Comments Off on Exeter Phoenix Partners Artist Residency Project In London
Standpoint Futures – Artist’s Residencies
Exeter Phoenix is a partner organisation for 5 development residencies for regionally based UK based visual artists, providing bespoke, high-calibre opportunities for discussion and interaction with the London art world, as well as accommodation, studio, mentoring/advisor visits and modest expenses.
Selectors will be one representative from each of Standpoint Futures’ partner organisations: G39 & Chapter Arts, Peacock Visual Arts, The Royal Standard, Exeter Phoenix and Standpoint.
Deadline Mon 1 July. Further details and application materials are at :
Have you seen the huge message that has appeared in Exeter Phoenix’s windows spelling out the positive and defiant message to the world at large to “never, never, never, never give up”?
The sign is part of an exhibition called Against All Odds which runs at Exeter Phoenix until 6 July. The artists, a duo fro Plymouth called LOW PROFILE, are interested in ideas around survival, preparedness and perseverance, often through a series of task-led works that test their commitment to keeping going and not giving up. Another feature of the exhibition is the Survival Shelf – a presentation of their on-going, eclectic and ever expanding library of books that utilise some word ‘survive’ in their titles; from The SAS Survival Guide to Gloria Gaynor’s autobiography, I Will Survive. Their work is filled with humour, absurdity and has a light touch.
Matt Burrows, Art Curator at Exeter Phoenix:
‘The great thing about the message, ‘NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP’ is that, it will resonate differently with each individual who reads it. On a wider scale, in this time of social uncertainty, it is a positive message for the community and by framing it within Exeter Phoenix it also acts as a rallying call for artists and arts venues that are struggling under increasing pressures and funding cuts.’
Exeter will host a six-day celebration of new live performance work from the South West and beyond. Over fifty performances are to take place across the city at venues including Exeter Phoenix, The Bike Shed Theatre and The Cygnet Theatre as well as pub venues such as The Hourglass, The Globe and The Rusty Bike.
One of Exeter Phoenix’s highlights includes an inventive and quirky play, The Last Post, in which seventeen audience members watch a nostaligic love story about the wonderful art of letter writing, in the back of a mobile sorting office in the Phoenix carpark.
At the Bikeshed Theatre, Fellswoop Theatre follows last year’s award-winning and Edinburgh sell out success Belleville Rendez-vous with a dark and intriguing drama, Ablutions.
The Hourglass hosts an adaptation of Dickins’ Great Expectations by a founder member of Cornwall’s Kneehigh Theatre, David Mynne, as well as an eccentric, vintage comedy about a cross-channel swimming champion, Swimmers.
Whilst at the Cygnet Theatre, dance fans can experience a beautifully evocative performance with live music in Buttercup and contemporary dance from performers trained at Rambert and the Royal Ballet in Piano Moves.
David Lockwood, Director of The Bike Shed Theatre says;
‘Exeter Ignite is a wonderful opportunity for artists to try out new work, often before they go up to the Edinburgh Festival. It is also a chance for people in the city to have some fun, try something new and take part in something a little different.’
Click here to see Ignite events taking place at Exeter Phoenix
Comments Off on New Menu of Eastern Mediterranean delights
Exeter Phoenix has launched a brand new menu. Our chef has created a delicious array of rustic dishes using traditional recipes from around the world fused with a unique contemporary twist. Each of the dishes is homemade, the ingredients are locally sourced and they are all made with a passion for nutrition and fantastic flavor.
The new menu features Lebanese falafel and hummus, oriental soba noodles, jerk chicken and lentil moussaka alongside tasty daily specials that have recently included juicy steak sandwiches and delicious hotpots.
All profits from the Exeter Phoenix Café Bar go back to the Exeter Phoenix charity, so you can now enjoy tasty food, knowing that you are supporting your local arts charity.
Songs take star billing in June’s fresh journey of heartfelt interpretation
By Jackie Butler, Western Morning News.
On a clear and bright April day, June Tabor is busy sowing seeds and tidying up in the big garden of her home in the Welsh borders.
