THE COLLECTIVE PRODUCERS AT (E)zine: #2 2020
Collective Producers
The Collective Producers project at The Dock is designed to help young people aged 14-19 years to develop skills which connect them to their place and community. Participants develop a wider understanding of visual culture through learning a variety of skills, such as design, photography, graphic design, print, drawing, and 3Dmodelling. Through supported hands-on learning, the young people are empowered to express themselves creatively while gaining experience in visual arts, culture and the process of developing ideas into creative practice. Those taking part in Collective Producers work with three lead artists – David Smith, Anna Leask and Wayne O’Connor – and Laura Mahon, Visual Arts & Education Manager at The Dock. In its second year, the project had to adapt to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the young participants from schools in the region showed great creative ingenuity in working with their artist mentors to develop a Collective Producers project that could be conducted online without compromising the project goals or creative learning. Life under lockdown informed the project to such an extent that it became integral to the theme this year, when the artists and participants decided to create an online project called the 2KM, 3 Locations Art Project. In doing so, the young people highlighted a need for other people experiencing lockdown to have a creative outlet and the project was extended to participants nationwide with a view to seeing how social interaction online could be used to develop a wider understanding of visual culture locally and nationally. The 2KM, 3 Locations Art Project operated in three stages. Open workshops and tasks were posted on The Dock’s online social media platforms. Participants were required to investigate the two kilometres from home limit for exercise that was imposed during Ireland’s first lockdown, their home environments and how they engaged with others during the lockdown period. The core participants and wider public responded through sketching, drawing, painting, writing, dictation, sound recording, video and photography. They also discovered and examined elements of lighting, composition and framing of their work. Our thanks are extended to everyone who engaged with the project at its various stages. We are particularly grateful to our three lead artists and the participants who adapted the project so successfully in such difficult circumstances. We hope to catch you all again in 2021. - Laura Mahon, Visual Arts & Education Manager at The Dock
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“And here lie markers of history. Of lives that have lived upon this land and passed now beyond it.”
THE JOURNEY “Your day begins with a walk. Stepping out to feel the sun upon your face and filling your nostrils with the fresh clean air. A relief from all the recent news. A few steps more bring you beyond your gate and to the point where you must make a decision where you will walk today. Choose your path to continue...”
“ Th e p a invi�n th stretches g i throug . To the le� n front of yo , the w h mars u, emp ater st hy we beds a t wood retche ty and nd wil s ou t l l an d s lows. A of the azi l y fi l l c ed wit ross th moun h e river dense tains r There t reed i h s e e are tw agains broad o t the a sh o u l d rowing to wat zure m ers ch the boats o o r r ning s ipples u t on water. ky. the riv fan ou On yo e t r u symm . You s r right trees. etrical You ca are ro ly acro top ws of n see ss the large L a dens An ide i e m al p l ac e an d e for h mesh of roo ts at th Alder iding t hings eir bas you su e. rmise. ”
of trees y p o n ca a h at e n e b s d “This path procee then it winds d n a n su e th m o fr it r e that shelt ing much th o N s. in ru h rc u ch ld o past some one large r fo t p e xc e h rc u ch ld o remains of the overgrown with w o n is at th re u ct ru st wall, a w and casts a o n s e in sh n su e h T r. a ri ivy and b is wall. Even th re fo e b d n u o gr e th n shadow upo ake and sh ss a gr e m so e se u yo as you pass by, rves you se b o it b b ra e h T . it b b reveal a small ra ing out of sight. p m ju re fo e b s d n co se for a few ard...” The path con�nues onw “The Journey” is a li�le taster of the wri�ng work from the 2KM project.
DRAWING and PAINTING The initial phase of the project was an invitation to explore the boundaries and then record the exploration in drawings and painting by sketching and observing the locations. The artists were to focus mainly on 3 locations within the 2KM lockdown boundary.
“Across the fields, the sun shines down. The path leads in turn to a bridge overflowing a small running stream. You take a moment to gaze into its waters before you proceed across to the other side...�
“A pair of Mute Swans fly overhead with ponderous wing-beats and spectacularly long necks outstretched. You watch as they glide down majes�cally and se�le effortlessly on the deep s�ll river. The place is filled with a strange new sound you realize. A deep silence. You sit down on a boulder just off the path to listen. It’s right there in the background behind the powerful symphony of birdsong that reverberates through the forest. Are the birds louder you wonder? Sweeter maybe…more immediate…and more trus�ng? You sense that there’s something going on. There is. Suddenly, birds swoop down. Each graps a part of your clothes and li�s you slowly into the air!”
“The most striking colours are found in the palette of nature and often I find myself in awe of how the light will interact with this landscape...”
