update of progress

how did this work as a community art project?

it did bring people together, i now know more people in my neighbourhood than before doing the project. as a project it was worked out in real time. the flaw with it was that it began from a professional body. the community were unable to own it.

there was a fun day in march. i was completing a degree and struggling with language, my dsylexia becoming more burdening to me. indeed it was difficult for me to be part of a group attempting to help others make their lives better when inside i was crying for help myself. my articulation of thought being a hinderence to me as i am perceived as being sorted and ok.

as the project was set up by a management structure from the council, it was always going to be at the mercy of that management structure. the steering group refusing to take on becoming a constituted group as the only driver for this was raising of funding.

as an act of cohesion, the steering group worked really well.

all the events put on were good in terms of acttracting the public in to take part. i did wonder if the last one in march did just affirm people's positions in life. if one is in a good place this is ok. if one is in an unhappy place, just how well did it allow one to come forward for some help.

i am currently working on helping myself to achieve some happiness. being around others who have that already, makes it difficult to talk about the states of unhappiness that i suffer from.

being involved in this real time project has been informative for me. my own problems do need to take precidence of those of others, as i seem unable to attract help and support as on the face of it i'm articulate and able to cope. if only the truth was known...

another fun day announced

at the steering group meeting last night we were told that another fun was planned on 21st March 2009.

a venue has been booked, possible activities have been planned, health iniative funding is available, youth iniative funding is available.

overall budget available is less than for the first, so documental provision has been cut.

a website is being planned for the group, a member of the community is a web designer and is on board to help design and launch the site.

images of Jackson Street

images of Drewry Lane

other work happening in the community-Jackson Street

the planters in Jackson Street were included in the replanting project. The work was carried out by volunteers from Wimbledon, supervised by Verica. Pam and Anne were involved who attracted members of the YMCA to get involved, it was all very lovely.

Maybe communal gardening is a cohesive measure within the community.

other work happening in the community-Drewry Lane

recently there has been some work carried out on a couple of planters within the community. I feel particularly pleased about this as I suggested to the Residents Action Group that something might happen to the planters as they had been neglected.
At a very personal level for me, the idea came to me while sitting on the bench in Drewary Lane, eating a bag of chips, prior to going to a wake. As I sat there eating, I realised it would be some much more pleasing to the eye if the planters had plants in.
Quite simple I suppose really.

Foot Prints Music Project

The music project does have a name - "Foot Prints Music Project"

The DVD's are complete and delivered.

I'm interested to see how the project continues to develop. Hopefully there might be another opportunity to return to a future performance to document the progress made.