In a few days’ time the queen of contemporary folk singers takes to the road on a concert tour with her latest musical project – an inspired jazz-tinged trio called Quercus featuring saxophonist Iain Bellamy and her long-time collaborator and pianist Huw Warren, both celebrated musicians in their fields.
But first there is much catching up to do outdoors.
“The weather has been so strange; we had heavy snow and a lot of things didn’t get done,” says June. “I have to stuff seeds into every kind of nook and cranny now.
“I try to grow as many things to eat as I can. For a long time I lived in London and didn’t have anywhere to grown things, but my I used to help my mum in the garden; I never learned what to do, but it was just there in the back of my memory.
“Once you get hooked on that kind of thing, it never leaves you.”
The same sentiment could be expressed about June’s other obsession – singing songs.
While these two things may be wildly disparate, they both involve her taking an essence and nurturing it into beautiful maturity.
“One is a connection to things like home and soil and weather, and the other is something that is virtually in isolation,” she observes.
“Singing is in the moment; it’s unique to the space and the audience and how you perform on that night, the inspiration you get from the people you are playing with. It is very ephemeral, and totally real at the same time.”
Quercus is a combination that came together organically. June and Huw both admired Iain’s playing and they first got together to perform at the Berlin Jazz Festival a few years ago. The band’s eponymous album just released on the ECM label was actually recorded live when they toured back in 2006.
The trio create a melee of traditional folk, jazz and chamber music, weaving these elements together through poignant words and enchanting melodies, delivered with deep-rooted heart and soul.
“Huw and Iain come from a jazz background and I don’t. We are not trying to bend music into unnatural shapes; we are making something unique to us as a trio.
“It defies categorisation; all the songs tell stories. It is music that deserves attention. All I can say is listen to it,” she says.
While it is clear that June, now 65, owner of a distinctively deep, rich-toned voice and twice the winner of Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, has no love of the mechanics of gigging or recording, her passion for telling stories through song will never fade.
“I don’t write songs; I have never written one. I have ideas about what songs should be about and then I tell people who come back with something magnificent,” she says. “What I do is interpret and breathe life into them and take them in a slightly different direction.”
June gets enormous joy from discovering new, and old, songs to sing. Her professional journey began as a late teenager in the mid-1960s, inspired by folk singers Annie Briggs and Belle Stewart. She sang in folk clubs while she was a student at Oxford University and joined her first band there. An early appearance at Sidmouth Folk Festival established her as a burgeoning talent.
In 1976 her first solo album, Airs and Graces, was released to great acclaim. There have been 17 more since then, and her back catalogue also contains many weighty collaborations, including work with Martin Simpson, Maddy Prior, Fairport Convention and the comic Mrs Ackroyd Band. Working with the folk rock ensemble Oysterband has also proved fruitful and enjoyable on two separate occasions. The first was in 1990 when they recorded and then toured the album Freedom and Rain together.
Two decades later they joined forces again for the universally acclaimed Ragged Kingdom – an album mainly of traditional folk songs and featuring an astonishingly arresting cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. It was this partnership that lured June out touring again.
“I wasn’t doing that many gigs any more, then the album with the Oysterband happened. Gigging with them has been wonderful,” citing one of their final shows together at Exeter Cathedral earlier this year as “a lovely lovely gig”.
June may have been singing professionally for more than 40 years, but she is never complacent about it.
“I do still feel nervous on stage. You need something to keep you sharp. I wonder will I remember the words, will I do justice to the song I am performing,” she says.
“To me all the songs we play are really special. I want to perform them to the best of my ability and for the audience to get as much out of them as I do. The best performance is when it sounds like a song is being sung for the first time. That is so important. If you think it is just another song, then you are doing it a disservice.”
Comments Off on Judges Announced for Exeter Contemporary Open 2013
We are pleased to announce that the judges on the panel for this year’s Contemporary Open exhibition will include artist and curator Kevin Hunt, independent curators Day + Gluckman and Phoenix Gallery curator Matt Burrows.
