Waveney & Blyth Arts

Creatively connecting people with place along the Norfolk/Suffolk border

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Harleston’s Link to the Mayflower

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400 years ago the merchant ship Mayflower left Plymouth carrying 102 passengers, a mix of merchant adventurers and religious separatists seeking a Promised Land, to start a new life in America. Amongst them were two brothers from Harleston, Thomas and Samuel Fuller, and this connection has led to an 18-month project to research and bring to life their amazing story.

On SATURDAY 10 JULY a free LIVING-HISTORY EVENT will take place around Harleston Town Centre between 11am – 12.30pm. Actors will bring to life Harleston residents who lived during the early 17th century, including Thomas and Samuel’s elder brother, the local gentry and the town’s brush with the Plague in 1626. At 12.45 there will be a procession around the town centre.

On SATURDAY 17 & SUNDAY 18 JULY at 2.30pm and 7pm there will be outdoor performances of 1620: A NEW WORLD ODYSSEY, a new play about the Fuller brothers and the extraordinary story of the settlers. On Harleston Recreation Ground IP20 9DD. Tickets: Adults £9, 10-18 years £4, under 10s free available from Robinson’s Traditional Stationers and www.harlestonplayers.co.uk.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Norfolk County Council, South Norfolk Council and Redenhall with Harleston Town Council.

Recent W&BA member Bill Jackson scoops awards with Float

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Bill Jackson joined as a W&BA member recently and his latest work FLOAT has been selected by the Venice Shorts Film Awards, Osaka in Japan and is through to the semi-final of the London Independent Film Awards.

FLOAT was created during the forced isolation of the Covid-19 lockdown when the issues of being out of control of one’s own daily life and the compulsion to maintain control was a daily struggle.

Exhibited at The Cut in the Malt Room Gallery between various lockdowns Bill explains, FLOAT is a new iteration of my work considering time & space through still, moving images, and soundscapes. My line of vision during the pandemic shifted from eye level to the open skies and the constant movement of clouds. The distant view, towards the horizon and upwards to space, transports us from the close detail of real danger and uncertainty to beauty and a sense of freedom. The physical and emotional connection with the natural world brought a new sense of what it’s like to be a creative individual.’

You can view the trailer here

Bill will be talking to fellow artist, Kasia Posen, as part of The Cut Digital series of artists talks.

Friday 28 May 6pm

You can book tickets and learn more here.

W&BA Events & Marketing Coordinator

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This is a short-term post to assist the W&BA Recovery Group steer the organisation through this uncertain period.

A limited programme of activities is being planned for 2021 – primarily Sculpture in the Valley at Potton Hall near Westleton in April, Spell Songs in the Green, on Halesworth Millennium Green in mid-June, Two Rivers Book Festival in August/September and a number of themed walks. Each of these strands will be overseen by a member of the Recovery Group, assisted by the Coordinator. The future of the organisation will be determined by the Management Committee in October 2021 in the light of the pandemic and resources available.

We are looking for someone with a proven track record in planning and promoting arts events, and in using web-based and social media tools to communicate with audiences. An understanding of strategic arts marketing issues and a network of relevant local contacts are also essential. Knowledge of the W&BA area is assumed.

W&BA will issue a freelance contract for this work and the actual hours will be determined by the contractor within the fee agreed. Initially this will be for 7 months (December 2020 to June 2021) with an intention of extending it to October if sufficient resources are available. They will be responsible for their own tax. A travel budget will be available.

Main responsibilities:

  1. Coordinating the effective delivery of Sculpture in the Valley/SITV (1 April – 3 May 2021), and Spell Songs in the Green/SSIG (12 June) including:

