativity, Cake and Conversation! Please do come and join us! The activities are fun, free and open to all.

In the linked Flickr sets you can see all the Spalding Library birds and words.

and photographs from Crowland Day 1 here 

You can also follow us as we tweet during our workshops 

@Digifem

@RareNotions

@TransportedArt

and I will be adding images to my Flickr page and to my Instagram feed if you'd like to see what we've been doing during our workshops. 

For more information contact 

Rosie Lesurf-Olner, 

Arts Engagement Worker, 

Transported 

07747 271820  

TransportedRosie@litc.org.uk

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, funded by Creative People and Places from Arts Council England.  For more information visit www.transportedart.com.

Another Library, Another Country

In 1995 I collaborated with author Kathy Page on a project to create a portable reading environment for Back To Books which toured parts of the UK in The Year of Reading. Kathy wrote the four short stories and I produced a set of large format prints for three of the stories and a textile interpretation for the fourth. The textile panels were lashed to screens thus creating a snug reading space with chairs, cushions and the four large format books. We wanted to take readers back to that early sensation of falling into a large picture book and the pleasure pages, pictures and words could bring. 

Much of the work putting the books together for the project took place in the former HQ of Corby Community Arts in Canada Square, affectionately known as The Bunker. It was very dark but there was lots of space and Kate Dyer had the kettle at the ready and words of encouragement when the task in hand seemed at it's most daunting. What kept me going was the beauty and mystery of the stories and the doorways to other worlds they created.

Some of those stories along with new work appear in Kathy's most recent collection Paradise and Elsewhere published by Biblioasis. You can read more about Kathy's new book here and one of the stories from the collection here. 

When Kathy and her family moved to Canada there was a long gap where we lost contact, I  remember pondering on this in my former studio in Beanfield Primary School, I was listening to Radio 4 and the Afternoon Story came on. It was one of Kathy's stories, it was her voice!

Shortly afterwards I received an email, out of the blue, from Kathy, via the Saatchi Gallery website where I had uploaded some new work and since then, even though much physical space separates us we have continued to share ideas, take walks together and look at the world in words and images. Kathy has been involved in more recent projects I have coordinated for Back To Books and it has been fascinating to read her new writing. She describes the shaping of the new collection here

I am delighted to have been invited to exhibit a selection of prints from our original project and give a talk about my current practice in the Gallery at Salt Spring Library in Canada, as part of the launch celebrations. 

To quote Kathy 

"I don’t travel frequently, but when I do, it has a powerful and lasting effect on me. I look carefully and think about what I find."

It seems strange that as one project in a series of libraries Lincolnshire ends I'll be making my way to see my friend in her home on Salt Spring Island, talking to her in her local library and revisiting some of my earlier imagery, which was inspired by Kathy's marvellous stories. 

I'm really looking forward to this adventure, new sights and sounds, new people to meet, if you are in the area I hope you'll join us!

Prints from that original project are available here

Flock of Words - Session 3 - Spalding Library

The Eloquent Fold returned to Spalding Library for their third session for the Transported Open Book strand on June 12th and were delighted to meet Mrs Stella Lewis who was a joy and an inspiration. She has had a fascinating life and her stories will be featured on our Flock of Words birds and bird prints. She had family connections with Spalding and moved to the town in 1941, she animatedly took us on a virtual tour of London during the air raids, her career as a Telephonist, Spalding during The Great Frost, introducing us to many bygone local streets, shops and people. She is still an avid reader and was planning to choose a new book to read in her garden. Through the W.I. and other outlets Mrs Lewis has taken a keen interest in creativity, she was fascinated to hear about all the projects Transported has brought to Boston and South Holland.

Happily we also had a very busy table

of happily engaged participants.

Everyone enjoyed the setting

 the wide range of materials 

and it was intriguing to see

the many birds flocking together.

Phiona showed the group how to create paper feathers

more creative thoughts and dreams were captured.

There was much lively discussion about the types of events and activities that participants would like to see happening in Boston and South Holland, drama, singing, creative exploration, all kinds of making and doing!

The Yellow Belly Book Snuggles have been sewn together

and book tags were made. 