Entries for the exhibition will be accepted until the deadline of Friday 14 June, and more information on the application process can be found here >>
Kevin Hunt
Kevin is an artist and curator and was director of The Royal Standard, an artist led gallery, project space and social workspace in Liverpool between July 2007 and January 2011. He co-curated Cave Art Fair which ran alongside Liverpool Biennial in 2012.
As a practicing artist, Hunt makes sculpture using found, redundant objects, particularly furniture which is reconfigured into something new.
The curatorial collaboration Day+Gluckman have a reputation for working with artists with a rigorous approach to practice and context. Their aim is to develop long-term relationships with artists and seek and initiate opportunities to exhibit, explore, curate and commission.
Since 2008 Day+Gluckman have been programming the Collyer Bristow Gallery, London and are reponsible for the ongoing Sinopticon project which featured in multiple venues across Plymouth in 2012.
Matt joined the Exeter Phoenix team in 2009, having previously worked in various roles in both the commercial and public art sector, including roles at the Victoria Miro Gallery in London and Spacex Gallery in Exeter. He oversees all the exhibition spaces at Exeter Phoenix with a primary focus on the Phoenix Gallery’s programme of contemporary art.
Comments Off on Jackie stirs magical memories while championing sweet songs of sleep
Folk singer and violinist Jackie Oates tells Jackie Butler about her new LP of lullabies and her bid to bring back singing as a child’s bedtime tradition.
By Jackie Butler, Western Morning News.
When folk star Jackie Oates was a little girl, her mother used to sing her lullabies, soothing her gently to sleep at the end of each day.
Jackie’s favourite was a sweet and simple ditty called Alexander Beetle – an AA Milne verse set to music – and it now takes pride of place on her new LP Lullabies.
It’s a unique and delightful collection of songs – some more universally familiar than others – that have been sung to different generations of little ones at bedtime.
Little Boy Blue sits alongside Shakespeare’s Philomel from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Paul McCartney’s Junk and The Worthy Wood Carol, penned in the 1920s by an Exmoor gypsy.
Apart from celebrating the songs themselves – a cache of gems rich in the folklore of the cradle with all its superstitions and customs – Jackie’s aim is to encourage parents to follow suit and revive a fast-fading tradition.
“I loved being sung to. I still find the experience very moving and comforting. And a lullaby has the ability to take you into another place,” says Jackie, whose own clear and pretty voice brims with a delicate, rustic honesty, offering the perfect ambience for soothing delivery.
“There are several songs I know from childhood and when I hear them they can really take me by surprise,” adds the award-winning singer and violinist who came from a music-loving Staffordshire family whose summers were spent at Sidmouth Festival; her brother is the boundary-pushing folk singer Jim Moray. Jackie’s love for traditional songs was fuelled and nurtured while she was a student in Exeter.
She chose to live on in the city for several years after graduating, honing her musical craft in the company of community musicians, becoming a key member of the Westcountry folk circle.
The 29-year-old is now settled in Oxfordshire with her champion Morris dancing partner Jack Worth, but she is delighted to be returning to her old stomping ground this month as part of her UK tour airing the new album.
The 15-track LP, released two weeks ago, represents the tip of a very deep iceberg of English lullabies that she uncovered during extensive research into the genre.
“As a folk singer I found it interesting that when you initially search for English lullabies, there don’t seem to be very many of them,” says Jackie, who is a member of the all-star multi-cultural folk band Imagined Village, and the fresh English face of Lush natural cosmetics.
“I asked around all my friends in the folk world and there were only two or three traditional ones that we could all sing. There are many more, of course, but they are hidden and hard to come by.”
“If you go to Ireland or Scotland, lullabies are much more a part of the musical heritage.”
Her first port of call was Cecil Sharp House in London, which holds the largest archive of traditional folk materials. She discovered that most were American in origin. Determined to dig out some old English examples, Jackie began trawling the vaults of Devon song collector Sabine Baring Gould, and any other collection she could find, including the Oxford Song Book. Gradually her search started to bear fruit, and it is still an ongoing project.
She sings each new find and then notates it so that it can be lodged in the archive at Cecil Sharp House, the home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
“It’s quite an undertaking,” she admits. “But I am really enjoying the discipline of it. I’m up to 180 songs now and I’m hoping to double that.”