    • With Project Leads and site managers undertake a risk assessment of all aspects of the events and put in place measures to mitigate risk and ensure compliance with current government guidance
    • Take necessary steps to ensure maximum accessibility within resources available
    • Liaise with exhibiting artists regarding the installation and take-down of SITV and with the curator regarding siting of artworks
    • Liaise with SITV site manager and volunteer coordinator about day-to-day running and briefing box-office volunteers to ensure they are properly informed, supported and suitably skilled
    • Liaise with book-keeper to ensure agreed record-keeping and money-handling procedures for SITV are followed
    • Liaise with SSIG Project Lead and creative team to ensure public performances are managed smoothly and that communications with volunteers and audience are clear and effective
  2. Develop and lead on a marketing strategy for 2021 to promote these and other agreed events, and to increase WBA’s profile, visibility and sustainability
  3. Deliver this strategy through use of press and media outlets, social media platforms, printed publicity, website listings, production of W&BA newsletter (frequency to be agreed) and regular updating of W&BA website
  4. Extend WBA’s reach through networking and existing contacts and connections
  5. Lead on production of project-specific promotional material by agreed deadlines, including briefing designer/printers about design and print for posters, flyers and Trail Guide, for SITV, Spell Songs and Two Rivers Book Festival
  6. Coordinate distribution of printed publicity material
  7. Other activities deemed to fall within the remit of this contract, as agreed in advance, including reporting to Recovery Group meetings, as agreed.

Contract terms:

December 2020 to June 2021 at £850pm (equivalent of 55hrs pm @ £15.45ph). The contract may be extended on similar terms to October 2021 to cover Two Rivers Book Festival and walks programme, if sufficient resources have become available through the Recovery Group’s fundraising efforts and net income from SITV.

Payments will be paid monthly on presentation of an invoice and with a note of hours worked.

The contractor will be expected to work from home or their own office, and have access to private transport to enable travel around this rural area. 

A travel budget will be agreed, to be claimed using an expenses claim form with a breakdown of journeys.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will be agreed with the contractor once a budget has been finalised. These will include number of visitors/audience members for SITV and SSIG, number of existing and new members signed up for 2021, extent of press and media coverage. 

A DBS check of the appointed contractor may be required.

Application will be accompanied by a supporting statement of no more than one A4 page, including contact details and setting out relevant experience and track record and how this work would fit with any other current  work commitments, plus an up to date CV. Send as an attachment to info@waveneyandblytharts.com 

Closing date for applications 5pm on Monday 16 November.

Please be available for a Zoom interview on the morning of Wednesday 18th November – let us know when applying if this is not possible.

The position will be confirmed on Friday 20th November and the start date will be after 1st December, to be agreed through negotiation.

Poet remote workshop brief, July 2020

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Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Sustainable Development Fund supported video project based at Blythburgh Church, Suffolk

Please note, this opportunity is currently only open to W&BA members. Membership is £15 a year, providing many benefits for working artists. It can be purchased via our membership page.

Background

A series of videos will be commissioned by Waveney & Blyth Arts (W&BA) and created by an Ecologist, Artist(s) and Poet taking inspiration from the landscape and species found at the Blythburgh Holy Trinity Church site in Suffolk. The aim of the video series is to creatively engage people within the natural landscape, which is also the organisational aim of Waveney & Blyth Arts.

The project is part of our ‘Bugs & Blossoms’ programme of events, taking a creative look at biodiversity in our patch. See https://waveneyandblytharts.com/bioblitz-arts-may-2020/ for a blog on the project and sample poem from our Vice Chair, Melinda Appleby.

The videos will encourage participants to take notice of nature, learn more about the Blythburgh Church site and surrounding areas in the AONB and encourage (safe) visits.

Outline

We are seeking a Poet to record an on-site video for families and adults.

Editing of this video will be done in-house and will not be the responsibility of the Poet. The Poet will provide multiple clips or a longer video for editing. The video will either be edited as one longer piece, or cropped into bite-sized videos, which cover a series of prompts, approaches or methods of taking inspiration from the Blythburgh Church site and surrounding areas to create original poetry. The video will be edited down to c. 20 minutes, so please supply adequate filmed material to work from.

The workshop video will be published on the W&BA YouTube, website and across our social media sites.

The successful poet will be paid a commission of £100 for recording the video inclusive of prep time. There is an additional budget for materials and for travel at £0.25p per mile for research visits to the site, if required – these will need to be pre-agreed with W&BA prior to claiming.

