Plymouth Art Weekender is the largest art event of its kind in the UK, showcasing a wide and diverse range of activity for all ages including a large array of events and exhibitions throughout the city by local, national and international artists. Field Notes took on the role of Festival Co-ordinators for the third Weekender, overseeing 123 projects, events and exhibitions and bringing the work of 249 artists to an audience of over 20,000. We managed the development and delivery of two new artist commissions, The Weekender outreach programme for local schools and communities and a short film commision, as well as multiple partnerships with Plymouth City Council, Plymouth University, RIO, Plymouth College of Art, KARST and the city’s community of independent artists.
The Salty Singing Spectacle of Shiny Sozzled Sailors, Edwin Burdis and Tom Woolner, photo Rod Gonzalez
CONTEXT
The Plymouth Art Weekender is an artist-led event developed by Visual Arts Plymouth a largely voluntary organisation of independent artists and arts professionals from a range of visual arts and culture organisations across the city, who work together to connect grassroots activity with a larger city-wide cultural plan and vision.
COMMISSIONS
For Plymouth Art Weekender 2017 we commissioned two new temporary public artworks to be realised in Plymouth City Centre. The aim for the works was to help draw audiences to the event through spectacle or intrigue and to create a memorable and enjoyable experience for both the public and participants.
The Salty Singing Spectacle of Shiny Sozzled Sailors, Edwin Burdis and Tom Woolner
ENGAGEMENT
As part of the Park Bench Reader a public call out for readers was made, Bram worked with a number of organisations and community groups to recruit readers and spread the word about the project. These included Plymouth Athenaeum, Plymouth Libraries, Plympton Library, The Reader and Literature Works. As part of the project he gave a performance lecture titled Keep the Aspidistras Flying introducing The Park Bench Reader to the City took place at Plymouth Athenaeum on September 5th.
Artists Edwin Burdis and Tom Woolner collaborated for for the first time resulting in a series of playful and improvised performances created with the Devonport Park Community Choir. Each performance was a reimagining of the traditional sea shanty that drew on Plymouth’s naval history, civic architecture enacted with a series of props and costumes inspired by the paintings of renowned local artist Beryl Cook.
EVENTS
Most of the events that take place as part of The Weekender are self organised by artists in unusual locations across the city, this could be anything from a shop or abandoned building to a local park or area along the waterfront.
Fotonow CIC
Bram Thomas Arnold
Flameworks
Claire Fontaine
Elmgreen & Dragset with Lukas Wassman
Claire Fontaine, We The People
Edwin Burdis and Tom Woolner
Breakfast Discussion, We The People
Dark Energy
Hot Topik
Effervescent
Bridgette Ashton, Joanna Brinton & Graham Seaton
Ciara Phillips
Dark Energy
Kirsty Harris & Stuart RobinsonFUNDERS AND PARTNERS
Plymouth Art Weekender was coordinated by Visual Arts Plymouth and funded through the city wide Horizon project, a collaborative programme developed between Visual Arts Plymouth, KARST, Plymouth Arts Centre, Plymouth College of Art, Plymouth City Council and University of Plymouth. The two-year programme of visual contemporary arts was funded through Arts Council England’s Ambition for Excellence fund and supported by Plymouth Culture.
GET IN TOUCH:
info@fieldnotes.org.ukThe development of this website was supported by Cultivator Cornwall