Along the way, Jackie picked out a shortlist of songs that she wanted to record.
“I wanted to make an album that brought to life these hidden lullabies and encourage parents to sing them to their children,” she says.
“Singing a lullaby is very pleasurable for the singer, too. And it can be cathartic, too – you can vent all manner of things in a lullaby because it’s not just about the story, it’s about the person singing, and creating that bond of warmth.
“I felt I had to achieve a balance between showcasing the unusual and creating something that people would like to listen to.”
That meant filtering out the dark side of the lullaby world.
“I didn’t want to scare the children,” she says.
“A lot of old lullabies were all about moaning about your life and a way of expressing about the things that had upset you, but without upsetting the child because they didn’t understand the words.”
In between concerts, research and recording, Jackie teaches violin and it was her young pupils who became guinea pigs when she was choosing the songs to include on the album.
“Before I recorded anything I played the songs to them to gauge their reaction,” she says.
The tracks were recorded late last year at sessions in Bath and Reykjavik in Iceland, and feature a feast of guest artists, including guitarist Chris Serjeant and, on piano, Belinda O’Hooley, whom Jackie first met when they were both members of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset.
The Icelandic connection came about through Jackie’s friendship with Bara Grimsdottir and producer Richard Evans.
“Bara is a brilliant singer and she had a great repertoire of lullabies. And Richard’s best friend was out in Iceland. I’ve always wanted to go there, and it just made sense to fly out there with a little recording deck for five days,” she says.
“We had a brilliant time and I made so many new friends; music is brilliant for that – if we had just gone as tourists it would have been a totally different experience,” adds Jackie, who says she will be bringing an Icelandic langspil – an instrument akin to an Appalachian dulcimer – on the current tour.
As well as the evening show at Exeter, Jackie is running an afternoon workshop at the Phoenix for parents and their children aged up to four.
“When I was living in Devon I travelled around giving folk singing workshops and it’s something I love doing,” she says. “I have tailored this one to be about more unusual lullabies.”
Jackie Oates’ Lullabies tour comes to Exeter Phoenix on Wednesday, April 24.
By night, Fay Hield has men gripped in a curious whirlwind of clandestine adventure and exploration.
By day, Hield is a Teaching Associate in Ethnomusicology at Sheffield University.
The Northern character and her own team of merry men unravel timeworn tales of folklore and allusion, scattering tones and grades of sensitivity and melancholia.
In light of her guise, Hield yields an endearing scroll of talent more vivacious than the trees of Sherwood Forest. Various accolades in hand, including a nomination for the Horizon Award at 2010’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and a completed PhD thesis “English Folk Singing and the Construction of Community”, Hield engages with insight and aptitude. Most notably, ambitious 13th Century Greek fable ‘Sir Orfeo’ uncovers pioneering levels, combined with traditional vocals. Called by triumphant tones of fanfare, it is easy to picture a further team of merry men jigging along in support of Fay Hield & The Hurricane upon a live performance of ‘Sir Orfeo’.
Accompanied by partner and beloved Bellowhead frontman, John Boden, the troop commit to “the music of the people”. Rejecting the drums, bass and guitar, Hield tells of “people reacting with each other to make amazing music”.
Hield’s sweet vocals, juxtaposed with undertones of a darkly comic mood, stir a murkier lead in ‘Naughty Baby’. ‘Naughty Baby’ warns of mother Bonaparte destroying the child limb from limb and eating him “in one gulp” if the infant doesn’t fall silent. Although far from the standard guidance of contemporary babysitters, there is a somewhat consensus for the sentiment of finally snapping with defeat at a crying baby. Fay Hield commits to muse with “elements belonging to others or surrounding people”, travelling through time with tales of individuals and relationships reborn with a reminiscence that feels no more than a day old.
Tickets for Fay Hield & The Hurricane at Exeter Phoenix on Wednesday 27th March can be obtained by phoning 01392 667080 or by clicking here.