We ask that the selected Poet have the following: 

  • Access to a suitable video recording device to record on-site 
  • Poetry facilitating skills with a clear and engaging communication approach 
  • Take into consideration the limited materials that people will have access to at home to take part – keep it simple but imaginative
  • Create a poetry workshop with easy to follow approaches which will respond to the Blythburgh Holy Trinity Church and surrounding landscape 
  • Be familiar with the Suffolk Coast AONB area

The selected artists will be provided with support to work up a suitable plan with resources from Suffolk Coast AONB.

Timeline

  • Deadline for proposals: Friday 14th August at 5pm 
  • Poet notified of selection and arrange an informal phone/Zoom meeting to discuss project plan: 17th – 19th August (tbc) 
  • Plan presented to W&BA committee for confirmation: 20th – 21st August 
  • Filming by Poet: 22nd August – 4th September 
  • Deadline for filmed material: Friday 4th September at 5pm 
  • Broadcast via W&BA: w/c 14th September (tbc)

Submit an application

Applications are welcome from professional and non-professional poets but you must be a member of W&BA to be eligible.

We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups in the arts, including people with disabilities, Black and Minority Ethnic groups and those identifying as LGBTQ+, or other protected characteristics.

To apply, please submit a written proposal (up to 400 words) or a video proposal (maximum 3 minutes).
Please outline in your application:

  • Your relevant experience – poetry engagement or workshops; family and intergeneration projects; writing projects inspired by place, nature and environment 
  • Your workshop idea – how you will make this clear, accessible and enjoyable for people to take part in 
  • If you are an existing member of W&BA, Suffolk Poetry society or other local poetry based in Norfolk/Suffolk

We would also welcome a short overview of your work and a CV.

Applications should be emailed to info@waveneyandblytharts.com.

The deadline for this opportunity is Friday 14th August at 5pm. Please make sure you can meet the dates outlined in the timeline above.

 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Artist remote workshop brief, July 2020

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Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Sustainable Development Fund supported video project based at Blythburgh Church, Suffolk

Please note, this opportunity is currently only open to W&BA members. Membership is £15 a year, providing many benefits for working artists. It can be purchased via our membership page.

Background

A series of videos will be commissioned by Waveney & Blyth Arts (W&BA) and created by an Ecologist, Artist(s) and Poet(s) taking inspiration from the landscape and species found at the Blythburgh Holy Trinity Church site in Suffolk. The aim of the video series is to creatively engage people within the natural landscape, which is also the organisational aim of Waveney & Blyth Arts. 

The project is part of our ‘Bugs & Blossoms’ programme of events, taking a creative look at biodiversity in our patch.

The videos will encourage people to take notice of nature, learn more about the Blythburgh Church site and surrounding areas in the AONB, and encourage (safe) visits.

 

Outline

We are seeking 2 x Professional Artists to each facilitate a live 1-hour Zoom art workshop for families and adults. The activity will take inspiration from the Blythburgh Church site and surrounding areas.

The workshop will be recorded so that it can be shared to a wider audience later in the year.

The project has now commenced and we would like the Zoom art workshops to take place in August 2020, at a mutually convenient date as agreed with W&BA and the selected artists.

The 2 x successful artists will be paid a commission of £100 for a 1 hour online workshop inclusive of prep time. There is an additional budget for materials and for travel at £0.25p per mile for research visits to the site, if required – these will need to be pre-agreed with W&BA prior to claiming. 

We ask that the selected artists have the following:

  • Zoom application on their computer with a good, reliable internet connection
  • Art facilitating skills with a clear and engaging communication approach
  • Take into consideration the limited materials that people will have access to at home to take part – keep it simple but imaginative
  • Create an arts workshop which will respond to the Blythburgh Holy Trinity Church and surrounding landscape 
  • Be familiar with the Suffolk Coast AONB area
  • Provide a copy of a recent DBS check and suitable insurance cover 

W&BA will provide a representative during the Zoom art workshops to provide technical support, e.g. muting participant microphones/cameras and asking questions submitted via the chat box from participants. W&BA will schedule a short test call before the live workshops take place to check that the set-up is working sufficiently. 

The selected artists will be provided with support to work up a suitable plan with resources from Suffolk Coast AONB.

 

Submit an application

We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups, including people with disabilities, Black and Minority Ethnic groups and those identifying as LGBTQ+.

