Mx.D.P

It’s report-writing time now. The overall view is people need more information. They need clear guidance, and they are legitimately worried.

Extreme weather has marred the two public in-person workshops, which is rather appropriate.

The best experience for me was with young adults with delayed learning difficulties. In many ways, they were the most verbal and, in some respects, the most knowledgeable. They have produced their own project since my visit. I am going to see them tomorrow, show them the collage and the start of the animation, and collect more character images.

The 2 London Place Galley workshop was the best for engaging with the surveys and climate conversation. The afternoon workshop allowed them to relax with art and explore their concerns.

The most significant learning curve for me was the online workshop. There is so much more to do there and for me to learn. I have committed financially to the set-up; it needs more, and I need more practice. Elin Hefin, on my diversity and accessibility steering group, turned up for the stream. That was amazing because she had just had an operation under GA 2 days before. That’s the commitment here to these ideas of creative community resilience. Elin was tremendous as she is a retired BBC producer and head of an independent Film and television company, so it gave me a lot of confidence to have her on camera with me. Ed, my son, has spent days working and setting up the rig with me, and I couldn’t have physically done it without him.

I need to write a checklist to fire up the Vlog studio and a troubleshooting checklist for when things go wrong. It’s tech; they will.

There is a real appetite for online access to creative information. This is both empowering for remote communities of creatives and giving accessibility to those with physical or neuro-divergent access needs. I think it will play a large part in my future art practice.

Yesterday’s workshop at the Art Center was cold; the building’s heating wasn’t working, but the people who attended were fantastic.

It was wonderful to see those who travelled miles to attend in such awful weather.

It was good to understand what artists need within this new era of climate chaos and socio-economic change.

Martine Ormerod was my guest artist yesterday. Martine is a Slade graduate, the same age as me, so it was fascinating to learn about her whole life experience of art-making and where she would like her art practice to go now.

Martine brought her natural ink-making practice, which is gentle on the environment. I’m looking forward to seeing how Big Wave can introduce her essential work to the world.

The Big Wave Network and Gwil Cariad are growing. We now have over 100 active members, including creatives, businesses, and volunteers.

This week, I am helping a new group of creatives, starting a local weekly farmers and creatives market to use social media to expand its reach within the community. I am meeting up with another member of the accessibility and diversity steering group, and we will look at an exhibition that centres those artists with underrepresented demographics at a small gallery further down the Ceredigion coast. I am also running a social media workshop for creatives and businesses this coming Sunday at the Aberystwyth Arts Center, which will feed into the Gwyl Cariad Festival

That’s the goal here to use art to make those connections of kindness and co-operation as we enter the chaos of climate break down.