We’re offering a free CD to the first 5 people to book tickets for selected music events*
Call Box Office on 01392 667080 and quote ‘CD GIVE-AWAY’.
EVENTS INCLUDED IN THE OFFER:
Fay Hield & The Hurricane Party
Wed 27 Mar | 8pm | £12 (£10)
FIRST 5 TO BOOK WILL RECEIVE THE NEW ALBUM ORFEO (2012)
Leading proponents of traditional tunes, this band’s material is fresh and original, yet rooted in centuries old tradition. The showmanship and musicality on display are second to none.
‘Hield’s command of her material is unerring and the outcome compelling’ ★ ★ ★ ★|
THE OBSERVER
James Yorkston & The Pictish Trail
Thu 18 Apr | 8pm | £14
FIRST 5 TO BOOK WILL RECEIVE EITHER JAMES YORKSTON’S, I WAS A CAT FROM A BOOK (2012) OR THE PICTISH TRAIL, SECRET SOUNDZ VOL 2
The two much-lauded members of the Fence Collective, collaborate with the Irish folk singer, Seamus Fogarty, to create a rousing blend of contemporary folk music.
‘A beautifully shaded work… Innovative arrangements’
BBC REVIEW (on Yorkston’s new album)
Quercus
Tue 23 Apr | 8pm | £16
FIRST 5 TO BOOK WILL RECEIVE THE NEW ALBUM (RELEASED APRIL 1 2013)
June Tabor’s gripping voice is woven with Iain Ballamy’s glorious saxophone and Huw Warren’s piano to create exquisite chamber music, drawing on the trio’s repertoire of original folk songs.
‘One of Britain’s greatest interpreters of popular song’
THE GUARDIAN (on Tabor)
*Offer only valid when purchasing two or more tickets, CDs available to give away to the first 5 bookers for each event. Subject to availability. CDs will be available to collect along with your tickets on the night.
Comments Off on Partnership announced with Exeter clowning troupe, Le Navet Bete and digital artists, Blind Ditch
We are pleased to support two award-winning local companies in the development of their new projects. The popular clown company Le Navet Bete will present their new show at Exeter Phoenix later in the year and the short films supported by Exeter Phoenix for Blind Ditch will be presented as part of their site specific performance This City’s Centre in September.
Comments Off on Exeter Phoenix celebrates a record number of sell-out gigs
Over the last few weeks we have been busier than ever with a series of ‘hot tickets’ and sold out shows. Bands such as Lee Scratch Perry, Frightened Rabbit, Joy Formidable, Stornoway, Willy Mason and Neil Innes have attracted new audiences and put Exeter on the map as a destination to see excellent music.
Check out this video from our sold-out Slamboree night:
Comments Off on Free Easter egg with every kid’s meal + a fun activity sheet
On Saturday 30th March, we’ll be celebrating Easter with some tasty treats at our café bar. As well as a delicious menu of specials for kids and their mums and dads, we’ll be giving away a chocolate egg with every kid’s meal. Plus, we’ll be serving tasty hot cross buns throughout the holidays… yum!
To download our special Easter activity sheet click here
(These Easter specials will be available on Sat 30 Mar on top of our usual menu and children’s options)
Roasted Lamb shank cooked with rosemary served with sauté potatoes and spring vegetables.
£8.95 | Half a portion for kids £4.95
Artisan open flatbread topped with squash, feta cheese and shug (chilli, coriander and garlic) served with meze salad.
£5.25 | Kid’s flat bread pizza served with carrot and cucumber sticks £3.95
Comments Off on Exeter Phoenix supported film wins Best Comedy presented by Simon Pegg
Known as the ‘mini Oscars’, the First Light Awards ceremony in Leicester Square is attended by a mix of film industry luminaries and celebrities. We are delighted to announce that an Exeter Phoenix supported film HB scooped the award for Best Comedy. The short film was part of a series of sex education films made by young people and was chosen from hundreds of entries.
Exeter Phoenix is looking to commission a new art work that engages with new emerging digital technologies.
This may include; artworks created using digital technology, artworks whose final form is digital in nature, and/or artworks that, through their subject, say something about emerging digital technologies and their impact on the world.
