SOS_GUIDE_2016_COVER_Half Page (Wide) Ads 11/07/2016 09:56 Page 1 SOMERSET OPEN STUDIOS 2016 17 SEPTEMBER - 2 OCTOBER SOS_GUIDE_2016_COVER_Half Page (Wide) Ads 11/07/2016 09:56 Page 2 Somerset Open Studios is a much-loved and thriving event and I’m proud to support it. It plays an invaluable role in identifying and celebrating a huge variety of creative activities and projects in this county, finding emerging artists and raising awareness of them. I urge you to go out and enjoy these glorious weeks of cultural exploration. Kevin McCloud Photo: Glenn Dearing “What a fantastic creative county we all live in!” Michael Eavis www.somersetartworks.org.uk SOMERSET OPEN STUDIOS #SomersetOpenStudios16 SOS_GUIDE_2016_SB[2]_saw_guide 11/07/2016 09:58 Page 1 WELCOME TO OUR FESTIVAL! About Somerset Art Works Somerset Open Studios is back again! This year we have 208 venues and nearly 300 artists participating, Placing art at the heart of Somerset, showing a huge variety of work. Artists from every investing in the arts community, enriching lives. background and discipline will open up their studios - places that are usually private working environments, SAW is an artist-led organisation and what a privilege to be allowed in! Somerset’s only countywide agency dedicated to developing visual arts, Each year, Somerset Open Studios also works with weaving together communities and individuals, organisations and schools to develop the supporting the artists who enrich our event. We are delighted to work with King’s School lives. We want Somerset to be a Bruton and Bruton School for Girls to offer new and place where people expect to exciting work from a growing generation of artistic engage with excellent visual art that talent. We are also thrilled to be working with Bruton is surprising and distinctive. Art Factory, who will host ‘Colony Room Club SAW creates Projects and offers Somerset’ - the official Somerset Open Studios Membership to support practicing Festival Club. A taster of the legendary Soho drinking artists and organisations in Somerset: den comes to Somerset where every bohemian from providing bursaries, developing Bacon to Hirst, Emin to Freud passed from the commissions, supporting Guilded Gutter onto the green carpet. It will be collaborative working, providing networking and showcase running events, talks and discussions daily, see venue opportunities, including our diverse 10, page 13 for more details. annual Art Weeks event. Don’t miss this year’s incredibly talented Creative Pathways bursary winners, a professional development Somerset Art Works (SAW Ltd) programme for SAW member artists, see page 5. Also The Town Hall, Bow Street, Langport, look out for Alice Maddicott, this year developing her Somerset TA10 9PR own touring ‘pop-up studio’ which will appear all over T: 01458 253800 Somerset during Somerset Open Studios, see page 4. E: [email protected] W: www.somersetartworks.org.uk We look forward to opening our doors once more for Somerset’s largest visual arts and design event! somersetartworks Richard Pomeroy #SomersetOpenStudios16 Chair, Somerset Art Works Photo: Nisha Haq www.somersetartworks.org.uk SOMERSET OPEN STUDIOS #SomersetOpenStudios16 1 SOS_GUIDE_2016_SB[2]_saw_guide 11/07/2016 09:58 Page 2 saw LEARNING SAW aims to embed learning EDUCATION RESOURCES throughout all our activities, and There are many ways for schools to discover opportunities for inspiring creativity and learning outside the classroom during develops learning programmes to Somerset Open Studios. Our online education resources are part of SAW’s inspired offer to Somerset schools and the pack enable professional artists to work includes: advice on visiting venues, organising tours, engaging with artists, workshops, setting homework activities and a with schools and communities. range of activity resources. Download the resources from somersetartworks.org.uk/what-we-do/learning We currently deliver the following: SAW is committed to supporting the development of young people’s artistic talent, as well as building relationships between • inspired Somerset Arts schools, artists and the community. In 2015 SAW worked with 18 artists, delivering more than 50 sessions linked to SAW • Education Projects and Somerset Art Weeks, engaging over 800 students in schools and colleges across the county. • Somerset Art Weeks Learning inspired is a unique partnership between Somerset Art Works, Somerset Film, SPAEDA and Take Art - bringing the skills and • Programme expertise of arts and media professionals direct to schools, colleges and children’s centres across the county • Project delivery in local inspiresomerset.com • communities For further information please contact [email protected] / 01458 253800 www.somersetartworks.org.uk/ what-we-do/learning Above: Artist Jenny Graham at Bishop Fox’s inspired School, photographed by Jon England Above: SAW Projects photographed by Jon England, Christopher Jelley, Laura Cullen, and Deborah Westmancoat 2 www.somersetartworks.org.uk SOMERSET OPEN STUDIOS #SomersetOpenStudios16 SOS_GUIDE_2016_SB[2]_saw_guide 11/07/2016 09:58 Page 3 ECHO-MAKER Cranes and Communities Animation and Landscape project FAMILY FRIENDLY Devised by artist and animator Sean Harris in collaboration with Somerset Art Works, this unique project will see a mesmerising moving image artwork presented within a beacon in the landscape; the focus of a series of outdoor OPEN STUDIOS events taking place across the Somerset Levels and Moors at the end of the year. During Somerset Open Studios 2016 most of the venues will be very happy to Taking the crane’s ability to transcend boundaries and fences as a metaphor, as it welcome families. You can be sure that venues with the Family Friendly logo are strives to come to terms with the vagaries of its environment, the project expecting visits from families. It also means they are doing their best to provide celebrates the free-flying creative impulse that resides in all human minds enabling clear information and facilities for your family, some may also offer workshops and new solutions and pathways to be found. activities. However some venues may have limited facilities, so if you have specific For more information and details of forthcoming workshop opportunities see the needs please check with the venue before your visit. project blog cranesandcommunities.wordpress.com EVENTS 2016 19 November: Thorney Lakes 10 December: Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre Further dates to be announced www.somersetartworks.org.uk SOMERSET OPEN STUDIOS #SomersetOpenStudios16 3 SOS_GUIDE_2016_SB[2]_saw_guide 11/07/2016 09:58 Page 4 There is no stipulation as to the ITINERARY medium of the work, just that it should be inspired by the location. Whether TOURING OPEN STUDIO you are a painter, a filmmaker, a writer, SEPTEMBER a craftsperson or just curious, all will Saturday 17th: Glastonbury Tor, 10am - be welcome to participate: it is a truly 2pm open studio. Saturday 17th: Burrow Mump, 3 - 6pm As the tour develops and the work evolves, there will be a pop up Sunday 18th: Ramscombe Picnic Area, structure that itself will become a work Great Wood, Quantocks, 10.30am - 6pm of art, a creative narrative, both transformed by Alice’s responses to Monday 19th: Longrun Meadow, the locations visited and stories heard, Taunton, school day until 3pm, public and by visitors who will be welcome to session after school until 7pm. add to it, as well as creating stand- Tuesday 20th: Avalon Marshes Centre, alone work they may wish to leave or 10am - 5pm take home. Throughout the event Thursday 22nd: School day, West Alice will document the development Somerset ALICE MADDICOTT and process of the work and upload it Friday 23rd: Minehead, outside The to the momentum website, which Old Hospital, 11am - 5pm Somerset is a county rich in varied specific work. They may bring their combined with the final structure will landscapes, towns, villages and artistic own materials, gather materials on create a lasting record and interesting Saturday 24th: Dulverton Farmers communities. Our studios may be a site, work alone or collaboratively with creative archive of the county and Market, during opening hours room, a barn, a shed, somewhere we Alice and other visitors. Alice will be Somerset’s creative community at all Monday 26th: Halsway Manor, school work alone or share our space with there to encourage discussions and levels. day others. But beyond the walls there is a explorations of place and the concept During Somerset Open Studios Alice Tuesday 27th: Somerset Earth Science larger studio space; a space open to of Somerset as studio, to collaborate will also be inviting school groups to Centre, school day the elements and these variations of and facilitate creatively, and to work participate and running workshops Thursday 29th: Cleveland Pools, Bath, place; a space of inspiration, stories with visitors to create a body of work with young people. 2 - 7pm and materials – the county itself. that will evolve and develop throughout the Somerset Open More information about the project Friday 30th: ACE Arts in The Old Town As part of the Somerset Open Studios Hall, Somerton, 10am - 1pm 2016 and as a continuation of SAW’s Studios period. and the itinerary can be found on the Friday 30th: Momentum programme of exhibitions Momentum blog: http:// The Old Market Place, Castle Cary, 2 - 6pm and commissions, artist and writer saw15momentum.wordpress.com Alice Maddicott will be creating a More information about Alice: OCTOBER literal open