Small Library - Big Ideas - Boston Session 1

The Eloquent Fold, Phiona Richards and I, began our new Open Book project for Transported in Boston Library and were delighted to discover a space full of people waiting to learn new skills and share their ideas, hopes and dreams for the arts in the future in Boston and South Holland. It is a tricky concept to explain but once the folding and stamping had started and with a little encouragement from me, we have found that people were bouncing, sharing and generating lots of interesting ideas. 

The idea is to create two books, one to take away and one to leave as part of the Small Library of Great Ideas, the 14 pages could be filled in one session but we hope that people will join us for as many sessions as possible. This week Phiona demonstrated how to create the book structure and whilst some people folded and stuck, others tried to express their ideas on paper with stamps and drawings.

It was lovely to see people move from bewilderment to excitement, there were lots of animated conversations, links made and good times shared. George came with his Mum, together they fully entered into the creative space their book afforded them, George is a drummer, his Mum has a passion for dance so they decided to call their book BangTap. Phiona and I can't wait to see how they fill the rest of their pages next week.

Next week there will be more book folding in the Reference Room with Phiona and I will be in the main space doing some print making. The transported team will be there to help with the Brewing Up - after all that hard work people deserve nice cuppa! We are loving our Evaluation cards and stamps too!

So next week - prints and books - pages and ideas. Yes you will be making book to keep, but also a book, or at least some pages to leave with us to become part of Boston's Small Library. So if you have skills to share, want to start a group in your area, want to be part of a creative project, this is your chance to get it on the page! The session starts at 10 and continues till 1 but you can stay for as long or as little as you like. You can see more on the Eloquent Fold Facebook Page and 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.  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 Small Library of Big Ideas

Artist Phiona Richards and I will be starting our new Open Book Project for Transported in Boston as The Eloquent Fold. We are really excited to be back in Boston and South Holland and can't wait to meet and make with you!

The project is called A Small Library of Big Ideas and we are hoping to create a selection of small, handmade books to serve as a creative resource. We hope to give people skills, informations, links and confidence to form groups, develop ideas, dream dreams and keep exciting arts activities happening in the future. 

Join us for  the free sessions in Boston Library 

on 25th Aug, 1st, 15th and 22nd Sept 

between 10am and 1pm.

We will have lots of lovely materials to use and skills to share. 

The activities will be fun and a great way to get to know 

other members of your local community!

The Plan

Participants will make two books. One to fill in the library, one to take away and hopefully fill will ideas from friends and family. 

Each book has 14 loose pages each page can be filled with:-

WHAT? - Ideas for arts activities or dream arts activities

WHO?- Information about the skills local people may have that can be harnessed, shared or bought in to make more art happen. This is also a place to put information about artists and groups who have skills, experience and the drive to make great art happen.

WHERE? Share ideas for venues, spaces where art can happen

HOW? We will create pages showing how an arts group can be formed. Who might be able to help get a group started.Where and how funding might be secured.

The pages will be filled during the Library sessions and can be continued at home, you can see the sample book in Boston Library or explore its pages here. If you can't make it to the sessions or if you are creative profeeional, artist / craftsperson and would like your ideas, skills or work to be represented we can send you pages to fill and return to us. Or you can make your own 11cm x 15 cm pages from your own  papers and send them to us or pop into the library and join us a bit of creative Brewing Up - a cuppa and some conversation!

For updates follow The Eloquent Fold Facebook Page

Make & Do Books

The Eloquent Fold will also be creating a Make and Do book for each Library they work in and a series of kits that people can make and do in the Library, so creativity will continue in the Libraries after The Eloquent Fold have left the building! 

Crumbs from The Word Table - Long Sutton Library

After our morning sessions with the public in Long Sutton Library, Phiona Richards and I moved to the foyer of the library to continue working on the artist residency element of our project. 

The arrival of collaged dolls houses, strange stands and printed birds did cause some curiosity and prompted many conversations.

After each Transported day most of the artefacts 

made there way back to my studio

and at one time I had all three word tables in my dining room

which was a bit of a tight squeeze as it's not a large room. 

 As the weeks progressed it has been satisfying to see the pieces taking shape.

 Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

A folded book made by Phiona balance on a book shelf

Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

A painted wooden house balanced on a Phiona Richards

Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

More of Phiona's beautiful paper engineering

Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

created out of our bird prints.

Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

On my first day at University I arrived wearing a floral dress when everyone else in the room was wearing jeans so it seems perfectly in keeping that I am captured drilling holes for the book shelves whilst wear a tea gown!

Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

Phiona and I have been on such an intriguing and interesting journey 

Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

and you can see more images of that journey by following the link 

You can see Phiona's images from the project here

Thank also to the marvellous 'electricegg.co.uk' for allowing me to use some of their images of the project.

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 Eloquent Fold For Transported in Long Sutton

The Eloquent Fold had a marvellous time during our three Tuesdays in Long Sutton Library, a great community resource which has both a sense of space and light combined with quite corners for reading, creativity  and contemplation.

 Each session was a joy as everyone made us feel so welcome.

 

We worked with a wide range of ages

 and managed to attract a few more regular participants,

Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

all of whom had a wide variety of wonderful 

 experiences which they were happy to share with us

After a busy morning creating birds and words 

for our Long Sutton Flock of Words

we continued our tradition of serving tea and cakes in / on vintage china

 ( I always new my passion for cups and saucers would come in handy!)

On our final day our project was documented by Electric Egg 

who did their best to put us at ease whilst recording

 our impressions of the project for Transported

I have a feeling that I might be the voice over part of the video as I managed to stick tissue paper to my face for half of the interview! However the delightful crew were very patient and hopefully captured some of our energy and enthusiasm for our work and for the community members we have the pleasure to meet!

Photo 'electricegg.co.uk'

To see  more images from the session please follow this link

To see all the birds for Long Sutton Flock please follow this link

To see all the Long Sutton story prints please follow this link

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.