£750 towards training, expenses, materials and development costs
Technical & creative support
Use of facilities at Exeter Phoenix Digital
Exhibition opportunities at Exeter Phoenix
This commission is open to artists who reside within the South West. To for more information or to apply download the FAQ and application form.
Comments Off on Unique Boutique Arts & Crafts Market
The Unique Boutique indoor market is back! Freshen up for Spring with arts and crafts handmade in Devon.
Sat 30 Mar | 11am – 3.30pm
There will be plenty of stalls across our ground floor, so you can shop for quirky and unusual gifts, support local artists, and stop for a nice cuppa and cake in our café.
Interested in a selling at Unique Boutique? Email Eleanor at UniqueBoutiqueMarkets@gmail.com for more information.
Comments Off on Frightened Rabbit preview from Exeposé
Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit are coming to the Phoenix this month, following the release of their fourth album Pedestrian Verse.
The album represents a major milestone in the band’s artistic journey; following the mixed reception of 2010 album The Winter of Mixed Drinks – their last with independent label Fat Cat Records – Frightened Rabbit have returned to their roots, approaching Pedestrian Verse with the same lyrical frankness which typified their earlier work whilst, for the first time ever, adopting a collaborative approach to their songwriting. Consequently, the album feels more ‘grown up’, and experiments with new sounds, minor keys and wider subject matter.
Following their success in the States, and now signed with major label Atlantic Records, the band have been able to record the album at the renowned Monnow Valley Studio – a far cry from the bedrooms, cupboards and kitchens that the band have recorded in previously.
Lyrically the album is very impressive; the collaboration from the other band members combined with the three month wait to secure producer Leo Abrahams seems to have given the band the chance to hone and refine their songwriting, and while the lyrics deliver the same passion, honesty and lyrical intensity that only Frightened Rabbit seem able to produce, there is an uplifting optimism and exciting freshness behind it all.
Despite being fairly unknown in the UK, Pedestrian Verse could be the breakthrough album for Frightened Rabbit. With rock anthems like new single Woodpile under their belt, you can expect a night of raw, impassioned performance generating a raucous, contagious atmosphere as the band aim to get music ‘out of that dress and into a sweater’.
Pedestrian Verse was released in the UK on 4th February 2013, and you can listen to the album exclusively via The Guardian’s music blog. Frightened Rabbit will be playing at the Exeter Phoenix on Sunday 17th February.
Comments Off on Exeter Phoenix Digital supported Short Film nominated for First Light Awards
Exeter Phoenix Digital supported film H.B. has been nominated in the Best Comedy category at the First Light Awards 2013.
Co-ordinated by My Pockets, H.B, was one of six 90-second comedy shorts based around sex education that were made for the ‘Doing it’ First Light funded Project. Young people aged 11-17 from the south-west took part in the project, which worked closely with Compass Pupil Referral Unit and the Switch Community Project. Participants were from hard-to-reach groups such as young offenders, young people excluded from formal education, young people in care, and those from economically disadvantaged or rural areas.
The First Light Awards 2013 will take place at the ODEON, Leicester Square London on Tuesday 19 March 2013 and is set to be a very exciting day for the young people.
H.B will be one of 4 shortlisted films in the comedy category and will be judged by an industry panel. The winning film is to be selected by a group of celebrity judges consisting of, Sir Alan Parker, Hobbit star Martin Freeman, David Heyman, Dawn Porter, and Matt Smith.
Peter Snelling of My Pockets said ‘We are delighted to be nominated. It is a big honour and a great opportunity for the young people experience an award ceremony like this’.
Using handmade puppets, H.B. tells the story of A pencil sharpener who tries to seduce a shy pencil. Will the pencil shape up 2B like the sharpeners much harder boyfriends?
H.B. and other nominated films in each category can be seen on the First Light website.
Comments Off on The Exeter Daily have a go at Experimental Drawing
By Jean Hawkins (The Exeter Daily)
Offered the opportunity by Exeter Phoenix to take part in a new one-day workshop at the lively arts centre and write about it for The Exeter Daily, I agreed with alacrity. I signed up for ‘Experimental Drawing’ thinking it might give my drawing practice the kick-start it needed.