“Past the church you con�nue and gradually the path leads you deeper into the woods. Alive with all manner of life. From the insects hovering in and out among the grass and briars to either side of the path, to the mushrooms that grow in the ground and cling to the tree barks. Right through to the leaves both catching and reflec�ng the rays of the sun as it tries break through the interconnected branches above. An a�empt that it fails to succeed in except for thin rays of light that pierce through in a handful of places. These places are further brightened by the presence of beau�ful flowers. Meanwhile the path winds on ahead of you and soon leads you somewhere new...”
CREATIVE WRITING Using one of the locations in their area as the inspiration and starting point, participants were asked to create a short Interactive fiction piece. This form of writing allows the reader to interact and have a direct input on how a story unfolds, presenting them with options at points in the story. These options could be something like “Do you open the right door or the left door?” Once they choose, they turn to the relevant section and continue the tale.
..."Where am I? What is this place? What is my name? Why can't I remember my name? Why is there red paint on my fingers? Why is the door that this note is upon yellow?" These were just the few of the things he thought. He straightened up. At the yellow door he was staring at, it showed the number 3 wri�en in the colour blue. Behind him was a bed, with a window frame mirror above it. To the le� of him was a large vase on top of a small table. To the right of him was a cupboard. "Well" he said to himself, "Might as well look around for clues to get out of this place." [[Look at vase]] [[Look at bed]] [[Look at cupboard]] Sample Text by Juno Robus
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li� you, you feel the s rd bi e th t le d an es ey ur yo se “You clo u to wherever the yo y rr ca d ee sp e th d an ce fa ur breeze on yo t this magical an w t no do ly et cr se u Yo d. in m birds have in journey to end. nsely packed rushes de e th w ho l ve ar m d an n w do You look ey are beau�ful but Th d. en fri d ol an e lik s nk ba er hug the riv ve swollen in ha ey Th e. �m e m sa e th at e iv us somehow intr are not so friendly at ey th be ay M s. ar ye e th er ov ity dens g on the river and in ch oa cr en e ar ey Th . ce an gl nd seco by year. You look ar ye ly nt �e pa d an tly ie qu th pa shrinking its middle of the e th in ed rm fo ds an isl l al sm e th down and see cted and are lush with pe ex u yo an th er gg bi e ar ey Th . river trees and verdant grassy beds. id. You tell them sa s rd bi e th e lik st ju – re he up t It is so quie e infec�on and th m fro ay aw y, sk e th in up r fe that you feel sa down and you let out a p oo sw s rd bi e th ly en dd Su . ar fe the to hit the tree tops”. g in go I’m t. n’ do se ea pl No “ , scream
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PHOTOGRAPHY As part of the Photography phase of the project the participants were encouraged to collect photos of their chosen locations but also look deeper at the minutiae of objects and places within both their home environment and its immediate surrounds.
These photos encouraged looking at an assortment of everyday objects and viewing them up close and in new ways. Photos above by Val Robus
ARTISTS BIOGRAPHIES s lived a h , o y m Ma ng for many o r f h t i m d Ko David Srked in Hong llege level anA, o and woteaching at c ong Kong, US e years ng across H nd Ireland. H i exhibit and Europe apainting and d mainl s mostly in tography an go. work ally in pho ased in Sli n b occasioe is currently H .com o i d u t music. s smithd i v a d . www
Wayne O C writer an onnor is an art ist, story d arts ed predomi tell u c n a of Digita antly as a Digi tor. He works er, Myth, Fol softwares. Histal artist in a var ie m lk he has lore and the Fa ain interests ar ty various showcased th ntasy genre a e b extensiv ooks and gameis in his work onnd ely arou nd irelans. He has worke d d and re Sligo. sides in st and i t r a n a orks as orth West w k s a e Anna L rapher in the N d a Graduate photog d was awarde rts Centre an kA ofIrelandency in The Doc inly consists of Resid er artwork ma evelopingher d H in2017. over mediums, rawings using crossingaphs and hand dch is a photogr Cyanotype whi rocess. Anna ting p n i raphy r g p o e t u o l h b l p a r chemic ys sharing he oups taking r also enjokills to all age g asic skills on and arts s to teach the bd DSLR's. p worksho mart devices an boths
“You look down and the treetops are inches away from you. You scream,” I’m scared ”. The birds move your body and now you are flying on your side. They slow down and you miraculo usly meander between the branches and are ca refully put down si�ng on a high branch. The bran ch is thick and you feel supported. You look to yo ur le� and there is a snowy owl. It has just eaten a delicious duck meal. This river is always so oblig ing and provides lots of duck. The owl tells you that it has been wai�ng for 6 years to meet you. You ask it why so long? The owl says, “you were no t ready to hear what I have to say. My words of wisdom for you. You need to help save this river, its inhabitants and the ecology here. We are choking on fumes and strangled in plas�c. Please make this place safe for us to live in again.
On behalf of the The Dock and the lead Ar�sts, thanks to all the Par�cipants who engaged with the Programme this year. “The Journey”text by Michelle Ruddin
The Collective Producers is a project run by The Dock Arts Centre, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim 2020 With the kind support of Creative Ireland + Leitrim County Council