To apply, please submit a written proposal (up to 400 words) or a video proposal (maximum 3 minutes). 

Please outline in your application:

  • Your relevant experience – digital/online arts engagement or workshops; family and intergeneration art projects; art projects inspired by place, nature and environment
  • Your workshop idea and chosen art-form – how you will make this clear, accessible and enjoyable for people to take part in

We would also welcome a simple overview of your work and a CV.

Applications can be emailed to info@waveneyandblytharts.com.

The deadline for this opportunity is Friday 31st July 2020 at 5pm. We will notify all applicants within 1-2 weeks of the deadline.

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Waveney & Blyth Arts

 

The Climate Coalition

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This article is from The Climate Coalition newsletter on 1st June 2020

We are all dealing with a lot at the moment, and I hope over the weekend you were able to get outside and find moments of calm in nature.

This connection with green spaces is one of the things that many of us want to take forwards into the future. As we look ahead to a post-lockdown world, I’m sure that you are thinking about the changes you want to keep.

As people talk about building back from this pandemic, a phrase that you’ve probably heard is ‘Green Recovery’, and over the summer this will be a key focus of our campaign. Together we’ll be calling for a cleaner, greener future to be at the heart of plans to rebuild a strong economy after Coronavirus. Watch this space for ways to get involved. 

In the meantime, here are three things you can do: 

1. Read our Jargon Buster

If you want to know more about green recovery – and any other phrases related to climate action you might have heard recently – we’ve created a Jargon Buster to help you explain to your friends and family what this all means.

2. Share our vision of a brighter, greener future

This week on social media we have shared a series of illustrations showing our vision for a brighter, greener future where we have built back better. We want these images to be seen far and wide, so please download them, and share widely to show your friends and family what a green recovery can look like.

3. Donate to support us
Even during the current health crisis, we are seeing the impacts of climate change at home and abroad. Because of this we are more committed than ever to building a cleaner, greener future by asking our leaders to take the ambitious actions needed for urgent change. We can’t do this without the support of our donors.

As you look ahead to the changes you want to keep and make in the future, why not add a monthly donation to The Climate Coalition. Just £5 a month can help us to bring together people from all walks of life to call for a recovery that puts climate, nature and people at its heart.

Thank you for your support,

Beth and The Climate Coalition team

People Power: A History of Portraiture

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A talk series from Tanya Harrington

This monthly talk series on the fourth Thursday of each month, continues at cosy Mettingham Village Hall. The theme is ‘The History of Portraiture’ and looks at the Northern Renaissance, when artists strove for naturalism and detail, made achievable with new developments in oil technique – and yet these portraits are infused with a religious and sacred mood which speaks of the past.

Our next session is from 10.30am – 12.45pm on Thursday 27th February

Entry £10 (£5 for carers and under 18’s)

Designed as stand alone talks. All are welcome. Sessions include a 20 minute break for refreshments at the tea rooms just down the road.

Find out more at TanyaHarringtonTalks.co.uk

BBQ Stands at Beccles Quay- Artist Call-out

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We’re collaborating with Beccles Town Council to install BBQ stands along Beccles Quay for sunny outdoor picnic days.

Beccles Town Council have been concerned that people are using disposable BBQ trays at the Quay and thereby burning the grassed areas. To stop this happening the Council wishes to install three stands on which to place the disposable BBQ trays and thus reduce damage to the grass. The commission is open to W&BA members to submit their design ideas for the permanent stands which can withstand all weathers, including storms and potential flooding, and be used by the public to hold their disposable BBQs.

The idea for the commission was sparked by Cllr Christine Wheeler whose attention had been brought to the scorched grass left by people using the Quay area for disposable BBQs. This poses a risk and has a negative impact on the surrounding habitat, so she thought that permanent stands would limit the damage to the site, whilst also encouraging visitors to enjoy the space for picnics.

The Beccles Quay has boat mooring, access to nearby marsh trails, picnic benches and a children’s play area, making it popular with visitors on boats, as well as cross country running, walking or organised wild swimming events. The Quay has also hosted fun fairs and music festivals previously. The BBQ stand commission asks that the artists bring in inspiration from the Beccles Quay and town, to make it distinctly ‘Beccles’ in its look and/or materials. We envisage that the 3 stands could potentially have 3 different designs from 3 artists.