The group of ten who gathered on Monday morning came with widely differing experience and expectations. ‘Experimental’ could sound intimidating, but at least one participant interpreted it as open to those with little technical expertise. This proved to be true as there was no assumed knowledge and no negative criticism from Nicci Wonnacott our tutor.
As we were encouraged by Nicci to start by ‘scribbling’ with charcoal on huge sheets of paper, on equally huge easels, I found it initially liberating, the word scribble alleviating anxiety about mistakes or correctness. For Nicci, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in art. Mistake making is OK and even creative.
Then we were asked to turn our drawings around to face the group (I had retreated to a corner!) And suddenly the comparison with others kicked in … Mine seemed too simple – others had scribbled ‘proper’ designs, even identifiable images, was I ‘right’ or ‘wrong’? Despite years at art school I was still subject to these feelings of uncertainty, as I later discovered others were.
Next, scribbling in chalks with both hands at once, strange, but enjoyable, I experimented by mirroring lines and patterns and crossing hands, developing a rhythm that became almost musical. One student said she ‘hated scribbling as it felt naughty’. As we shared our work this time, each person spoke about their experience and intentions and we began (perhaps) to trust that all our work was valuable. Nicky found delight in each person’s work, commenting, very specifically as a good teacher should, about aspects of the drawings: line, detailed marks, use of tone, quirkiness and meaning. She used these examples to make connections with art history too.
The experimental element became more obvious as we were given long willow sticks and black ink to draw with. This seemed challenging enough, until we saw a still life placed on the table to draw – surely too difficult! Japanese lantern flowers and oranges: beautiful against a white background. A student commented, echoing my own thoughts, that when she saw the still life she thought ‘now I should draw representationally’.
Despite this rather alarming task, some beautiful drawings emerged, some very bold and three-dimensional, others more delicate, but everyone had managed to use this medium, which encouraged the whole body to engage with the drawing. The sharing of work was definitely feeling more positive, though my comparatively timid results still disappointed me, others’ comments and Nicky’s were encouraging and supportive and we began to incorporate some of what we saw into our own work, thanks to Nicci’s facilitation.
This interaction was very much part of the process of the workshop. Nicci told us that for her process is more important than product and interesting discussion followed about the need to communicate to others, or whether it is enough to do it for oneself.
Moving into a more inward mode, Nicci asked us to recollect a place we love, interpreting it as we wished. For some of us the choice was hard to make – lots of thoughts and images rushed through my head – others responded immediately. Gradually we all became involved, being freed up by the previous exercises to explore mark-making and different ways to represent our place. Mine was a river journey through Russia and I lost myself in the drawing process. Our results were stunningly different this time! For some, it was a landscape or a walk, a room, or group of trees; for others thinking about a relationship, or a journey. One incorporated words, as though talking to themselves through drawing.
After lunch we started the final experiment: using an image selected from a magazine stuck onto our paper as a starting point, to elaborate or transform into a drawing using mixed media. I really became absorbed by this, feeling more confident as a landscape emerged. I heard one plea: ‘Nicci I can’t choose – there is too much choice – just tell me where to start!’ Yes, sometimes we want a teacher to limit our choices and tell us what to do, but Nicci wisely resisted, gently encouraging the student to be patient with herself. “I will stop trying to be Hockney or Lowry and be myself!”
Our drawings were in differing degrees satisfying to us, depending on our aspirations, ambition and maybe how we compared ourselves to others. But it was a valuable, well led and intensive day, for me inspiring and I recommend these workshops to others.
Ed’s note: The next Experimental Art workshops take place at Exeter Phoenix on 18th February and 18th March – 10.30am-5pm.
Cost: £28 (£24)
For more information about art workshops at Exeter Phoenix click here.
Comments Off on Edgy, rootsy and folky make their mark at an enlightened enclave
Jackie Butler, Western Morning News.
There’s one forward-thinking Westcountry establishment where you can be guaranteed to find an intriguing selection of musical talent performing – particularly in the roots and acoustic field – and that’s Exeter’s Phoenix.