Next week in Crowland we will sew buttons on the waist coats and perhaps make some more with Jackdaws as the motif! The Book Snuggles will become a way for people visiting the Library to choose a mystery book to try.

Carolina was as good as her word and brought traditional Spanish almond cake to share, whilst Phiona had been investigating the delights of the local Polish supermarket. 

We would love you to join us in Crowland Library on the 19th of June between 10.00am and 12.30pm.

We can promise Cake and Conversation, birds and words and are keen to hear your stories, please do come and join us! Phiona and I will be continuing to develop our collaborative pieces Crumbs From The Word Table in the afternoon. We look forward to meeting you!

In the linked Flickr sets you can see all the Spalding Library birds and words 

You can also follow us as we tweet during our workshops 

@Digifem

@RareNotions

@TransportedArt

and I will be adding images to my Flickr page and to my Instagram feed if you'd like to see what we've been doing during our workshops. 

For more information contact 

Rosie Lesurf-Olner, 

Arts Engagement Worker, 

Transported 

07747 271820  

TransportedRosie@litc.org.uk

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, funded by Creative People and Places from Arts Council England.  For more information visit www.transportedart.com.

The Visible Mending Tour - Kettering Leg

Visible Mending on Tour at The Green Patch

Lucy Darby from Ground Works and The Green Patch says

"Well worth a wander up to our summerhouse at the minute.. 

An inspiring array of art to enjoy!"

Working on Crumbs From the Word Table

As The Eloquent Fold artist Phiona Richards and I have been continuing to create our collaborative pieces for the Transported Open Book strand. We have chosen blues and mauves for our birds and have made a set of 22 prints which will be cut, stitched, folded and bound in a variety of ways to become a mini art library within each of the bird houses. 

The prints represent birds (or peoples) migrating, seen through the lace curtains, from the armchairs of other people. The birds which were also the printmaking plates will flutter and feast at our Word tables.

We watch, we wait, we land or take flight making new homes, new relationships. Communities are mobile and changing. We are exploring the complex notion of people and place. 

You can see the progress of our work Crumbs From The Word Table at Crowland Library on Thursday 19th during the afternoon or in this Flickr set 

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, funded by Creative People and Places from Arts Council England.  For more information visit www.transportedart.com.

Flock of Words - Session 2 - Spalding Library

The Eloquent Fold were back in Spalding Library for Transported on June 5th gathering more stories of near and far.

We were delighted to meet Carolina who told us she had only been in Spalding seven days. I told her my name, Carole and that I was named after my Great Grandmother whose name was Caroline which everyone shortened to Carrie. This small exchange was a great ice-breaker and linked different places and languages as we imagined our migrating birds flying between continents and time zones.

Carolina also told us that a favourite cake from Spain was an almond cake

which she might make and bring to the next session if she is free.

Phiona and I were also delighted to welcome back two people who had been part of our engagement activities in two different venues during Transported Phase 1. 

We learnt about Polish food and Spalding landmarks whilst baby Arnica snoozed contentedly.

We found out what had drawn people to the area.

After such a busy, creative morning we were glad to stop for tea!

Lovely to finally be using the tea set I chose for my 18th birthday!

This stencil was inspired by the Yellowbelly History book shared with us by one of the Librarians. We discovered that a yellowbelly (or yeller belly) is a person from Lincolnshire, England and you can read some of the explanations why here. The stencil is being applied to fabric book bags which will become part of of Flock of Words piece for the library. As you can see he's holding tulips and is wearing a yellow waistcoat!

In the linked Flickr sets you can see all the Spalding Library birds and words.

We would love you to join us in Spalding Library on the 12th of June between 10.00am and 12.30pm. If you can't join us you can send us your words and we'll add them to a bird or a print for you.

You can also follow us as we tweet during our workshops 

@Digifem

@RareNotions

@TransportedArt

and I will be adding images to my Flickr page and to my Instagram feed if you'd like to see what we've been doing during our workshops. 

For more information contact 

Rosie Lesurf-Olner, 

Arts Engagement Worker, 

Transported 

07747 271820  

TransportedRosie@litc.org.uk

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, funded by Creative People and Places from Arts Council England.  For more information visit www.transportedart.com.