We are very grateful to Beccles Town Council and Cllr Christine Wheeler for inviting W&BA artists to submit ideas for this public art commission. The deadline for proposals has been extended to Saturday 31st October.

BBQ Stand Brief

When deciding on the successful design, both attractiveness and cost will be taken into consideration. Your design must be:

  • Fit for purpose – the stands must be weather-durable and able to withstand any flooding which may occur around their base.
  • Complementary to the environment – the Town Council has declared a Climate Emergency so would wish the stands to fit with this principle.  (The Council is aware that BBQs are not environmentally friendly but consider that using stands is more appropriate than allowing the grass to be burned. We also recommend that those wishing to use the BBQ stands to source FSC approved UK charcoal).
  • Embedded into the ground
  • Brickwork as a base.
  • Reflect the persona of Beccles Quay and its environs.
  • Safe to use.
  • Measurements:  
    • The disposable BBQ trays are 24.5 cms wide and 31 cms long.  The flat base of the stand must accommodate two trays sitting side by side width ways.  It should also be at least 31 cms deep.
    • The stands should be set at a workable height, approximately a metre.  (There are standard BBQ stands at Loddon Quay which will give an indication of an appropriate height)
    • The brick bases should be 1.5 to 2 metres square.

Design submissions with a fully costed budget should be made by 31st October 2020 to the Town Clerk, Beccles Town Hall, The Walk, Beccles, NR34 9AJ

 

Featured image from TourSuffolk.co.uk

Deadline 7th February: Sculpture in the Valley 2020 – Artist Call-out

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We’re very excited to announce that next year’s sculpture event, Sculpture in the Valley 2020, will be held from 18th July to 2nd August at Potton Hall, Westleton. The event will be curated by well-known Suffolk based artist and curator, David Baldry.

2020 will be W&BA’s 10th birthday, so we wanted to develop the next annual sculpture event to celebrate our legacy connecting art with landscape and place over the past decade. We have devised the theme ‘Reflections on Landscape’ which asks artists to consider ideas about scale (micro to macro), and perspectives and interaction between wild and cultivated aspects of the landscape. It’s important to note that we are living in the context of climate crisis and this, along with broader perspectives on the landscapes we live in and our relationships with it, could be compelling ideas for artists to explore.

We are thankful to our sub-committee of practising artists – Mike Challis, Meryem Siemmond and Stephen Worrall – who have generously given time to develop the artist brief. Alongside curator David Baldry, the event will be coordinated by our new Chair Genevieve Rudd and the site will be managed by Simon Raven — pictured above: Genevieve, David and Simon.

About this year’s event, our curator David Baldry said: “When invited to curate this year’s Sculpture in the Valley 2020, I was immediately struck by the title Reflections on Landscape. This year we are blessed with a new and extraordinary site close to the East Suffolk coast with its woodland, heath, marsh and of course sky. Art is at its best when pointing to something we don’t always acknowledge or take for granted. This year artists will have every opportunity to think about, engage with and make sculpture in a very special location which embraces both garden and the wild. I hope we can use this to showcase all aspects of contemporary sculpture. The big, the small, the beautiful, the forever, the experimental and the ephemeral. Above all I hope that this exhibition will excite, delight and challenge its audience.”

Artist Call-out

We’re inviting W&BA artist members to submit proposals for Sculpture in the Valley 2020 on the theme ‘Reflections on Landscape’ in the fantastic Potton Hall location. The site includes a wild-flower meadow, vegetable/potager gardens, lawns with formal planted gardens with climbing plant archways, views across to Dunwich heath and woodland, a cascading waterfall feature and sheep grazing fields.

If you’re feeling inspired and looking for a project to ponder over the festive period, take a look at our Sculpture in the Valley 2020 page on our website which outlines details about the venue, theme and the application process. The deadline for applications is Friday 7th February 2020.

Before applying using the online form on our website, make sure you read the artist information document and have current W&BA membership.

We look forward to hearing and seeing how you respond to the brief!

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