Every year its imaginative programming introduces audiences to both burgeoning mainstream and established fringe-appeal bands and musicians, and 2013 will be no exception, judging by the dates announced so far.
One man I’m particularly keen to catch in concert is Brit Award-winning producer Ethan Johns (The Vaccines, Kings of Leon and Laura Marling) who is showcasing his own debut solo album on February 6.
He offered a tempting taster of his country blues-fuelled acoustic sound when he popped down to play in-store sets at a couple of Devon record shops late last year, so this full-scale follow-up is most welcome. On March 4 there’s a chance to see young American singer songwriter Willy Mason on his own headline tour in support of his third studio album Carry On. Ben Howard fans might have caught him supporting the Devon troubadour on tour in December.
Welsh female-fronted alternative rock trio The Joy Formidable supported Devon heroes Muse on their latest world tour dates and they have already established a huge following in the USA. They have their second full-length studio album, Wolf’s Law, coming later this month and play the Phoenix on March 5 as part of an extensive headline tour, following more high profile guests slots, including Bloc Party at Earls Court.
Other February and March bookings include Stanton Warriors with the Dub Pistols Sound System, festival favourites The Zen Hussies, Lee Scratch Perry, Neil Innes, Scottish rock newbies Frightened Rabbit, delicate Celtic folkie Heidi Talbot, Aussie sax maestro Mr Woodnote, The Lock In! hip hop folk opera featuring The Demon Barbers, The Selecter, Robyn Hitchcock, Mad Dog McRea, Stornoway, Stiff Little Fingers, Fay Hield and The Hurricane Party, and the Martin Harley Band.
The first date on the calendar is a rootsy Jamaican-style party on January 19 with veteran disc jockey David Rodigan who has been sharing his selections of reggae and dance-hall music live and on radio stations including Radio London and BBC Radio 2 since 1978.
All the above dates are now booking. For tickets and more details call Exeter Phoenix box office on 01392 667080.
See 3 LOL Festival events at Exeter Phoenix and get 20% off!
Exeter’s comedy festival, Laugh Out Loud kicks off this month and headlining the event are some hilarious award-winning comedians who have recently been raising chuckles on such TV shows as 8 Out of Ten Cats, Have I Got News for You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Tony Law – nominated for the most prestigious prize in live comedy, the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2012 – brings some gloriously absurd, loud and ridiculous comedy to Exeter Phoenix on 31 January following sell out gigs all over the country. The acridly funny Katherine Ryan can be seen this Friday night on Channel 4’s mash up night in the 8 Out of Ten Cats Does Deal or No Deal special and live at Exeter Phoenix on 30 January.
Also playing at Exeter Phoenix are Chortle Comedy Award nominees Peacock & Gamble; local funny women O’Shea & O’Gaukroger; Rich Peppiatt, an ex red-top reporter who, having appeared twice before the Leveson Inquiry, delivers a merciless dissection of the news paper trade; and Jigsaw, who have received huge critical acclaim for their fast and slick sketches.
More comedy events will take place at other venues throughout the city. Check lolfestival.co.uk for full listings, or see below for events at Exeter Phoenix.
If you book 3 or more of these events (either online, on the phone or in person), you’ll get a massive 20% off!
Peacock & Gamble
Don’t Even Want to be on Telly Anyway
Sun 20 Jan, 8pm, £10
Katherine Ryan
Nature’s Candy
Wed 30 Jan, 8pm, £12 (£10)
Tony Law
Maximum Nonsense
Thu 31 Jan, 8pm, £12 (£10)
O’Shea & O’Gaukroger
What Will We Do When We Grow Up?
Sat 2 Feb, 8pm, Voodoo Lounge, £8
Rich Peppiatt
One Rogue Reporter
Sun 3 Feb, 8pm, £10 (£8)
Other Laugh Out Loud events take place at Exeter Northcott Theatre, Bikeshed Theatre, Corn Exchange, Exeter Barnfield, City Gate Hotel. See lolfestival.co.uk for full listings.
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